Artisan 1430 Error on Larger Prints

[DonC]

I don't often print larger than letter size, but the last time I printed a full 11x14 it printed flawlessly. However, recently I tried to print a photo with roughly similar resolution cropped to 14x10 borderless on 14x11 paper. Each attempt the printer gets some way through and then hangs. The printing stops, the head goes back and forth then docks, and I get a generic error message "error, the printer couldn't print...". As well, the status monitor indicates that the connection to the printer has been lost as there is no ink level display.
Printing at "Best Photo" setting I get the error about 15% through; at "Photo" It happenes at about 25%; at
"Text and Image" it gets about 50% through. If I print the same photo at letter size it works fine.

The printer is set up via wireless
So far I have tried:
-Uninstall and reinstall driver pakage
-re-register printer on the network
-Switch from spooling to direct
-disable advanced printing features
-switch epsonnet port from LPR to RAW
-disable high speed printing
-Printing from a different program

I realize that the best solution might be to try via USB, but I'd like that to be a last resort.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

-Don

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I realize that the best solution might be to try via USB, but I'd like that to be a last resort.

I def. would propose that for a test, and please don't use a cable longer than 2m/6ft.
This may not be the ultimate fix , it could be that some testing of the wireless connection might be necessary, e.g. is it a distance problem , or is the current channel too populated by adjacent routers etc . You may run a scan with a Wifi Analyzer on your smartphone to check which channel has the least interferecne from traffic in the background.

 

[DonC]

It's definitely a networking problem of some sort, but a very strange one. I have put the 2.4 ghz network on the clearest channel available and the printer and router are about 2.5M apart. What is strange is that there is no issue initially connecting to the printer, only after about 60mb of data has been sent (according to the print queue) does the printer lose its connection, and not respond to pings. However, it remains on my network map according to the router. It's almost as if the printer's memory buffer gets too full and this messes up the connection. Is there a way to completely reset the printer?

I really wish the printer came with an ethernet port, since solving persistent wireless connectivity issues with a device whose network settings cannot be directly accessed is nearly impossible in my expereince.

Obviously the next step is to connect with USB. I'll update after I dig out a cable.

 

[DonC]

Printer over USB worked fine. I'm not sure what to try next in terms of getting the wireless working. I could try to hook up via USB to my Asus router and use the Asus printer utility to set it up as a network printer. In that case I would need a 2.5-3 meter cable, which is not ideal in terms of USB spec or the number of cables running through my office.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

The print server functionality of routers is typically restricted, some don't even support status feedback from the printer, or have a speed limit or don't support a scanner in a printer etc. A dedicated USB print server - USB via (W)LAN can help in your situation, Silex is offering such models both as WLAN or LAN models, I'm doing USB via LAN with 2 Silex print servers, and that works perfectly. Silex supports multiple printers via USB Hub as well, scanners, USB sticks as drives, or a memory card reader . Longer USB cables are not recommended, keep them short. Or consider LAN via power line + print server if you have to bridge longer distances and don't have a LAN connection there. I'm reading about WLAN problems with printers - slow - interruptions etc - in another forum as well. But one thing is clear from your tests - it is a WLAN connection/transmission problem you have to overcome.

 

[DonC]

Here's a quick update for those who might be interested.

I now have the printer hooked up to an Asus RT-AC68U router USB port (running merlin firmware) and using the ASUS EZ printer sharing application it works very well thus far over wifi. I'm even using a 1.5M cable.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Thanks for your feedback, just keep this configuration then for a reliable connection to your printer