Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: digitaldog on February 09, 2011, 08:25:27 pm

Title: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: digitaldog on February 09, 2011, 08:25:27 pm
Curious of anyone out there running 10.6.6 and a R2880 can let me know if they see any issues selecting the Advanced B&W settings in their drivers AFTER running the System Update of the last few weeks (Epson drive update).
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: douvidl on February 10, 2011, 09:14:28 am
Are you talking about the Epson Drive update from Apple or from Epson.  I found the Epson driver update from Apple to be a pain and not the time to download. If it is the driver from Apple you might want to trash it, download the latest driver from Epson and live happily ever after.  (At least that's my experience)
Best
David
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: digitaldog on February 10, 2011, 10:09:25 am
The issue is with the Apple Software Update.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Farmer on February 10, 2011, 03:53:42 pm
I haven't tested this, and I'm not in a position to do so until next week, but is this perhaps the old issue of a Gutenprint driver being installed due to an Apple update?

What's the actual issue, Andrew?  Is the option not there?
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: digitaldog on February 10, 2011, 03:55:41 pm
No, its not Gutenprint, its the Epson driver but with ABW no accessible (grayed out).
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Farmer on February 10, 2011, 08:56:32 pm
OK - I'll try to replicate next week when I'm back in the office.  Very odd.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: na goodman on February 10, 2011, 10:16:18 pm
Generally when the update comes thru Apple software update it is for the Gutenprint driver's. I would uninstall the driver thru the printer setup window and then reinstall from Epson's site and see if that fixes the issue.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Farmer on February 13, 2011, 09:35:22 pm
Andrew - we've attempted to replicate under 10.6.6 with driver version 6.6.2 but there's no problem here.

Using an Imac, freshly updated to 10.6.6, did a fresh install of the driver and ABW is present on everything except plain paper, as expected.

I can only suggest completely removing and reinstalling the driver at this point.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: douvidl on February 13, 2011, 11:21:24 pm
I agree with Goodman.  Had the same problem, tried the solution and it work beautifully.  The driver from Apple is a no no.
David
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Farmer on February 14, 2011, 05:21:24 am
Andrew's already confirmed that it's not the Gutenprint driver.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Doombrain on February 14, 2011, 11:49:52 am
In the driver go to the coloursynk option and turn Epson colour managment back to on.

pain in the a** Apple defaults.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: digitaldog on February 14, 2011, 01:19:13 pm
In the driver go to the coloursynk option and turn Epson colour managment back to on.

pain in the a** Apple defaults.

That’s not the issue.

This is:
(http://digitaldog.net/files/Epson2880issue.jpg)
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: digitaldog on February 14, 2011, 01:20:54 pm
Using an Imac, freshly updated to 10.6.6, did a fresh install of the driver and ABW is present on everything except plain paper, as expected.

You’re not done, you need to run the System Update, then you should get an update for the Epson drivers installed by Apple (installed using this System Update mechanism). Then at least for me, going into CS5, even picking Photoshop Manages Color, you see Color and Color Settings grayed out. CS4, LR3, no problem.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: na goodman on February 14, 2011, 01:57:27 pm
Andrew, just for my curiosity sake have you tried without the borderless option picked.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: digitaldog on February 14, 2011, 02:11:09 pm
Andrew, just for my curiosity sake have you tried without the borderless option picked.

Has no effect on the popups.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: na goodman on February 14, 2011, 02:22:24 pm
So have you deleted the driver. Restarted and then add the driver back?
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: digitaldog on February 14, 2011, 02:24:05 pm
So have you deleted the driver. Restarted and then add the driver back?

The issue can be fixed by resetting the print system (option click in Printer and Fax). The question is for Epson/Apple/Adobe to see if anyone else is seeing this kind of issue after the Apple update.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: na goodman on February 14, 2011, 02:54:42 pm
Ok, now I get what information you are trying to gather. Sorry for misunderstanding. I do not have the same printer and from previous experience with running the Apple driver updates I no longer do it because of the very issue you are experiencing. I have numerous clients that used to run the update thru system software and then they would have issue but in most of those cases the Gutenprint driver took over so we just had to delete and add back in the Epson driver. I have spoken with Apple and they have told me that when they send those updates thru Apple software update it does not update the vendor driver's, it updates the Gutenprint drivers for the various vendors. Now, I'm not swearing by that because if I call and talk to someone else at Apple I may get a different response.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Farmer on February 14, 2011, 05:42:36 pm
You’re not done, you need to run the System Update, then you should get an update for the Epson drivers installed by Apple (installed using this System Update mechanism). Then at least for me, going into CS5, even picking Photoshop Manages Color, you see Color and Color Settings grayed out. CS4, LR3, no problem.

Thanks, Andrew - I'll get this tested and let you know.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: John S C on February 15, 2011, 04:21:14 am
Andrew
Yes I have the problem

Imac running 10.6.6
CS4



Update
Just reset printer prefs and loaded latest Epson driver from Epson and now no problem. Having said that I've never printed using the ABW feature prefering to use Lightroom of Photoshop for B&W printing so not noticed the problem until you commented
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: digitaldog on February 15, 2011, 09:50:18 am
Andrew
Yes I have the problem

Imac running 10.6.6
CS4
Update
Just reset printer prefs and loaded latest Epson driver from Epson and now no problem. Having said that I've never printed using the ABW feature prefering to use Lightroom of Photoshop for B&W printing so not noticed the problem until you commented

Good (well not good, sorry but at least I can tell Apple/Epson I’m not the only one).
After the reset, you’ll be good unless you update using Software Update. Next time you run it, you can remove that one update from the list (click on it and one of the menu items will delete it from the list).
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Farmer on February 15, 2011, 05:37:58 pm
Andrew - confirmation that it's a common issue.  The Apple Update does cause a conflict between the Epson and the Gutenprint drivers and the Epson driver loses and you need to reset and reinstal.

I haven't been able to confirm where the problem lies or with whom, but it is known.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: digitaldog on February 15, 2011, 05:49:08 pm
Thanks everyone. I am trying to get the various parties responsible to look this over.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: na goodman on February 15, 2011, 06:55:15 pm
Andrew it may have just happened to you for the first time but I have seen it numerous times over the past year or two. I think it is Apple's installer. Yes, you can reset the printer system but when some people have 4 to 8 printer's it becomes a pain. I will be interested in seeing if you can really find out if the update is coming thru Epson or is it how it was explained to me and is really updating the Gutenprint driver's for Epson printers, Canon, hp, or whoever.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Farmer on February 15, 2011, 07:08:18 pm
The update is definitely not coming from Epson.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Peter S on February 20, 2011, 08:26:20 am
Andrew,

I am not sure if this is related but I have recently had a problem with my 3800 and 10.6.6.  This was prompted by a loss of AccuPhoto which I posted elsewhere but with no response.  The whole driver issue is greatly confused by the difference in UK and US drivers.
I tried to get help from Epson UK but they simply told me information regarding AccuPhoto HD is not available in the UK and told me to ask Epson support in the US.
If Epson have different drivers in different countries and Apple issue one update.....
Below is a short version of my on-line chat with Epson.  If you know any people at Epson who could explain what is going on I would be very interested and perhaps we could all avoid some problems in future.

Peter

Peter S: "The US driver 6.11 for the Epson 3800 (snow leopard) has a mode for AccuPhoto HD. Most write ups recommend using this option for improved printing. The UK driver which seems to be much more recent 6.57 does not have this option. Why is this?"   
02/20/2011 01:32:47PM   Agent (Carl Ainsworth): "The AccuPhoto HD my be a function that is limited to the US Peter."
02/20/2011 01:43:33PM   Agent (Carl Ainsworth): "Checking the information we do not have any details of AccuPhoto HD in the UK."
02/20/2011 01:45:46PM   Peter S: "A quick search on the internet will tell you that it was introduced by Epson some time ago."
02/20/2011 01:46:32PM   Agent (Carl Ainsworth): "Ok, but it has not been introduced in the UK, there we do not have any information regarding this that we can supply from here."
02/20/2011 01:49:36PM   Agent (Carl Ainsworth): "I do not have that information as it has not been released here in the UK."
02/20/2011 01:51:46PM   Peter S: "If it is an improvement the information should be sought from the US. It hardly seems right to simply say the information is not available in the UK."
02/20/2011 01:52:37PM   Agent (Carl Ainsworth): "Then please contact the Epson US support and they will be able to give you advice regarding that function."
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Farmer on February 20, 2011, 06:25:51 pm
Can you post an image of the AccuPhoto portion/setting of the driver?
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Peter S on February 21, 2011, 05:15:01 am
Can you post an image of the AccuPhoto portion/setting of the driver?

The first attachment shows the screen with driver downloaded from the US site.  The second is the result from the UK site.


Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Doombrain on February 21, 2011, 08:31:15 am
AccuphotoHD is just the US name for the colour printing mode, it's nothing magical at all. The driver uses the same HTM Epson japan made for all K3VM units of the time across the world.
Epson co developed the LUT with the Munsell colour science lab and Americans like to label everything.

The fact is it’s the same driver just localized to fit the market and some marketing bod at Epson US thought it would be a great idea to call it 'Accuphoto HD' because everything has to be 'HD' these days.

 :-\
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Peter S on February 21, 2011, 11:46:47 am
Thanks for the explanation it's nice to know.

I was concerned that I was missing out after I picked up this write up on AccuPhoto HD from a review of the 3800 posted in July 2007:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/printers/epson-facelift.shtml

"With the new 80 series printers Epson has introduced what they call AccuPhoto HD screening, which is claimed to possess a "radical new form of math" for determining dot placement. Again, blow-ups of 35X, show a very clear enhancement over Epson's previous generation printers. The extent to which this actually translates into enhanced image quality at normal viewing distances remains to be seen, but it certainly appears to be an improvement, as seen below."


So I should have ignored the marketing hype and can use the "Color" mode on the UK driver and get the same result as using the AccuPhoto HD mode and the US driver?  The UK driver does have the advantage that it gives low ink warnings.  I am still puzzled as to why the UK driver is so much more recent than that on the US support site.

I know next to nothing about the creation of drivers but it seems rather a waste of effort to have different ones in different countries.  It also confuses people like me who read books with instructions showing AccuPhoto HD or in its latest version AccuPhoto HD2.

Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Schewe on February 21, 2011, 12:00:57 pm
Read the article again...it was for the 3880, not the 3800 printer. The article talks about the x880 series.

NOT the 3800 which doesn't have AccuPhoto HD
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Peter S on February 21, 2011, 12:34:57 pm
Read the article again...it was for the 3880, not the 3800 printer. The article talks about the x880 series.

NOT the 3800 which doesn't have AccuPhoto HD

I can't argue with the fact that the article was was about the 3880 not the 3800 and somehow I expect I am going to loose if I argue about the 3800 not having AccuPhoto but...
Here is a screen shot of my 3800 print options, taken a few minutes ago, using the driver downloaded from Epson's US web site and it clearly shows AccuPhoto HD.  I have probably missed the point.  Can you please explain?
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Schewe on February 21, 2011, 01:22:20 pm
Well, I haven't had a 3800 for a couple of years and don't have the driver loaded, so I can't say definitively if the 3800 didn't have AccuPhoto HD...all I know is that the 3880 DOES have AccuPhoto HD2...so maybe the 3880 does.
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: Farmer on February 21, 2011, 05:03:43 pm
To answer your question, just use "colour" and you're all set.  There's nothing in the US driver that's missing in terms of performance or quality - it's just renamed.  The technology was introduced with the 3800 (new LUT etc as mentioned above).
Title: Re: Epson 2880, 10.6.6 users?
Post by: digitaldog on February 22, 2011, 10:37:13 am
So the deal is this. If in CS5, you have Printer Manages Color, and you go into the Epson driver, and you happen to have the Color Matching set for ColorSync, you’ll get the ugly grayed out UI I have below. I’m not sure why. If you switch Color Matching to Epson Color Controls, you get your driver options back.

IF you have Photoshop Manages Color set, well the Colorsync radio button Color Matching within the driver is automatically selected and grayed out. And the result is, you have an ugly driver whereby you can’t select items in the driver. I’m not sure why.

Its just another of those messes with driver/os/app’s. The behavior is different in Lightroom 3 FWIW. The 3880 is completely different! You can have Photoshop Manages Color and select anything in the driver except the options in Color Matching (its always set to ColorSync and grayed out).