QTR-Quadtone RIP

I've been using QuadTone for a while now. I'm running OS 10.3.9.
Recently, I updated the installation to 2.2. I'd always used the 2100
connected as a Windows printer, but the new installation demanded that
it be there as a USB printer. I connected it directly to the Mac but I
had a lot of hassles getting the installation to see the printer. It
kept showing up under USB printers but it was not able to be selected
and had a message saying "driver not installed". I installed the Epson
driver but that of course didn't work. What finally did the trick was
reinstalling the CUPS 4.2.7 drivers, which were somehow absent, from
the OS 10.3 disks. Finally, it worked. But not perfectly. I have 2
main issues:

Issue 1. The handy custom centred paper sizes have disappeared from
the print dialog. However, the default paper sizes now have 3.2mm
borders and are centred. This would OK except for the fact that the
2100 has a bottom/right margin of ~14mm.

Issue 2. Related to that, the printer is physically losing grip on the
paper (Hahnemuhle Photo Rag) for the last few mm of what should be
printable area, thus ruining the print. I printed an image on A5
landscape (210mm x 148mm), sized to 175mm wide, which left 17.5mm
either end. It still happened. I then printed a larger image from a
Windows machine using the Epson driver and all was fine.

Could the the native Epson drivers be inteferring with the CUPS /
QuadTone installation? Any and all thoughts or help will be gratefully
received.

andrew

--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "andrew" <andrew@a...> wrote:
> I've been using QuadTone for a while now. I'm running OS 10.3.9.
> Recently, I updated the installation to 2.2. I'd always used the 2100
> connected as a Windows printer, but the new installation demanded that
> it be there as a USB printer. I connected it directly to the Mac but I
> had a lot of hassles getting the installation to see the printer. It
> kept showing up under USB printers but it was not able to be selected
> and had a message saying "driver not installed". I installed the Epson
> driver but that of course didn't work. What finally did the trick was
> reinstalling the CUPS 4.2.7 drivers, which were somehow absent, from
> the OS 10.3 disks. Finally, it worked. But not perfectly. I have 2
> main issues:
> 
> Issue 1. The handy custom centred paper sizes have disappeared from
> the print dialog. However, the default paper sizes now have 3.2mm
> borders and are centred. This would OK except for the fact that the
> 2100 has a bottom/right margin of ~14mm.
> 
> Issue 2. Related to that, the printer is physically losing grip on the
> paper (Hahnemuhle Photo Rag) for the last few mm of what should be
> printable area, thus ruining the print. I printed an image on A5
> landscape (210mm x 148mm), sized to 175mm wide, which left 17.5mm
> either end. It still happened. I then printed a larger image from a
> Windows machine using the Epson driver and all was fine.
> 
> Could the the native Epson drivers be inteferring with the CUPS /
> QuadTone installation? Any and all thoughts or help will be gratefully
> received.
> 
> andrew

Hi Andrew,

I haven't used the Windows printer option so I'm not sure how you set
that up in the past.  But 2.2 ought to be able to do the same thing.
The Install2100 script assumes a printer name Quad2100 and will use
an existing connection.  If Quad2100 doesn't exist then yes it tries the
usb interface.  

From what I've deciphered from Epson info, the desktop printers have exit
rollers so they can print close to the end of the paper -- sometimes with
a reduced quality.  So the centering is simplified if the margins are all the
same, but for best quality one should leave white space around the image.
I'm not sure I understand your Photo Rag example -- if you left 17.5mm 
bottom margin wasn't that enough to finish the printing before the roller
lost grip?

Roy

Roy

the 17.5mm was indeed NOT enough to stop the rollers losing grip.
Well, put it this way: the paper skewed sideways and messed up the
last few mm of the print. It happened on several prints in a row. And
yet normal printing from Photoshop on Windows 5 minutes' later was
totally fine. I don't begin to understand how the print driver might
affect the roller grip, but that's sure how it looked.

Do you have any idea why the custom paper sizes (A4 plus A4 centred,
etc.) might have gone?

I realise all this sounds a bit odd, but I'm no oddball and
technically proficient, just mildly perplexed.

thanks

andrew

> Hi Andrew,
> 
> I haven't used the Windows printer option so I'm not sure how you set
> that up in the past.  But 2.2 ought to be able to do the same thing.
> The Install2100 script assumes a printer name Quad2100 and will use
> an existing connection.  If Quad2100 doesn't exist then yes it tries the
> usb interface.  
> 
> From what I've deciphered from Epson info, the desktop printers have
exit
> rollers so they can print close to the end of the paper -- sometimes
with
> a reduced quality.  So the centering is simplified if the margins
are all the
> same, but for best quality one should leave white space around the
image.
> I'm not sure I understand your Photo Rag example -- if you left 17.5mm 
> bottom margin wasn't that enough to finish the printing before the
roller

> lost grip?
> 
> Roy

Hi Andrew,

Combining your initial post and Roy's initial answer re: Quad2100 showing up under USB:

after you installed 2.2 and BEFORE doing anything else, did you install the curves using the 
installer specific to your printer in the QTR Curves folder specific to your printer?

That will add Quad2100 to your printer list without your further help; you no longer need 
to "install" (or "add") the printer in the OSX Printer Setup Utility.

Scott

--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "andrew" <andrew@a...> wrote:

> Roy
> andrew
> 
> > Hi Andrew,
> > 
> > I haven't used the Windows printer option so I'm not sure how you set
> > that up in the past.  But 2.2 ought to be able to do the same thing.
> > The Install2100 script assumes a printer name Quad2100 and will use
> > an existing connection.  If Quad2100 doesn't exist then yes it tries the
> > usb interface.  
> > 
> > From what I've deciphered from Epson info, the desktop printers have
> exit
> > rollers so they can print close to the end of the paper -- sometimes
> with

Scott, yes I did. I had a choice between the script under 2200-UC and the one under 
InstallScripts; I chose the former. I actually had to run it twice, and then it worked.

Initially I just ran the 2.2 install, which is when it lost the printer and the paper sizes. After 
that I spent a lot of time uninstalling, reinstalling, etc., to finally get it to where it is now: 
functional but problematic.

I just now noticed a post on the group Digital Black and White Print group where someone 
else has lost the 2 different (normal plus centred) paper sizes after a clean install.  http://
groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/message/61219

andrew

--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "Scott Graham" <gebilwil@n...>
wrote:
> Hi Andrew,
> 
> Combining your initial post and Roy's initial answer re: Quad2100
showing up under 
USB:
> 
> after you installed 2.2 and BEFORE doing anything else, did you
install the curves using 
the 
> installer specific to your printer in the QTR Curves folder
specific to your printer?
> 
> That will add Quad2100 to your printer list without your further
help; you no longer 
need 
> to "install" (or "add") the printer in the OSX Printer Setup
Utility.
> 
> Scott
> 
> --- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "andrew" <andrew@a...> wrote:
> > Roy
> > andrew
> > 
> > > Hi Andrew,
> > > 
> > > I haven't used the Windows printer option so I'm not sure how
you set
> > > that up in the past.  But 2.2 ought to be able to do the same
thing.
> > > The Install2100 script assumes a printer name Quad2100 and will
use
> > > an existing connection.  If Quad2100 doesn't exist then yes it
tries the
> > > usb interface.  
> > > 
> > > From what I've deciphered from Epson info, the desktop printers
have
> > exit
> > > rollers so they can print close to the end of the paper --
sometimes
> > with