Ilford GFS and Epson 4880

[scott williams]

I'm trying to print 8.5 x 11 and I'm having no luck.

If I use the paper tray it jams every time.  If I use the manual feeds it's never straight.

Is this a lost cause or is there some way to get this to work?

Thanks.

[juicy]

It's not easy. IGFS is quite stiff and doesn't go easily in to the rear maual sheet feeder. And it's too thick and stiff for paper tray. If you use the rear feed and the printer tells you it's not straight, you can slightly lift the lever that locks the paper feed rolls and then align the paper while watching through the top cover. Then just push tha pause button once. This method sometimes screws the margins however and it's wise to leave enough area unprinted that you can trim the margins if needed.
The front manual feed needs a bit more deskspace behind the printer but doesn't bend the paper unlike the rearfeed does.

Anyway it's interesting to note that a "professional" printer like this is sometimes a source of frustration with both this kind of paper handling problems and also with potential clogging issues and at the same time, a 100,-$ Canon desktop inkjet has performed flawlesly for 6 years now and nothing in the world is easier than feeding any paper that this machine accepts. And no clogs... Ever.

Cheers,
J   

[pflower]

I don't have a 4880.  I have a 3880 which may be completely different.  If so apologies and ignore this post.  Getting the rear manual feed to work can be a real problem.  I would estimate that when I first started it could take me up to 5 goes to get the paper to feed.  However today I have just finished printing 50 A2 prints on Gold Fibre Silk from the manual rear feed without a single mistake requiring a re-feed.

The trick that works for me is to face the printer and make sure that the right hand paper edge as you look at it is completely flush with the paper guide.  Then holding both sides of the paper very gently feed it in keeping it flush.  Works for me on A2 - much easier with A4.  On the 3880 you can also open the top and see how the paper is being fed.  That way you can see in which direction it is skewing.

On the whole I print virtually nothing other than Gold Fibre Silk on the 3880.  Works fine from the sheet feeder but larger sizes require the rear feed.

[StuNY]

I print GFS on my 3880 regularly and just use the top paper feeder. Much more convenient to stack a bunch of sheets and seems to work fine each time.

[Robert Katz]

I would agree with the last post.  I have been using Ilford GFS for years on the 3800 and the 3880
with sizes from 8 1/2-11 up to 17 x 22. Never had any problem with the top feeder.
Robert Katz

[scott williams]

Thanks everyone.

Looks like it's an issue with the 4880... or maybe just my 4880.