Large Format Printer Introduction
This page is INCOMPLETE and still missing some important information before it can be used as a resource. Please use the "Discussion" feature above or talk to one of the tutors if you would like to help improve it. Thanks!
This is the content required for an introduction to our Large Format Printer - reading this does NOT replace the mandatory session with a tutor! It will make it a lot quicker though ;-)
If you are ready for this introduction, please reach out to the following tutors: Björn
Let's begin! First off, make sure you have read the machine's wiki page and manual. (German and English language manuals are linked on the machine's wiki page)
Safety
Personal protection: No specific personal protection equipment needed
| Dangers | Precautions |
|---|---|
| Mercury in lightbulb | Don´t change or touch the lightbuld |
| Cutter knife | The printer had a built-in cutter knife to automatically cut roll paper after the print is finished. Never open the printer door whilst the printer is printing and for about 1min after the print is finished.
Note: the cutting option can be disabled, to prevent the print from falling onto the floor and to allow for manual cutting. |
Suggested Reading
For the EPSON Stylus Pro 7800:
- The manual's paper handling pages are a must-read, really: p56 for roll paper and p64 for cut sheets
- load roll paper: p58-61
- remove roll paper: p62
- load sheet paper: p65
- load small cut sheet paper: p66
- load posterboard or any media thicker than 0.5 mm: p67-70
Demonstration
The tutor will show you these steps in detail:
- briefly explain the difference between this professional printer and a "home inkjet printer" (suction system, automatic printer nozzle calibration)
- dos and dont's / things that can damage the printer:
- keep printer tidy – EPSON's (in particular) don't like dust
- never manually move the printer head
- never manually move the cutter knife
- do not remove, change or replace inks yourself (contact a manager) – this can damage the ink cartridge seal, introduce air and cause nozzle damage
- always operate the printer via its interface, never pull the power plug whilst the printer is still turned on
- explain paper types
- only use paper suitable for pigment inks
- never use paper for solvent-/alcohol-based inks (for example: PVC); ink will not dry and can cause damage to the printer
- adjust drying time (may be necessary for certain media)
- depending on paper type, the printer's built-in cutter may introduce paper dust inside the printer or blunt the cutter knife turn off the cutter function if you're using: fine art paper, vinyl , matte board or any other heavyweight paper
- explain paper weight
- maximum paper weight so not to damage the printer and cutting knife
- suction level may need to be adjusted for heavy and lightweight papers
- insert and change 1) sheet paper 2) roll paper
- use the correct paper setting ("sheet", "roll" or "roll + scissors")
- practical demonstration and software workflow (Photoshop Elements) with roll paper:
- create a canvas size of 60cm (full roll width) and the intended length (so not to waste paper)
- disable printer cutter function
- do a small test print in vertical format (= more space for final print in the next step)
- file > print
- explain print dialogue options (paper media type and size, printer colour and quality settings, colour profile as suggested by paper manufacturer)
- manually rewind paper
- in Photoshop: position final print to a blank area on the paper (move horizontally)
- cut print manually with scissors (= less paper dust inside the printer)
- cover printer again to protect it from getting dusty
