Problems with Epson 3800 printer and Moab Somerset Rag

[PhilipWatkins]

Hi

I'm having no end of problems with getting my 3800 printer to print with 300g (very thick) Moab Somerset Rag.  I have printed with this configuration successfully before (but some time back).  However, I am now unable to get the paper to even load - I am getting a message 'Paper not loaded correctly' - I am loading from the rear and simulating the Epson Radiant White (Moab's recommendation).  It will not allow me to load it at all from the front.  I have increased the 'Thickness' parameter to 15 (the maximum) and also set the Platen Gap to 'Wider' but it appears to make no difference.  I am printing from Lightroom and I assume that setting this these parameters in Printer Properties dialogue will be what is executed for the print (i.e. I don't need to change the default settings through the printer console).

Has anyone managed to consistently managed to avoid this problem (apart from turning off the skewness check or swithcing to Epson paper) and if so how ?


Phil

[hugowolf]

I would first check that the paper is square. Paper arrives out of square more often than it should, and the 3800 is even more picky about that than the 3880.

Also, if you haven't used the manual rear feed for a while, you may be out of practice. You have to release the paper as soon as the printer grabs it. If you delay, for even a second, it will through an error. There is a definite knack to using the rear feed.

Setting the paper thickness to 15 (1.5 mm) is not a good idea - it is as likely as anything to cause missfeed errors. There is, however, a widest platen gap setting. It is only available from the printer console menus. It is one of the few on-printer settings that overrides the driver settings.

Brian A

[PhilipWatkins]

Thanks Hugo

I had forgotten how picky it was, but I got the knack back on some Slickrock, which printed without issue  However, trying the same techniques I still don't get anywhere on the Museum Rag.

Likewise on the Platen Gap - I've set that widest but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

[hugowolf]

Thanks Hugo

I had forgotten how picky it was, but I got the knack back on some Slickrock, which printed without issue  However, trying the same techniques I still don't get anywhere on the Museum Rag.

Likewise on the Platen Gap - I've set that widest but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

You can try running it through the sheet feeder: create a white image (RGB(255,255,255)), it doesn't matter what size, select a media setting that allows sheet feeding, such as Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte, and see if goes through.

Are you sure the paper is square?

I have never had a problem feeding 300 g/m2 paper through the sheet feeder. I generally use the Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte media type, but make sure to use 0.5 mm for the paper thickness and wider (not widest) for the platen gap. You may have to play around with the Color Density setting, if the ink loading is too high or low.

Brian A

[Some Guy]

I suspect the paper is skewing a bit on the initial loading when the head goes back and forth to determine if the paper's lead edge is the in the correct position.

My 3880's have a unique issue in that the paper in the top feed is off on both if I uses that pull-down tab on the extended plastic trays.  I had to install some wrapped up brass tubing that skews the top edge of the paper as I view it to the left a bit.  If I don't, then I get into a loading fit with the things.

I have managed to manually pull the paper (hard tug!) into some sort of parallelism ahead of the black plastic bar when looking down into the top with the flip cover opened.  Seems it needs about 1/2" on both left and front sides before the head scan deems it correct.  If not, then the load is a wash.

When papers get up to around 300gm, they do get stubborn on loading.  That or the head drags and will hit the edges and maybe break the carriage's head carrier as a result (Been there!).  More so with canvas or heavy-edge curl papers like BC which I no longer use in the 3880's.

SG

[PhilipWatkins]

You may be right about the paper not being skew but I have tried several sheets and always the same problem.  I did also try pushing (very slightly) down on the paper to try and get it in through the rear feeder (this works just fine for the Slickrock) but it makes a rather unpleasant sound like gears crunching and I fear I might damage it so I don't want to push this further.  So if it was a skew problem I'm not quite sure how I would fix it. 

Now I reset the Platen gap to wider and reduced the Thickness to what I think is 0.5 and tried to put the paper through the sheet feeder.  It all works just fine - not sure which one did it but I think it may be may be the sheet feeder.  At least I now have a workaround.  I think I will also try some of the Epson papers to see if the printer is more amenable to working with these.

Thanks for all the advice!

[Some Guy]

Best advice I can give on the 3880 loading issues is to open the top cover while the paper (or especially canvas!) loads, and examine how far and parallel the paper sits in front of the black plastic edge prior to when the head scans across the end for a skew check.  It should rest maybe 3/8 to 1/2 inch ahead of the plastic bar.  If it is canted maybe even 1/8", it will throw up an error once the head scans for a skew error.

I can tug hard on mine a bit before the head scans to set it parallel, but it is a strong pull on the paper to do so.  Not to crazy about the one wheel it uses to initially feed paper as it sits to the side a bit, nor the plastic feed tray that seems to need a bit of additional wraps of tape on the flip-down arm to cant and tilt the paper to the left (Looking from the front.) to get mine to feed right.

SG