Problems printing to Velvet on 3800

[coops]

Just made my first print to a 17x22 sheet of Epson Velvet fine art and it's awful. I know there is something I am missing but what? My monitor is calibrated and the image is grayscale. When I go to print, I select the profile for the paper. Do I select match print colors with a g.scale image?
Then I go the Epson dialog box, select velvet paper, and custom, which brings up the abw. Toning is neutral and I select dark.
Seems that about it.
On the print where there should be black it looks more like cyan. Under image mode, the image is grayscale. The image is grainy and has no contrast, and soft. Not to much detail.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[Jon Shiu]

Hi, do a nozzle check first and also check that you are printing on the correct side of the paper. Normally, with abw you would set let printer handle color in photoshop. See Eric Chan's site for more complete info/instructions on abw:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/index.html

Jon

[coops]

Thanks for the link. Have tried all the ways described in the link, but the same problem with the dark areas printing a blue/cyan color,even blown out to white in some places. I am using some Epson enhanced matt 8x11 rather than the big velvet paper.
Should sleep on it tonight and look at it again tomorrow.

[ljsegil]

You can use a paper profile or ABW, but not both simultaneously. Suggest just select ABW and do not go to the color menu under page setup. Under ABW printer handles color, not Photoshop.
LJS

[coops]

Normally, with abw you would set let printer handle color in photoshop. See Eric Chan's site for more complete info/instructions on abw:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/index.html

Jon

Eric Chan says to select srgb as the printer profile in PS when using abw. I am so used to using the paper profile but apparently they are for color only.
Will give it a try when I get home.

[Raymond Bleesz]

Coops---I have had a similar problem--Epson matte paper, new 3800, b/w print with cyan this past week & late last night, I was able to solve the problem/s..

After numerous failures, we cleaned the nozzel several times, did a deep clean twice and that helped. In the respective slots in your driver we used the following: used "colorimetric-reflective", also "color management", also identified Printer Profile with (Pro38PLPP), in my case, Also "black point comp", also "standard" and "basic/advanced" with the specific type of paper, "enhanced matte paper", in my case, also "accu-Photo HD with Color Mode "off" plus 1440 & High Speed in those respectvie slots.

All very confusing, fustrating to a newbbi such as myself. Hope this may help in some way.

Raymond

[Brian Ellis]

I've only used Advanced B&W a couple times but got good results just following the instructions in the 3800 manual. But the reason I've only used ABW a couple times is that IMHO you get better results with QTR, or if not better at least more control and more options for tones. www.harrington.com for QTR (hope that's still the site, I've used QTR for so long I haven't visited the site in a long time, but if that doesn't work just Google on Roy Harrington).

[Jon Shiu]

Eric Chan says to select srgb as the printer profile in PS when using abw. I am so used to using the paper profile but apparently they are for color only.
Will give it a try when I get home.
Hi, that's good to know re: srgb profile.

Jon

[keith english]

I use Chans profiles for ABW. I don't know exactly how it installs in the ABW mode but following his instructions I got great prints the first time. I did sometime use normal when he says to use dark tone for more shadow details. As far as the color shift in place of black, make sure the black ink is not clogged. That was the problem I had. Where deepest black should be it was cyan. The photo black was not printing at all.

[aphexafx]

...but the same problem with the dark areas printing a blue/cyan color,even blown out to white in some places.

Have you made any progress? I'm waiting with bated breath!

Anyway, the above detail that you mention is telling you that, as mentioned above, you have a clogged head -> that most likely being your MK channel. Where you are seeing the dark cyan blow out to white is where black pigment should be, I would wager.

Make an RGB file with a good sized black (0, 0, 0) square over pure white (255, 255, 255) and print it. I am curious as to what will emerge from your printer. There is no guarantee that the ABW driver will use only the MK channel for the square, but it might shed some light on whatever is going on.

Clean clean clean. And please report back.

Btw, I print with ABW and UltraChrome to Epson's Velvet FA often and it is a brilliant combination.

[coops]

Have you made any progress? I'm waiting with bated breath!



Just got back into town and went through several cleaning cycles ( forced cleaning I think they call them) and that problem was solved. Print looked good. Next print was a different story however, it was a different image and lacked detail. Did the head alignment and all is fine again.
Thanks for all the responses, and I hope these issues do not repeat regularly.

Cheers