What's wrong with this printer?

[pkk]

Hey All,

Has anybody ever had this with an Epson 3800? It only prints about half the photo, cutting off the top. I had this happen when I first bought it (used) but I thought it was because I was feeding the paper from the wrong source. This only happens with large paper sizes- 16x20 or 17x22. This picture printed normally at 11x17. I've tried on both matte paper setting. Thanks in advance.

Pkk

 

[The Hat]

pkk
Are you by any chance printing this using a Mac Computer?

 

[pkk]

No, It's a PC. Windows 64. I normally print out of Photoshop so I also tried printing it from Windows Photo Viewer which I use for casual snapshot printing. Same thing.

Pkk

 

[The Hat]

No, It's a PC. Windows 64. I normally print out of Photoshop so I also tried printing it from Windows Photo Viewer which I use for casual snapshot printing. Same thing.

Pkk

A problem selecting and holding a particular size and then
the printer gets it wrong is fairly common when using Macs.

Try printing again from Photoshop and this time when you select print from the task bar
the Photoshop print preview will open.

First select the printer you wish to use then the Page Setup button,
now in there select Page Setup and put in the paper size.

If your paper size is not there then choose Custom on the very bottom and put in the particular size that you want.
Now click on the OK button and then your back on the Photoshop print preview
where you can check to see if everything is ok, then click print.

Now the printer tab comes up again where you can chose Preferences button.
If you scroll through the tabs there you can easily check that all of you setting are in order and if so click the OK button.

All you have to do now is click on the print button and your photo will print correctly for you.

 

[pkk]

I was thinking along the lines you suggest, Hat, but I don't think that's what's causing it. I think it's the paper. I got tired of ruining my good paper so I pulled out a tablet of artist water color paper that I sometimes use. It printed fine. I went back to my 17" paper that I cut from rolls. Started again. This paper off the roll is thicker too. Could the printhead be hitting it somehow? That doesn't make sense either but this is the only thing about this problem that is consistient. I also loaded the drivers onto my laptop & printed from there just to eliminate the computer. Same results.

Pkk

 

[The Hat]

I was thinking along the lines you suggest, Hat, but I don't think that's what's causing it. I think it's the paper. I got tired of ruining my good paper so I pulled out a tablet of artist water color paper that I sometimes use. It printed fine. I went back to my 17" paper that I cut from rolls. Started again. This paper off the roll is thicker too. Could the printhead be hitting it somehow? That doesn't make sense either but this is the only thing about this problem that is consistient. I also loaded the drivers onto my laptop & printed from there just to eliminate the computer. Same results.

Pkk

The instructions above that I gave work 100% and if your printer will print on some of your paper
without leaving smudge marks than that rules thickness out of the argument.

Another possibility is the paper edge itself when cut by you, try moving your paper edge away from the normal left hand side
of your feed tray say 5mm and then see if that will work.

There is also a way of preventing contact between the print head and paper
it's by using the custom setting of Prevent paper abrasion.

If you are worried about paper wastage then you can use the same sheet again several times
it wont harm your printer in any way just wait 5 minutes for the ink to dry..

 

[pkk]

Well Hat, I think I'll be calling Epson on this. Everything I tried with the drivers gave the same resuly as above. So I selected Ultrasmooth fine art paper from the paper choices which requires the manual rear feed. Printed perfectly. I did notice that the right hand edge of the paper (facing printer in front) on the failed attempts from the sheet feeder were kind of chopped up along the edge. Sheet feeder broken or damaged?
Unless you know something else easy to try I'll talk to Epson. Thanks for everything.

Pkk