Digital BW, The Print

I hope this is not too basic of an issue for this group, which from the threads has an extremely high degree of expertise and a lot of experience with digital printing, but I'm quite frustrated and numerous readings of the Epson user guide and google searches have failed to get me off the ground here.  So, in semi-desperation ...

Preliminary tech info: 
Printer: R2400
OS: Mac OS X 10.5
Photoshop CS3
Most recent Epson drivers

I have gotten this combination to print on EEM, for proofing my photos (in quarter (4.25" x 5x5" in) and full letter size), just fine and the prints look good.  So good, in fact, that I would really like to try using some other papers...  

My problem is that I cannot for the life of me find the correct combination of ink, paper feed method, and print settings, to print on Innova Soft Texture Art.  I have downloaded the Innova ICC guide for the R2400, which lists the MK ink and a paper setting of "Matte paper -- heavyweight".  But the list of papers I can choose in Photoshop (print settings) does not list a heavyweight matte, and I've tried all the other matte papers with all the different feed methods (top, back, front) and I either get an error message or the paper misfeeds or both.  If I try loading the paper in the sheet feeder, then the printer status app gives me a message saying "media is empty or not loaded correctly", usually after feeding the sheet completely through the machine and out the front, though this doesn't happen every time; front loading pulls the paper in part way and then it misfeeds (goes askew) and it spits it back out; rear loading pulls the paper part way in and then it sticks with another error message.   I've tried switching inks to the PK cartridge, but that really changes nothing since I can't get the paper to load properly at all no matter which paper I choose.

Am I missing something really basic here?   Or is there something malfunctioning with the feed system?  (It is a used printer, so that's always a possibility in the back of my mind.)

Thanks in advance for any suggestions ... 

Kevin Landdeck
www.flickr.com/photos/shudaizi/

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "shudaizi" <bamboozld@...> wrote:
>
> I hope this is not too basic .......So, in semi-desperation ...
> 
We have all felt that!

> I have gotten this combination to print on EEM, 
That is a good sign. 

> My problem is that I cannot for the life of me find the correct >combination of ink, paper feed method, and print settings, to print on >Innova Soft Texture Art.  
What weight is that paper? Is it ~315gsm or more like ~200gsm.?

> Am I missing something really basic here?   Or is there something >malfunctioning with the feed system?  (It is a used printer, so that's >always a possibility in the back of my mind.)
You seem to have tried all the appropriate combinations although I am surprised that there is no matt-heavyweight option in your Epson driver (accessed through PS).

I suggest you try a roller clean first up. If it is a used printer it may have accummulated muck on the feed rollers which will give you grief when you try to feed thick matt papers, particularly 'fluffy' papers without a coating like EEM which the rollers seem to find easy to grab hold of. To do this dampen some thickish plain paper with a dilution of water and around 5% ammonia. I assume you are in the UK and if so, you can find household ammonia in village hardware shops etc. Ammonia based window cleaner also works but I have never been able to find that in the UK.

Run the dampened paper through a few times using the feed button. Leave the leading edge dry to make it easier to feed. Hold onto the trailing edge on one or two of the passes to make the rollers work or even slip a little on the dampened paper. You will need quite thick robust paper. I use a 160gsm plain paper that I get from Staples for £4 a ream for the purpose.

Finally run a dry sheet through a couple of times to dry off the rollers and then try feeding your Innova paper again. 

Once this has been eliminated as a possible cause, let us know whether it works and if not, the driver options can be further investigated.

regards
Alistair

Alistair,

Thanks for the info.  After numerous misfeeds, I -finally- got one sheet to load via the rear feed (US letter manual feed, velvet fine art setting).  But, it took many, many tries and I think what you describe is exactly what was happening: the rollers are glazed (probably with paper dust from the previous owner) and it took all those tries before it grabbed the paper.  I will definitely follow your roller cleaning procedure this weekend.

Much appreciate the quick response!  


-- Kevin
PS the Innova Soft Texture Art is 315gsm


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "hp9180profile" <owens@...> wrote:

> You seem to have tried all the appropriate combinations although I am surprised that there is no matt-heavyweight option in your Epson driver (accessed through PS).
> 
> I suggest you try a roller clean first up. If it is a used printer it may have accummulated muck on the feed rollers which will give you grief when you try to feed thick matt papers, particularly 'fluffy' papers without a coating like EEM which the rollers seem to find easy to grab hold of. To do this dampen some thickish plain paper with a dilution of water and around 5% ammonia. I assume you are in the UK and if so, you can find household ammonia in village hardware shops etc. Ammonia based window cleaner also works but I have never been able to find that in the UK.
> 
> Run the dampened paper through a few times using the feed button. Leave the leading edge dry to make it easier to feed. Hold onto the trailing edge on one or two of the passes to make the rollers work or even slip a little on the dampened paper. You will need quite thick robust paper. I use a 160gsm plain paper that I get from Staples for £4 a ream for the purpose.
> 
> Finally run a dry sheet through a couple of times to dry off the rollers and then try feeding your Innova paper again. 
> 
> Once this has been eliminated as a possible cause, let us know whether it works and if not, the driver options can be further investigated.
> 
> regards
> Alistair
>