epson 4000 full page bleed

We purchased an Epson 4000 to print our portfolios at full page letter size bleed.

Even though the Epson specs said it will do this it won't.

The closest you can get is with the option Epson roll paper mechanism and we pruchased that, only to find that the top of the prints get scratched and the paper curls like spring.

Epson tech said there is nothing they can do about the scratching, or curling.
__________________________________________________ _________________
From Epson's own website on tech specs.

Borderless Printing

Left and right borderless "bleed" printing for the following media widths: 8", 8.5", 10", 12", 13", 14", 16", 17"
Top and bottom edges can be automatically cut to any length three different ways during printing on roll media

This is just not true as the roll paper option is 8 1/4" wide.

__________________________________________________ _______________
James Russell
www.russellrutherford.com

[Andrew_Cen]

Thank you for posting this. I was looking at buying the 4000 to do the exact same thing, so I really appreciate your sharing your (disappointing) experience.

[ QUOTE ]
Thank you for posting this. I was looking at buying the 4000 to do the exact same thing, so I really appreciate your sharing your (disappointing) experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

This stuff makes me weary.

My studios use Canon S-9000, Canon 2200, Fuji 4500 pictography, Epson 9600 and Epson 4000.

The S-9000 will print a full page bleed quickly and beutifully, for a day, then the image changes drastically. With Canon paper it gains contrast by 25%, with other papers it developes a yellow cast.

The Canon 2200 has the most difficult interface in the world. It should be a great workgroup printer, but it is maddening to use and the default settins won't hold on batch printing.

The Fuji 4500 pictorgraphy will print a full page bleed (with a slight white line on the edge), but requires seperate carriers to change paper (about $600). Printing a few hundred images on the pictograph is expensive, BUT it is the most stable and IMO best photographic printer in the world. The images are stunning. If the price wasn't astronomical I would buy two more of these.

The only real issue is (other than cost) the Pictograph interfaces through SCSI and it is not clear if the next release of Mac osX will support SCSI.

The Epson 4000 is a beast and though fairly fast, the interface through Apple OSX requires a notepad to remember settings and this full page bleed issue is just false advertising. To add an exepsnive roll paper option, letter size becomes 8 1/4" and still not print bleed without scratching on the first 2" of a print makes you believe you have lost your mind, then you call Epson and they say, "yes this is normal" and you believe Epson has lost it's mind.

James Russell
www.russellrutherford.com

[stephensager]

It sounds like you need another printer, ya right. I wonder if the new HP printers would work better for your needs? Digital Outback seems to have been impressed.

[John_Vito]

James,

I don't have an answer for you about the Epson 4000...but there is a dedicated Epson 4000 group that might help you:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Epson4000/

Best of Luck.

[william_carter]

You said "with the option[al] roll paper mechanism and we purchased that..." While I haven't yet had the need to print borderless on the 4000, I do regularly use the attached roll paper holder and haven't found that it results in the prints being scratched. Is there some "optional roll paper mechanism" I'm not familiar with?


[ QUOTE ]
We purchased an Epson 4000 to print our portfolios at full page letter size bleed.

Even though the Epson specs said it will do this it won't.

The closest you can get is with the option Epson roll paper mechanism and we pruchased that, only to find that the top of the prints get scratched and the paper curls like spring.

Epson tech said there is nothing they can do about the scratching, or curling.
__________________________________________________ _________________
From Epson's own website on tech specs.

Borderless Printing

Left and right borderless "bleed" printing for the following media widths: 8", 8.5", 10", 12", 13", 14", 16", 17"
Top and bottom edges can be automatically cut to any length three different ways during printing on roll media

This is just not true as the roll paper option is 8 1/4" wide.

__________________________________________________ _______________
James Russell
www.russellrutherford.com

[/ QUOTE ]

[TomRockwell]

This isn't elegant nor is it a "solution", but why not print 8.5x11 on a larger sheet of paper and trim it to letter size? Sounds like the perfect job for an assistant.