Hi folks,
I’ve been helped so much with this forum. It has allowed me to get my p800 set up to make Digital Negatives.
In other posts/resources you can learn how to install the decoder board and install the inks and get ready to print Digital Negatives.
Keith Schreiber’s instructions (https://jkschreiber.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/how-to-disable-star-wheels-on-an-epson-3880/) show how to prepare a 3800 to avoid pizza wheels and I came across Joshua Wright’d website (https://medium.com/@joswr1ght/epson-p800-pizza-wheel-hack-981275867af0) that showed how to do it for a p800, referencing Keith’s article. All went well, except Joshua’s printing instructions didn’t work for me. (Perhaps Epson changed something in their software.).However, I’ve worked out the following:
Once you have your inks set up, have removed Left Front cover of printer, can make a file for digital negatives, know how to work print tool and Quadtone RIP, try this:
- In Quadtone RIP-make sure Paper Feed is set up for Front Fine art.
- Make sure Front Feed Paper tray is OPEN.
- Hit Print button in Quadtone RIP.
- When Printer Display says out of paper, slide Pictorico in through Front Feed tray until it lines up with the guide, about 1/8 inch from front.
- Hit Resume on the Printer Display. Pictorico will feed into printer.
- The Printer will ask you to close the Front Feed Tray. DON’T.
- INSTEAD of closing Front Feed Tray insert a large swab into the printer on the left as indicated by Keith’s and Joshua’s images.
- When finished, remove swab.
Some notes:
At least on a MAC-Epson P800 setup I have not been able to access Epson’s features (such as for changing Print Drying Time or fine-tuning Platen Gap) so I don’t know if I can improve anything in print acuity. HOWEVER, I am getting NO pizza wheel marks!
If you try to use the rear feed (like on a 3800) the printer thinks you want to print thick poster board. I could find no way around this.
Another helpful thing is to disengage the “Paper Skew Check” under System Administration on the Printer Display.
When my Pictorico’s front left corner came out it would sometimes get stuck on the above-mentioned paper guide. I just put a little piece of tape over the problem area.
I generally print 15 inch long images on 13 x 19 Pictorico. In Print Tool I make sure the bottom edge is 3 inches up from bottom of paper. Either because of this practice, or because of using the above technique, I have not had any partial print passes as used to happen using the rear feed on a 3800.
Hope this is helpful to someone!
Jeannie