[michael ellis Participant Posts: 4]

Epson Printers

on: January 5, 2024 at 2:44 pm

I am wondering what the difference is between the different settings for paper size in the lightroom page setup menu? I am using paper that requires front loading and when I pick paper size there are settings for thick, borderless retain size and borderless auto expand. Depending on the setting I have different options available in the print settings menu. I have been using borderless retain size but read that these settings also affect print settings. I wanted to try printing at max quality settings but these were greyed out until I switched to front thick setting (no mention of borderless retain size or not). Can someone clue me in to what these different settings in page setup are for and why there are different quality options (and possibly other things too) that they affect?

[Mark D Segal Silver Member Posts: 951]

Re: Page setup settings on P900

Reply #1 on: January 5, 2024 at 3:13 pm

I have a fair amount of material on these matters in my review of this printer on this website. Also, the Epson Manual for the SC-P900 has relevant information. Also there is Keith cooper’s review of the SC-P900 on his Northlight Images website which goes into considerable detail. Have you checked these resources yet?

You are essentially asking someone to write a manual on paper settings options. Perhaps if you have not already done so, check these resources first, then come up with specific questions or issues you have that are not covered in any of that, it would easier to assist.

[michael ellis Participant Posts: 4]

Re: Page setup settings on P900

Reply #2 on: January 5, 2024 at 4:23 pm

Hi Mark-

Thank you for the speedy reply and the resources you mentioned. I am currently checking out the info on the Northlight site you mentioned. I will try to refine my questions further upon completing that. I have read and re-read the Epson manual which left me with a lot of questions. I have read the reviews on photo pxl, which I found most helpful. I have also gotten some info from the Red River paper site which was helpful. Mainly I am wondering what changes when using different paper settings in the page setup menu and why some options are greyed out from the print settings menu when using say “13×19 front thick” versus “13×19 front thick borderless retain size” and 13×19 front thick borderless auto expand”.

[Mark D Segal Silver Member Posts: 951]

Re: Page setup settings on P900

Reply #3 on: January 5, 2024 at 4:29 pm

As you likely know, when settings are greyed-out it generally means that the manufacturer has reasons for determining that they are either irrelevant or possibly harmful to the functioning of the equipment or the quality of outcomes. What specific greyed-out options are you concerned about for each of those paper thickness and paper feed alternatives?

[michael ellis Participant Posts: 4]

Re: Page setup settings on P900

Reply #4 on: January 5, 2024 at 6:35 pm

Hi Again Mark-

Thank you for spending your time helping me out. The Northlight site review was helpful and there is a lot more info for me to go through.  I think I would like to understand why there are differences in the quality, overcoat, speed and fine detail options, when changing from borderless versus non borderless page setup options. I don’t print borderless usually so would generally use the non borderless options. This is a new to me printer and my previous was an Epson 3880. Since I started using the P900 I found that a lot had changed and I am just trying to get up to speed. However, this is not keeping me from printing!

 

Thanks again for your help.

Sincerely,

Michael Ellis

[Mark D Segal Silver Member Posts: 951]

Re: Page setup settings on P900

Reply #5 on: January 5, 2024 at 6:47 pm

Michael – the overcoat only makes a difference on very high gloss papers (not even luster paper), so unless you are using such papers, you can safely forget about it. If you check in my article where I go through the set-up options, you will see cases where the options change depending on whether you set the printer to the highest or second highest quality notch, both of which print at 5750 PPI. Why Epson set it up that way I don’t know, but for sure they had a reason. I believe when printing borderless with the print-head functioning right up to the edge of the sheet, Epson has a technical concern about the possibility of minor quality deterioration of the printed image at the edges with certain of those features being active, again for reasons that are well beyond my pay-grade, but I believe based on various discussions in the past this is the factor motivating the non-availability of certain options in borderless print mode – but I could be wrong. Speed usually depends on the choices you make for other factors, such as the resolution/quality setting, overcoat setting, etc. I’ve discussed in my article the very large speed differences on can encounter depending on the choice of settings. Anyhow, it’s a very good printer; you just need to find the combination of settings that gives you the output you consider satisfactory. Enjoy!

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