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Author Topic: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900  (Read 35504 times)

Alan Goldhammer

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #60 on: January 22, 2011, 08:14:01 am »

I have a 3880 and have not noticed any pizza wheel marks on either Museo Silver Rag or Ilford Gold Fibre Silk.  As Mark noted, it's important to get the paper settings right and a paper setting of 4 and wide platen gap seem to work well for these two papers.
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catchall

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #61 on: January 22, 2011, 09:26:55 am »

The pizza wheels only come down at the end of printing a sheet but they engage the surface of the print about 6 inches from the end of the paper. On my paper of choice, H Photo Rag Baryta, they are clearly visible in the printed area (with bright light at a severe angle), thus marring the print. They seem to be there to eject the paper. There are two separate sequences of these pizza or star wheels. The first seems to dig into the print to move it into place for the second set of pizza wheels that move the paper along until its completely ejected from the machine. This is different from the 4xxx series printers where there is only one set of pizza wheels (but two rows of them). You can see this happening as you look into the printer’s paper path from the front. After it ejects the paper, it then retracts the plate back out of the way so that the pizza wheels don't affect the entire sheet. This happens on every sheet.

As for the H Photo Rag Baryta sheet handling problems on the larger series printers, my only experience is in working with a local professional lab. They've had problems with thicker papers feeding using the sheet feeder. The platen was set at the "wider" setting. Some sheets would load fine; others would not feed at all unless pushed a bit from the top. Neither of us could come up with a procedure or setting that solved this problem other than using the push method. There may also be variances in the manufacturing of each machine, particularly if others aren't experiencing this problem with H Photo Rag Baryta. Thinner papers work fine.
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catchall

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #62 on: January 22, 2011, 09:38:15 am »

Hi Mark, Thank you for your very interesting and helpful review of the 4900.

This may be a characteristic only of the soft surface of certain thick glossy papers (in my case H Photo Rag Baryta). These marks are clearly there when looking at the print using strong light at a severe angle with the platen gap at "wide" and the thickness adjusted for the wider paper. They are only there for the last 6 inches of the paper and are more visible if the print has broad areas of black. The Epson dealer and I tried thickness settings of 3, 4, 5 and 6. Still no luck.

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catchall

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #63 on: January 22, 2011, 09:50:07 am »

On my 3800, marks are there on both H. Photo Rag Baryta and Silver Rag. I confirmed this with prints made on other 3800s owned by friends. There are no marks on matte papers or certain other thinner glossy papers. The platen gap is set to wide, paper thickness is tried at 3,4,5 and 6. Also experimented with longer drying times between passes of the printer head (that's excruciating). Still no luck. A bright, angled light source is needed in order to see these. It's particularly noticeable if the print has large areas of black in them.
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catchall

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #64 on: January 22, 2011, 09:53:38 am »

Mark, Was hoping to use the cassette as I can with my 4800. Does the front loading using the pizza wheels?
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RoderickBalle

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #65 on: January 22, 2011, 10:18:49 am »

I've seen the pizza wheel marks on Silver Rag going through my 4880. It doesn't bother me though, you need extreme lighting conditions to see them, but they are there. I get printing problems with a wider platen gap though. At first I thought they were paper faults, but after going back to a normal platen gap, the tiny white marks (where no ink had been laid) that occasionally appeared on a wide platen setting, - disappeared. Still using thickness 4.
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catchall

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #66 on: January 22, 2011, 10:43:01 am »

Interesting! On dark photos with lots of black it's more of a problem. I assume you can manually retract the 4880 pizza wheel plate (by pushing the plate in and up) just like you can on the 4800 and that the plate stays up for the entire print job (unlike the 4900 which retracts and engages for each print).  Can you confirm that?  Thanks!
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RoderickBalle

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #67 on: January 22, 2011, 10:56:02 am »

I assume you can manually retract the 4880 pizza wheel plate (by pushing the plate in and up) just like you can on the 4800 and that the plate stays up for the entire print job (unlike the 4900 which retracts and engages for each print).  Can you confirm that?  Thanks!

I'm not sure if you can manually retract it, at least I haven't tried. I'll be printing in the next day or so, and I'll have a look.
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Farmer

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #68 on: January 22, 2011, 03:37:21 pm »

(with bright light at a severe angle)

Honestly, how often are your prints viewed in such conditions?

I'd recommend that you try Mark's suggestion of the front feed (because it seems, and perhaps I'm misreading this, that you've only tried rear feed?).

With regard to 7900 and 9900, it sounds like the correct sheet feed method isn't being used.  Press the paper change button and wait for the printer to be ready (ensure you've also changed the paper mode to sheet), then feed the paper down until it stops.  Then press the down arrow once and the paper will load.  The only thing I've ever had a slight issue with was actual board - much heavier and thicker than the paper you're using.
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Phil Brown

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #69 on: January 22, 2011, 04:07:45 pm »

I realize that this is usually not a problem for most people, particularly when prints are hung on a wall, framed behind glass. But these are portfolio prints where the purchaser may handhold the print under different lighting conditions. Thus having a machine that scratches prints is not acceptable to me. But that's my personal preference.

Re: loading technique for 7900 and 9900, that's exactly how we loaded them. Again, this is not a problem for most papers.
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #70 on: January 23, 2011, 01:04:24 pm »

Mark, Was hoping to use the cassette as I can with my 4800. Does the front loading using the pizza wheels?

Front load is the only one I hadn't tested, so I can't advise how it works. I suggest you send an email to Epson tech support with that quetion. They are very responsive, from my experience. I would NOT use the front feed anyhow unless your paper is of the thicknesses for which they recommend that feed only in the manual. I would NOT use the cassette for anything heavier than Epson Premium Luster, which is not all that thick. For the remainder I recommend the top feed, paying attention to the paper thickness and platen gap settings.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #71 on: January 24, 2011, 08:37:41 am »

Hi Mark,

What is the maximum width of canvas or paper that the top of the 4900 cant take? On my 4880 I can put a 18.25 width of canvas through the back of the printer. You mentioned that you can't take the roller assembly off the 4900. Loading canvas from the top, can the 4900 take a width wider than 17"? If you have time could you measure the maximum width that the printer can take.

Thanks,

Gar 
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #72 on: January 24, 2011, 05:27:37 pm »

Hi Mark,

What is the maximum width of canvas or paper that the top of the 4900 cant take? On my 4880 I can put a 18.25 width of canvas through the back of the printer. You mentioned that you can't take the roller assembly off the 4900. Loading canvas from the top, can the 4900 take a width wider than 17"? If you have time could you measure the maximum width that the printer can take.

Thanks,

Gar 

Gar, I'm not in a position to do this until the coming weekend, but in principle as you know it is specified for 17 inch width, so anything more you try to stick in there would be "at your own risk". Best thing to do may be to send an email to Epson tech support and ask them about it. They are usually prompt and helpful.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Re: Mark D Segal's review of Epson 4900
« Reply #73 on: January 24, 2011, 05:37:54 pm »

What is the maximum width of canvas or paper that the top of the 4900 cant take? On my 4880 I can put a 18.25 width of canvas through the back of the printer. You mentioned that you can't take the roller assembly off the 4900. Loading canvas from the top, can the 4900 take a width wider than 17"? If you have time could you measure the maximum width that the printer can take.

I just pulled through am 18.25" wide piece of paper (I cut it - I don't have media that wide normally) and it JUST fits.  The area of concern is actually the exit path - the paper was just touching either side as it came out, so that might be a concern.  I couldn't guarantee it would work, but it would be close.  The roll holder itself won't take media that wide - it's limited at about 17.5" or just under.

Best bet would be to find a demo unit somewhere and test it.

As Mark says, definitely "at your risk" and may have warranty concerns.
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Phil Brown
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