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Author Topic: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1  (Read 22930 times)

gvisuals

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Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« on: September 08, 2012, 02:05:34 pm »

Hello, if anyone can provide some helpful advice, I would greatly appreciate it.  My prints are not printing at the size that I specify in the LR4 print module via the Custom package.


Background Info


I am printing from Lightroom 4 on Mac 10.8.1 to an Epson 7900 using the 9.04 driver.  Paper: 24" Roll (Hahnemuhle Fine Art Baryta), custom page size 24" x 14.91" w/ .25" borders except the bottom border of .56". 


Settings


In the LR4 Print Dialogue using the "Custom Package" Layout, I set the image to 18.1" W x 14.1" H.  All the images to be printed were cropped to this ratio first.


First, I set the printer to "Roll - Retain size with the double cut option selected.  The prints were coming out approx. 10% larger than I specified (I specified 18.1" x 14.1" for the image).  Next up I simply chose Roll paper and normal cut.  These printed out at barely 18" wide but under 14" high which I realized today when I went to cut them after some flattening.  I also did some 4x6's on the excess space to the right (set to print at 4.067" x 6.1").  Oddly enough these printed out at the appropriate height of 6.1 but well under 4" wide.


I am wondering if this is a current issue with LR4 / Mac 10.8.1 or the Epson driver on Mountain Lion?  I do not recall ever having this issue before upgrading to either LR4 or Mac 10.8 (using Retain Size).  I'm burning through time, paper and ink.  This job has to have accurately size prints because they are for a portfolio book and I have just about wasted nearly 3/4 of a roll of paper (these rolls are only 39' in length) and a day of work. 


Any information or advice would be appreciated.  I have read through the manual and all I want is a print size that is true to my set size.  I do not need borderless prints because I am cutting them down. Thank you.
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Wills

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2012, 09:02:14 am »

What happens when you uncheck rotate to fit, I had issues at one pont on another printer with images changing size.
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Garnick

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2012, 03:19:49 pm »

Just a thought.  Have you recently applied an Apple Software Update for Epson Printers?  The issue you are describing corresponds with a post on another forum a couple of months ago, and one that I have mentioned in a recent post on this forum.  Apparently the update from Apple can interfere with Epson large format printers.  Unfortunately I haven't seen a resolution for this problem, but I do have a LARGE note attached to my display reminding me NOT to run that update in the 'Apple Software Updates' dialog.  The update applies to both printers and scanners and I am now having problems getting an updated scanner driver for an older Epson Expression 1680 scanner that I still use frequently.  The updated version can only be acquired through the 'Apple Software Update' dialog. 

Just a warning to those of you running Macs and large format Epson printers.  If you see that update in the 'Apple Software Updates' dialog, DO NOT INSTALL IT!

Gary
« Last Edit: September 15, 2012, 03:22:19 pm by Garnick »
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Gary N.
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Garnick

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2012, 03:41:59 pm »

For what it's worth, this is a compilation of three posts concerning this issue:

"I print to my 9900 from a Mac Pro running 10.7.4 and the 8.68 driver. Suddenly the other day prints starting coming out too large (5x7's are 7.373 long for example borderless). I am printing with CS6 but CS5 also does the same thing. If I boot into 10.6.8 every thing works fine. I think this might be related to the recent Epson printer update from Apple but I don't know what to do about it. Anyone else having this problem"?

That update from Apple can cause problems on the wide format machines. You shouldn't even see that update unless you are running some other type of Epson as well... like an all-in-one or desktop model. I've just spent many, many hours trying to sort this out in a college print lab that I manage. The wide
formats have various driver versions up to 8.68. Our Artisan that we use for printing CDs is at version 9. An update to 9 comes via Software Update. When
you install any Epson driver it installs a handful of core programs that all Epson models share. The wide formats don't completely like the version 9
core... especially if the printers are shared over a network that's larger than a single subnet.

With all of my wide formats installed on a network with 10.7 systems, I never see an Apple Update for Epson until I add the Artisan into the mix. Then the
system will try to get me to apply the update and all sorts of things on the wide formats go wonky.

On my own small network where I have an Artisan and a 9890, I seemed to be getting what you describe even though I knew I had selected the proper roll option. That was after installing the update. I completely cleared all Epson software from the system and reinstalled the latest drivers leaving the Artisanout. Software update no longer wants to try to apply an update. All is wellnow (just cant print disk labels any more).

In Lion it seems that there are certain instances when printers (not just Epson) run an auto configure routine and will attempt to update themselves in the
background without you even being aware of it. Fun!
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petercorb

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2012, 01:58:28 pm »

Hi I have just dropped into this Mac "update" hole. I use Epson 7900 & 9900 and for 5 days been struggling to figure out who is to blame! Finally narrowed it to Apple today and have  someone on the case. However I saw this thread and wondered if you could direct me to the other information you mention above - I would be most grateful.

Regards

Peter
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Wayne Fox

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2012, 02:31:41 pm »

Well, not sure I'd totally blame Apple.  We're an incredibly small representation of Apple users, and the rest of them all just want their little $50 printers or multi function devices to work when they plug them in, which they do. Apple works with Epson to provide these updates, but for some reason there is a disconnect so that professional printers seemed to get missed. It would be nice if the two would coordinate better, but honestly they are both probably completely unaware of the issue.

Anyway, if you accidentally update the Epson drivers from Apple, you can download an uninstaller from Epson, run that, delete the printers from the preference pain, then re-install the correct Epson driver you download from the Epson site.

At that point you might see the printers just show up in the print and scan preference pane again, I would recommend deleting those as well and then click the + to add a new printer.  If the printer shows up in a pop up when you click the + button, don't choose it there (this may load with the Apple version of the driver again), but instead select add printer or scanner and then select it in that next window.  I also recommend if you have the printer on a network, instead of choosing the one that shows up that says Bonjour, wait 30 seconds or so and one should appear where the kind is IP.  I've found this is more reliable.

Before adding the printer, you might also want to considering resetting the printing system completely which sometimes is necessary if all else fails.  Right click in the printer list in print and scan, and you should see a choice  "reset printing system".  This will clean out old profiles, wipe out remnants of past printers. It also clears all customer paper sizes and things like that, so it's usually a choice of last resort.  I have an old write up which has been updated here is you want more detail.
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petercorb

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2012, 03:23:40 pm »

I the absence of any decent Epson support, which I incidentally tried 3 times, discussing the issue with connective dismissive Epson techs I guess I was relieved when a senior Apple guy got interested. From your synopsis and my own observation I can see that there is a background software issue that is somehow stuck. I have, as far as I could with my limited experience uninstalled and re-installed the latest Epson drivers. I asked the last Epson tech if there was any sure way to "clean the system", he directed me to a 3 line description which is nowhere near as comprehensive or detailed as your procedure, which I will try.
Thanks for your input.
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petercorb

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2012, 11:23:12 am »

As an update. I followed your suggestions Wayne with great optimism - nothing changed. I spent 6 hours today with a senior tech from Apple UK. We tried every driver. He combed my HD and deleted every single Epson file and started again - nothing changed apart from the Print output page is now in the vertical orientation instead of the horizontal where it should be. Two printers dead. The tech asked me to bear with him until Monday, back-up my HD and we would start again.

I contacted Epson again, they said they had had a similar problem and took me through the same routine as I had just done 4/5 times with Apple - nothing changed. I got them to confirm the following:
(this in in LR, CS and Preview Print) in the Custom Paper Sizes dialogue/Non-Printable Area: when the desired printer is selected the default margins should be auto filled and the paper width cannot be exceeded for the given printer. In my case the margins do not auto fill. Any size can be put into the width and height box and this in MHO is the start of the problem. Somewhere there is a mismatch between Apple and Epson - the result is the printer goes through the motion then cuts the paper without printing. Epson were very good this time and recognised there is an issue. Its now gone-up the line and I await a result.
Anyone out there with a large format Epson; if you get an Apple update with an Epson update included DONT DOWNLOAD !
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Robert_In_MS

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2012, 06:30:38 pm »

I wondered what was going on....  I can confirm that this is happening on my new Stylus R3000 as well.  I don't have any other Epson printers and I let MacOS 10.8.2 download the drivers (I hate having to download from Apple) when I installed the R3000 via USB for the first time a week ago.  Guess I am just stuck with it.   
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petercorb

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2012, 02:40:55 pm »

Well I am now 10 days into my problem and no further forward. Apple came back to me on Monday and wanted me to partition my HD and rebuild my Apps. - I said no.

Over the week-end I decided to try a RIP called Mirage and its working at least for my current needs very well and I would highly recommend it.

Last Friday I called Epson UK again to report on the Apple progress and the tech I spoke to lit up when I mentioned the case and said they had had similar issues, we went through the same routines as described above (which I had done many times myself and with Apple).. In the end the guy from Epson said he would pass it up to 2nd level and report back. I waited until today and called as I did not get a call or email back - in fact I did not get the usual transcript of the call?

I got onto the first guy I spoke to last week, he is called Keith, it only took a few minuted for him to obfuscate as he did before and to deny anything his colleagues had agreed previously. He maintains that I am wrong about the way I try to set up the Custom Paper Sizes, he says there is no pop-up dialogue that tells the user that once the printer model is selected the margins are filled in automatically and never has been - this is direct opposition to 2 of his colleagues who agree that is the case. Keith says its irrelevant that the print window is in the vertical aspect when it should be horizontal. He went on to say that this interface has nothing to do with Epson, I mentioned I was running Mountain Lion and he jumped on this and said well you will have to try another computer because Epson do not use that software at all. He then said he could not hear me clearly on the phone, I asked him if he could call me back and he refused; I said goodbye.

So here I am Epson 7600, 3880,7900 & 9900 the latter two printers less than 6 months old and I cannot run them with LR, CS or even Preview.

Any thoughts out there?
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Bob Smith

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2012, 03:31:29 pm »

Start at the beginning.  Completely clean your system of Epson printer driver software.  First delete ALL Epson printers using System Preferences (very important to do this first).  Then delete the entire Epson folder at /Library/Printers/.  Also delete anything with Epson in its name at /Library/Printers/PPD (there will probably be many).  Download all of the latest drivers that you need.  Note the version numbers of each driver.  If they have varying version numbers.  Install the lowest first and work up to the highest.  After each install... add that printer through System Prefs and test it.  I'd be very surprised if you don't get them all working this way.  But you REALLY need to start with a completely clean system as far as Epson is concerned. 

Your problem is most likely conflicting versions of printer drivers installed.  Certain components of the installed driver are shared.  I've seen instances where a later version printer driver hosed earlier versions or vice versa... and cause problems very similar to what you are seeing.  If you follow the procedure above you'll know if/when you install one that breaks the others.

Among other things I manage a college art lab with numerous Epsons.  Been through these ordeals a number of times.  I'm still on 10.7 and have everything behaving properly.  Epson has 10.8 compatible drivers (I think) for all of the printers you mention.  That wasn't true when I last went through this a few months ago and is part of why I stayed at the versions I currently have.

Bob Smith
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Wayne Fox

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2012, 01:20:06 pm »

I would agree with bob, adding that resetting the printing system is bettert than deleting the printers in the printer preference pane.  Right click in the printer list even if there are no printers there and select reset. 

Also before deleting all of the things he mentioned, run the Epson uninstaller.  This will actually remove almost everything you need removed and I think it should be the first step, followed by a system printing reset.

You may also want to do a search for anything with Epson in the name, but make sure you enable the options to include system files which is off by default.  To do that is a little tricky, after opening the search window and hitting the plus button to add a criteria, you will have to click the pop up and select other, which then opens a dialog box on what to include in the pop list for choices. Scroll down and you will find System Files, select it and now it will be in the pop up menu.  Once you select it you can then select whether or not to include system files in your search.  I would try deleting any file it finds that has Epson in it's name.

I have had one case (it was me) where I could not get rid of the Apple Epson driver.  After following these procedures 3 times, everything would be great or a couple of days, then suddenly I would no longer see the normal printer dialog box.  I had a few other small weird issues going on and was just migrating to a SSD startup drive in my MacPro, so I started with a fresh install of Lion and rebuilt my drive from scratch.  Needed to do this anyway to get rid of all of the other junk that had accumulated over the years, but problem was solved.
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Bob Smith

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #12 on: October 19, 2012, 02:55:26 pm »

The problem with the reset is that it kills ALL printers.  Not just Epson.  If you have other brands of printers there's no need to kill them too to solve your issues with the Epson software.  If you only use Epson then by all means... do a reset.

Removing printers via System Prefs (or lpadmin -x from the command line if you familiar with that) gets rid of all Epson components in the usually hidden folders.  The other two items I listed will get the rest.  The main thing to get rid of... the likely cause of your troubles... is everything in the /Library/Printers/Epson folder. 

Bob Smith
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Wayne Fox

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #13 on: October 19, 2012, 11:04:21 pm »

The problem with the reset is that it kills ALL printers.  Not just Epson.  If you have other brands of printers there's no need to kill them too to solve your issues with the Epson software.  If you only use Epson then by all means... do a reset.

Removing printers via System Prefs (or lpadmin -x from the command line if you familiar with that) gets rid of all Epson components in the usually hidden folders.  The other two items I listed will get the rest.  The main thing to get rid of... the likely cause of your troubles... is everything in the /Library/Printers/Epson folder. 

Bob Smith
agreed, but most that have "other" printers are probably not high end ones, but things like HP lasers which reinstall automatically.  A full reset gets rid of all the stuff that's accumulated over years of updates for some, such as printer specific profiles.  Agreed it's a case of last resort, but sounds like that's where he's at.

I would agree with your last statement most of the time ... the exception being if you have let Apple install epson drivers.  There seems to be something else sitting around in the system somewhere that isn't deleted and can keep resurfacing, giving you the generic apple printer dialog without the epson options. I'm pretty good at this issue, but it bit me and it only cleared up despite everything I could do when I started with a fresh install on a new drive. (which I was doing for other reasons, so I would have probably resolved the issue at some point).
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john_j

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #14 on: August 24, 2013, 07:13:53 am »

Hi,

it seems that I have the same problem here: I'm using an Epson R2880, connected to the USB-Port of my Airport Base and I'm not able to print correctly using OSX 10.8.4.
I'm using roll paper (329mm width) and have tested various hints and tips on printing roll paper with LR5, CS6 and GraphicConverter. What's happening is that the printer pull (and wastes) a bunch of paper from the roll before starting to print and when he prints, he doesn´t print 329mm width (as manually specified) but seems to print a standard US-Brief or DIN A4 format on the roll.

I`ve also tried to follow the hints in this thread and have deleted all Epson files, reseted the printing system etc. But I haven't found any way to download and install a working Epson driver - Epson seems to use Apple's Software update completely for OSX 10.7/10.8 and there is no way to download another driver than version 9.0 (which doesn't work).

Any hints or download sources for this problem? Is anybody out there successfully using an Epson R2880 with custom/roll paper and OSX 10.8.x?

Best regards from Germany,

Heiko

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john_j

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Re: Prints not printing to the size specified - Epson 7900, Mac 10.8.1
« Reply #15 on: August 30, 2013, 02:49:05 am »

Hi,
it seems that I have the same problem here...

And now I've found the solution. It is buried deep in the online documentation on Epson's support page (which was completely offline in the EU last weekend): the maximum paper size for a banner is 329x1117.6 mm. I had chosen a slightly longer banner so that the printer driver wasn't able to calculate the output right and fell back to a standard format (DIN A4 or US Brief). So I resized my picture, created a custom paper size of 329x1110mm an it worked!

Strange but true: This limit relates to MacOS. Using Windows Epson allows you to print 329x3276.7mm  ::)

Here's the detailed manual for banner printing:
http://support.epson-europe.com/onlineguides/en/spr2880/html/basic_6.htm

Maybe this is helpful for anybody with similar problems.

Best regards,

Heiko
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