Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Roy Harrington"
<roy@h...> wrote:
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Phil Rose"
<pjrose@f...> wrote:

> > Hmmm, I've been having no trouble with borderless printing (color)
> > using the 2200 Epson driver in OS X 10.2.4. The only hoop that
Epson
> > makes you jump through is that after you select the printer
option as:
> > "Stylus Photo 2200 (sheet feeder--borderless)" in the Page Setup
> > dialogue ("Format For..."), you must reselect that option *again*
when
> > back in the Print dialogue ("Printer..."). You'd think that
specifying
> > once--in Page Setup--would suffice, but IME it doesn't.
> > 
> > Phil
> 
> Thanks, Phil.  I guess the last time I tried it was on Windows.  On
Windows
> you can't get to the borderless box unless you have Photo black ink
> installed.  I was able to fool it by having the printer off and yes
the
> borderless seems to be possible.  However, it puts up several
warning messages
> saying the quality is less than perfect at bottom of page.
> 
> I'm curious, do you find the borderless quality substandard?  Have
you used
> various papers with borderless?  I wonder if there is some "cost" or
penalty
> for using the borderless driver versus the regular one -- i.e. why
two of them?

I was about to reply simply that "no, I don't find any quality loss",
but now add a qualifation--i.e., that most the borderless I've done
have been 4x6" (and these seem just fine). But just now--as I
*closely* examine one of my 8x10 borderless on Premium Glossy--I'm
afraid that I do see a slight loss of density along the first few
millimeters (leading edge)of the print. I don't know why the smaller
prints don't show that, too.

There is also the issue you mention which is that Epson doesn't
support borderless with all papers (AFAIK, just with PK-types like
Premium Glossy, -Semigloss and -Luster). Once, when I had MK ink
installed and wanted to print borderless on Enhanced Matte paper, I
just "lied" to the driver and told it that the media type was Premium
Semigloss. It dutifully printed borderless on the matte paper, and I
guess this is a ploy that might be used without serious penalty as
long as the correct profile is used. Although I wonder: would
incorrectly specifying the media type then  cause the driver to use an
incorrect ink configuration (laydown), in spite of the correct profile
being used?

Phil