How to align double-sided prints on 3880

[mlondon]

Hi,
Trying to print double-sided on an Epson 3880 using InDesign CC 2015 on a Mac running macOS 10.12.1

I'd like the images to align.

I've tried all the alignment options in InDesign: Centered, Center Horizontally, Center Vertically, and Upper Left. None of them give me aligned images on both sides. Centered and Centered Horizontally align both sides along the width of the page, but along the length they are offset by about 3mm.

I tried downloading a trial of ColorBurst RIP hoping that would help, but it did not.

Grateful for any suggestions.
Thank you

[Ernst Dinkla]

You could check Qimage Ultimate. Print margins can be (+ only) altered in QU preferences. Will still take some patience though. Always insert the same edge of the paper you used as the insert edge for the first print run. The printer normally will check the side edge that is closest to the head parking side to see where the position of the paper is sideways so you have to make sure your first print side has the image centered on the width (inkjet head movement). Or make sure that the image is slightly off centered towards the head in the first print run and cut the other side a bit to make the image centered before the second print run.  Centering is not needed on the length (transport direction) of the sheet if that is not needed for the design itself. Then you still have the problem that auto sheet loading can still skew sheets, in best case always the same so you might be able to guide the sheets with some tweaking of the loading tray. Any skew shows more at the trailing edge of the paper in the register of a dual sided print as dual sided will double the fault. I do not trust sheet auto loading enough for jobs like that but I can use physical register tabs on my wide format when I force the printer to accept manual loading of sheets. Do not know whether the 3880 allows that.

Edit: always print the lowest ink load (text) side first, less smudges, less deformation of the page so beter register.

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

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