QTR-Quadtone RIP

Hello everyone,

Windows 7, QTR 2.7.2, Epson R3000. Printing from QTR GUI to the R3000 works very well as long as I use the regular paper load. Yet under certain situations I want to avoid the rubber pick-up roller so I try to use the front loading mech. Except the printer will refuse to run the job.

1. Ready the TIFF to be printed
2. Set options in QTR (doesn't matter which type of paper or ink I select), makes no difference when it comes to the printer selection of matte/glossy ink
3. Open the manual loading tray, load paper following the LCD instructions
4. Open the file in QTR, click print.
5. Printer winds up some mechanisms inside...
6. Printer will display an error message on the LCD "Warning: The media loaded does not match the settings selected. Check the print settings or reload media"

... the only option being OK. Despite being a "Warning" the printer behaves as if it's an error; pressing the "OK" button will result in the paper being ejected. I've tested all available QTR paper sources and it makes absolutely no difference. While the printer is stuck with that LCD error message, the Epson utility give a status of:

For sheets of paper, remove the roll paper and then resume printing.
For roll paper, select Roll Paper as the Paper Source setting in the printer driver and then resume printing.
For CD/DVDs, select CD/DVD as the Paper Source setting in the printer driver and then resume printing.
For thick paper, select Front - Poster Board as the Paper Source setting in the printer driver and then resume printing.

So, anybody out there with an R3000? Can pretty please you confirm that you can in fact print from the manual front loading tray or confirm that this is indeed an issue? I'm pretty sure I'm doing everything all right so it looks like a QTR bug to me but I just wanted to hear other opinions...