Epson 9900 and Harman Gloss FB AL loading problems

[StuartR]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could offer me any insight on this. I cannot seem to get my 9900 to load small sheets of Harman (I have not tried larger as of yet) Gloss FB AL. It does other similar papers that I have tried without issue, but it seems to reject Harman. This is a problem, as it is my favorite paper. This is just A4 so far, as I am trying to make profiles for it. When I sit it down in there to load like any other paper, the take-up rollers don't seem to want to grab it. It just sits there and then says "paper error, see manual". If I put some pressure on the top of the sheet, it seems to load ok, but then it stops in the middle of the loading sequence and says paper error. It has done this both when I have left the platen gap at standard, increased it to wide and then wider. When I release the paper, it seems to get stuck on the inside of the printer, and I need to open up the front of the print.

For a coup de grace, the printer is damaging the paper too -- there are small gouged out channels on the REAR of the paper, about 2mm thick. Does anyone have any idea what is happening here, as well as perhaps a way to fix it? I called Epson support about it before, but they were not helpful at all really...maybe if I call back I will get someone more competent, but I was hoping that someone here might have experienced this. I cannot really get a tech to come check it out, as I am in Iceland.

[edwinb]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could offer me any insight on this. I cannot seem to get my 9900 to load small sheets of Harman (I have not tried larger as of yet) Gloss FB AL. It does other similar papers that I have tried without issue, but it seems to reject Harman. This is a problem, as it is my favorite paper. This is just A4 so far, as I am trying to make profiles for it. When I sit it down in there to load like any other paper, the take-up rollers don't seem to want to grab it. It just sits there and then says "paper error, see manual". If I put some pressure on the top of the sheet, it seems to load ok, but then it stops in the middle of the loading sequence and says paper error. It has done this both when I have left the platen gap at standard, increased it to wide and then wider. When I release the paper, it seems to get stuck on the inside of the printer, and I need to open up the front of the print.

For a coup de grace, the printer is damaging the paper too -- there are small gouged out channels on the REAR of the paper, about 2mm thick. Does anyone have any idea what is happening here, as well as perhaps a way to fix it? I called Epson support about it before, but they were not helpful at all really...maybe if I call back I will get someone more competent, but I was hoping that someone here might have experienced this. I cannot really get a tech to come check it out, as I am in Iceland.

the marks on the back sound like there is something picking up the paper- are they spaced like the rollers? I know there is a paper senser in the area
if the rear of the paper is soft maybe mounting it on another sheet-  say a3 as a carrier?
edwin

[Scott O.]

I have basically the same problem with loading paper on my 7900, except mine won't load anything automatically.  Sometimes it will load plain paper but no photo papers of any thickness.  All cut sheets most be loaded manually using the paper release.  Contacting Epson support is much like talking to a spoon.  Anyone have any ideas???

[StuartR]

Hi Edwin,
Thank you for the carrier suggestion, I will give that a try. I think the damage is coming when the printer freaks out and thinks there is a problem -- then the printer clamps down on the sheet, says paper error and then locks up. Once I hit the paper release button and retrieve the paper, there is the mark on the back of the paper.

Soberle -- I am sorry to hear that you are having a similar, but worse problem. How do you load the paper with the paper release? My sheets tend to just fall straight through...do you just turn the vacuum up all the way?

[pindman]

FbAl is my favorite paper.  I have not had any problems loading it into the Epson 9900.  You need to load it vertically.  I have not needed any special settings, so there may be a problem with your individual printer.

If you use rolls, you will get roller marks about 1 1/2 inch from the leading edge if it is left in the printer for more than a minute or two.  

Paul

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could offer me any insight on this. I cannot seem to get my 9900 to load small sheets of Harman (I have not tried larger as of yet) Gloss FB AL. It does other similar papers that I have tried without issue, but it seems to reject Harman. This is a problem, as it is my favorite paper. This is just A4 so far, as I am trying to make profiles for it. When I sit it down in there to load like any other paper, the take-up rollers don't seem to want to grab it. It just sits there and then says "paper error, see manual". If I put some pressure on the top of the sheet, it seems to load ok, but then it stops in the middle of the loading sequence and says paper error. It has done this both when I have left the platen gap at standard, increased it to wide and then wider. When I release the paper, it seems to get stuck on the inside of the printer, and I need to open up the front of the print.

For a coup de grace, the printer is damaging the paper too -- there are small gouged out channels on the REAR of the paper, about 2mm thick. Does anyone have any idea what is happening here, as well as perhaps a way to fix it? I called Epson support about it before, but they were not helpful at all really...maybe if I call back I will get someone more competent, but I was hoping that someone here might have experienced this. I cannot really get a tech to come check it out, as I am in Iceland.

[StuartR]

Thank you Paul for the help. I will remember your note here about the roll paper, as I have 2 44" and 2 24" inch rolls I will be printing from in the larger sizes.

I think I may have solved the problem though. In carefully watching how the 9900 loads, I think I figured out what is happening. Glossy FB Al has a noticeable concave paper curl because of its baryta coating -- most papers are flat or curve convexly. The Harman is mostly flat, but the edges are turned up slightly, and this seems to be what is causing the problems.

When you load a sheet into the 9900, it takes it in the rollers, advances it down, brings it back up, and then down again into position. With Harman, if the rollers took it (the curve interfered with this too I think), it would be pulled down as normal, but when it was to be pushed back up, it hit the edge of the paper feeding slot. So it would catch on the inside of the machine, the machine would think there was a jam, it would clamp the rollers down on the paper and then stop the loading process. This would also explain why roll paper users have not had a problem -- there is no rear edge of the paper to catch on the printer feeding slot, since the paper runs all the way from the roll to the edge.

I have found that if I carefully take some of that curve out of the paper by bending it in the opposite direction, it seems to behave much better. I have only tried this a few times, so I may just be getting lucky, but it seems like this might be the issue -- with my printer at least...

[BobDavid]

Thank you Paul for the help. I will remember your note here about the roll paper, as I have 2 44" and 2 24" inch rolls I will be printing from in the larger sizes.

I think I may have solved the problem though. In carefully watching how the 9900 loads, I think I figured out what is happening. Glossy FB Al has a noticeable concave paper curl because of its baryta coating -- most papers are flat or curve convexly. The Harman is mostly flat, but the edges are turned up slightly, and this seems to be what is causing the problems.

When you load a sheet into the 9900, it takes it in the rollers, advances it down, brings it back up, and then down again into position. With Harman, if the rollers took it (the curve interfered with this too I think), it would be pulled down as normal, but when it was to be pushed back up, it hit the edge of the paper feeding slot. So it would catch on the inside of the machine, the machine would think there was a jam, it would clamp the rollers down on the paper and then stop the loading process. This would also explain why roll paper users have not had a problem -- there is no rear edge of the paper to catch on the printer feeding slot, since the paper runs all the way from the roll to the edge.

I have found that if I carefully take some of that curve out of the paper by bending it in the opposite direction, it seems to behave much better. I have only tried this a few times, so I may just be getting lucky, but it seems like this might be the issue -- with my printer at least...

I've worked through the Harman Gloss FB Al issue on my 9900. You've hit it on the head -- carefully bend the leading edge corners in the opposite direction to reverse the curl. I miss the ease at which my 9800 loaded paper.

[Wayne Fox]

The leading edge of the Harman Gloss FB Al was problematic with my 7900, not just in loading but also with some head strikes.  I happen to have a D-Roller and it worked nicely to de-curl the leading edge.