Digital Printing Step-by-Step and Troubleshooting—Epson

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Julia

These are instructions specific to printing the 2 portraits project from Adobe Illustrator to the Epson SC-P6000 to Enhanced Matte paper on a 17inch roll with matte black ink.

When you print the Package assignment, or the Dialog assignment there are 3 main differences from the directions below.

  • the first is that you will be printing from the Epson SC-P9000 printer (the big one at the back of the Photo Studio)not the SC-6000.
  • The second difference is the paper size. You will be printing to 24 inch wide Enhanced Matte roll paper, not 17 inch enhanced matte paper
  • The third difference is because of the first two. You will need to pick a different ICC profile that coincides with with the different printer and the different paper.
    so, the profile to use for the package project looks like this:
    SC-P9000_P7000_series_LLKEnhancedMattePaper_MK

Other projects and software will have steps that are essentially the same. The variations will be because of the version of the Software Version on your computer (this should always be the most recent version available), Platform (MAC or PC),  Paper Choice (roll or single sheet), Type of Black ink (Matte or Photo), or the printer you are using.

If you decide to print from Acrobat instead of Illustrator:

    • save your file as a PDF, making sure to change the default PDF setting for export. Change the setting to be High Quality Print instead of the default.

When You ARE READY TO PRINT you will first need to prepare your Illustrator file properly. This involves the following steps,
In Illustrator:

  • Always open the file from the computer itself, not from the cloud or any external drive. (you may need to first copy the file from icloud or an external drive to the computer.)
  • TURN OFF WiFI
  • Top Menu>>”Save As“ type a new file name by adding the word “print”
  • Swatches Window>>Options>>Select all unused colors>>Trash can
  • Layers Window>>Options>>Flatten all layers
  • Layers Window>>Delete any Guide and Grid layers
  • Select all type>>Top Menu>>Type>> Convert to Outlines
  • All images imported from PhotoShop or your camera should be in the RGB format. Confirm this before importing to Illustrator. 
  • Top Menu>>»Document Color Mode»RGB
    • Files printed to Epson inkjet printers should be saved in RGB color space not CMYK. (normally, for commercial printing this setting would the opposite and instead be CMYK)
  • Top Menu>>Edit>>Assign Profile
    1. Normally, this color profile should be in the form of the printer name followed by the type of media (paper) that you are using, followed by the kind of Black Ink you are using.
      exmple:
      SC-P8000_P6000_series_LLKEnhancedMattePaper_MK
  • Top Menu>>File>>Document Set Up>> Bleed>>.125in
  • Screenshot 2024-03-05 at 1.01.26 PM
  • Extend (bleed) all image parts that go to edges of your paper out to the red line (bleed area surrounding the artboard)
  • Locate the name of the printer you are going to use. (SP 5000, SP 6000, etc.) We use the Standard Edition of the SP5000.

If you are printing from your laptop, Be sure you to first download and install the correct Print Drivers for the Printer you are using. Copy and paste this search in your browser:

  1. epson SC-P6000 print drivers
    (this number will vary depending on the printer you are using)
  2. Click Downloads
  3. Install Driver

Success with printing, regardless of printer or paper type always requires a proper match between paper type, color profile (ICC Color Profile), size of document relative to the size of paper, and color management by the software NOT the printer.

To achieve the correct matches for this and all other assignments use the following print settings.

  • Paper
    • Know what type of paper you are using, glossy or matte. Then be sure you are at the correct printer station that is set to print to either Glossy paper (stations  #2, #3, #5) or Matte paper (stations #1, #4 or #6 if printing to roll paper, or the Epson in the Photo Studio)
    • Load Single Sheet paper with the side that is to be printed facing down in the paper tray. This will be the whitest side of the paper for Epson Matte papers and the shiny side for Epson Glossy papers.
    • Confirm that the single sheet or roll paper icon in the print window of the printer corresponds to the kind of paper you are printing to or you will get an error message that indicates that you have “an incorrect paper source or incorrect paper size”.
  • If your paper size is a standard size (8 1/2 x 11, 11 x 17, 8 1/2 x 14) be sure to select the paper size option that also includes the word “SHEET”. Do not simply select the size. 
  • Use ISO numbers when specifying  paper size. For example, select Super A3/B (Sheet) as the paper size for 13 x 19 inch paper. 

Make sure you have completed all the file preparation steps listed above before going to the next steps—actually printing.

PRINTING

  1. Power on the printer
  2. Confirm that the USB cable is connected between the computer and the printer
  3. make sure the settings in the printer window are set for the kind of paper you are printing (and that paper is loaded into the printer)
  4. Confirm what kind of black ink is currently loaded in the printer. (normally matte black for graphic design. DO NOT CHANGE THE BLACK INK SETTING ON THE PRINTER.
  5. Check to be sure that the print window of the printer is not flashing a low or out of ink warning sign. (If so, you will need to contact a professor to replenish the ink supply)
  6. When the printer window indicates it is ready you can proceed to your computer set up.

Print Button

1st. PAGE SETUP button

  • On a PC, you will not have a PAGE SETUP Button. Instead you will only see a SETUP button. Go there first, then from the next screen click PREFERENCES)
  • confirm correct printer
  • confirm orientation of image
  • choose Paper size
    • Occasionally, you may need to create a custom page size if the size of paper you need is not on the list. Do this by clicking on the Manage Custom Page size button located at the very bottom of the page sizes menu.
  • OK

2nd. SetUp Button

There are several settings found in this window. Most of the time you will only need to make decisions from the COLOR MATCHING and PRINTER OPTIONS drop downs.

  • PRINTER OPTIONS
  • COLOR MATCHING Option (Click)
    • ColorSync>>Choose Color Profile
      • Standard for non-Epson papers, otherwise choose the setting that corresponds to printer you are using, the kind of paper you are using and the type of black ink you are using. An example would be:

      • SC P8000_P6000_series_LLKEnhancedMattePaper_MK
        (SC P8000 and P6000 are printers, EMP stands for enhanced matte paper and MK stands for Matte Black ink). (Refer to the paper chart on the wall for the correct sizes and abbreviations of these and other printing papers.)

    • PRINTER SETTING OPTION (click)
      • Page Setup (Roll or single sheet)
      • Media Type (paper type)
      • Black (Black or MK)
      • Output Resolution
      • print button (OK button)

3rd. MAIN PRINT window (the very first window you saw).

This is a window where you can make several choices. Most of the time you only to make a few important choices in the main window and also from Marks & Bleeds or Color Management sub menus

Marks and Bleeds >> Trim Marks and bleed (you will have had to first specified a bleed area in your document set up for the printer to now print in a bleed and have extended your image to the red bleed line. (If you have not done these two steps already, selecting bleed here will not do any good, you should cancel print and return to the document and complete those steps first.)

  • If printing 12 x 18 images with bleeds to Super A3B paper (sheet), select “fit to page” under the General Print settings to print all trim marks.
  • In the main Print window, select TRIM MARKS

Be sure you are seeing all of your image plus your trim marks in the preview window. If you do not, you may need to also select the “Fit in Print Area” option before proceeding. If you still do not see all of your document in the preview window, return to the page setup, you do not have the correct page sizes selected.

  • Color Management
    • Let Illustrator Handle
  • Profile: The specific profile depends on the printer you are using, the kind of paper you are using and the type of black ink loaded into the printer.
    • Ex: SC-P9000_P7000_series_LLKEnhancedMattePaper_MK
  • Rendering Intent
    • Perceptual (best for photographs)
    • Absolute Colormetric (common for most Graphic Design)
    • Relative Colormetric (common for most Graphic Design)
    • Saturation (best for vibrant, not natural color)
  • if available, check the “preserve RGB #’s” box from the Color Management options in the main Print window.
  • PRINT 🙂

TROUBLE SHOOTING PRINTING—Epson Printer

IF This:

            Printing from desktop computer

THEN This:

            File must be saved as a compatible version of whatever software you are printing from.

IF This:

            Printing from desktop computer

THEN This:

            File must be saved as a compatible version of whatever software you are printing from.

Be sure to download and install EPSON printer drivers for the Epson printer on your laptop computer. They are available for download from their website Link and connect to the printer using its USB cable.

IF This:

Paper Loaded Incorrectly Error Message

THEN This:

Make sure the single page icon (not the roll paper icon) is visible on the printer’s control panel

If printing a PDF from Acrobat, be sure to go to the Page Setup before going to the Print Dialog

You have adjusted the paper guides in the printer to fit the paper you are using

You have selected the same paper size as the actual piece of paper you are printing your design to.

IF This:

Color is not what you expected

THEN This:

Make sure placed image files are in RGB color mode

Make sure your file to print is also in RGB color mode

You have correctly matched up the type of paper you are printing to with its correct paper profile.

You are printing matte paper on a printing station set up for matte paper or glossy paper to a printing station set up to print glossy paper.

You are printing to the correct side of the paper.

You have loaded the paper correctly with the print side of the paper facing down in the paper tray.

IF This:

Color is printing too dark

THEN This:

Try a lower DPI resolution setting to print fewer dots of ink

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