ET 8550 - Printing Long, Narrow Sheets

[glasseye]

Since a recent firmware update, my ET 8550 has changed its behaviour when printing long sheets.

I've been cutting and printing to 13X25" and 8.5 X 25" custom cut sheets without problem until recently. Now, the printer refuses to print to those sizes, invoking the following screen message:

"Unexpected ejection may occur when printing on a a long paper". "Follow the instructions on the LCD screen".

The LCD screen says to reload the sheet and select "Draft" under print quality on the Print Settings screen in the printer driver.

The printer then form-feeds the sheet (ejecting it) and I have to reload it into the rear paper feed.

The printer subsequently prints the image on the long paper without issue, although it is definitely in some kind of draft mode because it prints about four times faster. The prints still seem to look fine.

Anybody else seen this? Any way around it other than surrendering to Epson's draft output?

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I cannot duplicate the situation you are describing, I did a firmware update recently, and I can set the custom format to e.g. 210 x 2000 mm and still have the choice of all paper types and quality settings. I'm using the rear paper bin only, I don't use cassette 1 or 2 at all.

 

[glasseye]

Did you actually attempt a print? I can still choose long sheets and create new ones in Print Settings.

It's only when you actually hit "Print" that the problem appears.

I also use the rear paper feed exclusively for photo printing.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

It's only when you actually hit "Print" that the problem appears.

I cannot confirm that effect with my printer, I can print on custom formats, I'm using Qimage to print but I didn't try many options.

I did a recent firmware update, this was for some reason not listed by the Epson software updater which starts via the update pad in the driver on the maintenance tab as I'm normally printing via USB.
I connected the printer via LAN to the router and started the firmware update via the settings options on the printer display which apparently connected to an Epson server, downloaded some file and updated the firmware.

 

[glasseye]

Interesting that you're not seeing this behaviour. I did two firmware upgrades a few weeks apart, both prompted and executed via the printer's LCD panel. Perhaps that's the difference we're seeing.

Still delighted with this printer after over half a dozen Epsons ranging over the years from two 1160s to a 9800.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I think you should report such problems to Epson

 

[glasseye]

OK, will do.

 

[glasseye]

I think you should report such problems to Epson

I did. After a half dozen emails, including one report from "engineering" in Japan, Epson replaced the printer.