Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Epson 4880 cutting roll to wrong size??  (Read 3820 times)

lucien

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12
Epson 4880 cutting roll to wrong size??
« on: March 23, 2010, 01:26:32 pm »

Hi there,

I'm completely mystified. I've just made a series of prints on an Epson 4880, using Ultra Smooth Fine Art 17 inch roll paper. The paper is supposed to be cut to 17x22in, with the printed area somewhat smaller. And it turns out that in fact the printer is cutting to a length of about 22 5/8" instead. I've had two other people check my page setup and margin settings, and everything looks right. I've never measured the cut paper size before because they are usually being matted and framed, but these are to go in a 17x22 presentation box, so the size is important.

Can anyone help? Is there a slop factor in the cutting? It doesn't seem like it, since they are all an identical length, but perhaps it adds on a bit? How much? How can I get the printer to cut them at exactly the right size?

Please don't suggest I buy cut sheets, as I've already started the roll and can't afford not to use this one.

Thanks for any help provided,
Lucien
Logged

dgberg

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2753
    • http://bergsprintstudio.com http://bergscustomfurniture.com
Epson 4880 cutting roll to wrong size??
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2010, 03:13:11 pm »

You don't have to buy cut sheets but you should have a cutter for trimming anyway. You asked a pretty good question which I cannot answer. I have always set my printer for an extra inch on each end even when printing just 1 print. I usually am printing multiple prints from rolls and cutting them apart to the proper size. If your doing just 1 and you set it for exactly 22" I am thinking that is what you should get. If you shorten the length in page setup does it then come out the proper size for you?
« Last Edit: March 23, 2010, 03:15:00 pm by Dan Berg »
Logged

Farmer

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2848
Epson 4880 cutting roll to wrong size??
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2010, 05:52:49 pm »

On the printer control panel, what have you set the margins to?  Have you reduced to 3mm?  5/8" is about 15mm, which is one of the other settings.

If you're printing just one sheet, it's possible it's being lengthened at the leading edge by the roll margin setting.
Logged
Phil Brown

Wayne Fox

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4237
    • waynefox.com
Epson 4880 cutting roll to wrong size??
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2010, 06:27:25 pm »

Quote from: lucien
Hi there,

I'm completely mystified. I've just made a series of prints on an Epson 4880, using Ultra Smooth Fine Art 17 inch roll paper. The paper is supposed to be cut to 17x22in, with the printed area somewhat smaller. And it turns out that in fact the printer is cutting to a length of about 22 5/8" instead. I've had two other people check my page setup and margin settings, and everything looks right. I've never measured the cut paper size before because they are usually being matted and framed, but these are to go in a 17x22 presentation box, so the size is important.

Can anyone help? Is there a slop factor in the cutting? It doesn't seem like it, since they are all an identical length, but perhaps it adds on a bit? How much? How can I get the printer to cut them at exactly the right size?

Please don't suggest I buy cut sheets, as I've already started the roll and can't afford not to use this one.

Thanks for any help provided,
Lucien

I had to print a couple of hundred 49" long sheets for banners on 44" paper, and didn't want to trim them.  To get them to cut accurately took some experimenting, but I was able to do it.  It required setting up certain things just right.  I don't recall all of the settings but I think I had to use borderless(auto expand), and then I think there was a double cut option that had to be turned on.

I know you can get accurate length prints.  If those two ideas don't help, I can try to find that job and see what my settings were.
Logged

lucien

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12
Epson 4880 cutting roll to wrong size??
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2010, 08:44:34 pm »

Hmmm. I've got the margins set in the page setup dialog to 0" all around, paper size set to 17x22", and printing from lightroom with the cell size set so that I end up with minimum 1.5" borders all around the printed image. I _have_ a trimmer, but cutting a few mm off either side of the paper after making every print simply shouldn't be required with a printer that cost thousands of dollars. They're perfectly clean cuts. They're just in the wrong place.

Oh, and I don't have the option of borderless (auto expand) and such, because those settings are for sheet paper, whereas this is a custom roll paper setting. Any other ideas?
« Last Edit: March 23, 2010, 08:46:09 pm by lucien »
Logged

Nill Toulme

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 738
    • http://www.toulmephoto.com
Epson 4880 cutting roll to wrong size??
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2010, 10:07:06 pm »

Maybe, um, try setting your paper length to 21 3/8"?

Nill
Logged

Wayne Fox

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4237
    • waynefox.com
Epson 4880 cutting roll to wrong size??
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2010, 10:23:23 pm »

Quote from: lucien
Hmmm. I've got the margins set in the page setup dialog to 0" all around, paper size set to 17x22", and printing from lightroom with the cell size set so that I end up with minimum 1.5" borders all around the printed

Oh, and I don't have the option of borderless (auto expand) and such, because those settings are for sheet paper, whereas this is a custom roll paper setting. Any other ideas?

The fact you have a custom paper size doesn't mean you can't use borderless(auto expand).  It just means you can't select it in the Page Setup dialog, but in the Print dialog box, under Printer Settings, a popup should allow you to choose this setting.  I'm pretty sure to get an exact borderless print size you have to use this setting.   Then under the Roll Paper Settings you select Double Cut.  I'm pretty sure this will give you the length you enter in your custom paper size dialog.  I remember spending about 30 minutes trying to avoid trimming those 200 prints.  The final size of those was 39"x59" and all that needed trimming was one side.

Unfortunately I don't remember the exact settings, but I do know that using the double cut option was the only way I could get it to work.  I have a stack of around 200 2"x44" strips I know use to wrap around rolled prints from the double cut slugs from that job. I'm always almost positive I had to use the auto expand option to get it to work right as well.
Logged

Farmer

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2848
Epson 4880 cutting roll to wrong size??
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2010, 12:29:54 am »

Seriously, check the settings on the printer control panel for roll paper margins.  Honest.
Logged
Phil Brown

lucien

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12
Epson 4880 cutting roll to wrong size??
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2010, 12:55:56 am »

Okay, those tips sound promising. I'll try and report back tomorrow. Thanks a lot, guys. Much appreciated.

L
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up