Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

Mike's Software => Qimage => Topic started by: AndreRSA on July 05, 2010, 01:01:55 PM



Title: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: AndreRSA on July 05, 2010, 01:01:55 PM
Hi all,

I am a new user of Qimage and love it so far.  I like to print photos for my customers on Epson media with thin white borders all around. The reason I like the border is because of handling by the customer to prevent fingerprints on the photo contents itself. Basically what I do is just simply to specify in the print driver to not print borderless and then the print comes out with the default white border dictated by the print driver.  There is always the small variance of the border width left or right because of the small tolerance in the paper feeding position.

Is there a way of getting this white border a little narrower? Is there a better and more accurate and elegant way to get this thin white border around my 4x6 prints without using larger paper and printing multiple 4x6 on the larger paper size with borders specified in Qimage?  Obviously I would like to get the print as is out of the printer without having to trim the edges of the paper to get the border right.

Thanks
Andre


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: Fred A on July 05, 2010, 01:37:02 PM
Quote
Obviously I would like to get the print as is out of the printer without having to trim the edges of the paper to get the border right.
Andre,
I am looking at a 4 x 6 print on 4 x 6 paper where the margins are even top and bottom, but different on the left and right from the top and bottom. I got this when I told Qimage I wanted a 4 x 6 print.
Here's what I did to make them all the same.
Go to Page Formatting at the top of Qimage, click Margins, and either set the left and right to a small minus value, and try it. You will have to always click on FIT TO PAGE to refresh the new size.
Depending on whether you are trying for .12 margins all the way around, this will do the job.
If you wanted to match the size of the left and right, keeping the larger margins, just use + amounts in the top and bottom adjustments.
You might have to spend 5 minutes fiddling with the numbers, but it works.
Most of the time, just using fit to page on a 4 x 6 paper size and a fit to page print size will make it even without fiddling.
Try both methods.

If you do like the Margin formatting system, you can save that as a JOB and recall it whenever you need it and wont have to fiddle with the margin sizes again.

Fred


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: AndreRSA on July 05, 2010, 03:39:28 PM
Thanks Fred.  What if I select "Borderless" in the print driver with minimal expansion...  

Then in Qimage specify to disable borderless and overspray expansion. I read in one of the threads that Qi will prevent the printer driver from actually expanding the print beyond the page edges.

Then specify a border of say 2 mm

By doing this it might be possible to have narrower borders than the default as set by the printer drivers.

I haven't physically printed yet and am just fiddling in Qimage with the settings.


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: Fred A on July 05, 2010, 05:27:34 PM
Quote
Thanks Fred.  What if I select "Borderless" in the print driver with minimal expansion...
I think you will be shooting yourself in the foot.
If you want borders, and it see, that you do, but you want the same all the way around, one you set it, it will stay.
You can control the borders/margins to the .001 of an inch. You will never achieve that using borderless and minimum or no expansion.
Fred


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: AndreRSA on July 05, 2010, 05:40:33 PM
By doing this (what I've suggested) would it be possible to get narrower borders than the default borders as set by the printer driver?


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: Fred A on July 05, 2010, 05:55:02 PM
By using the margin settings in Page Formatting in Qimage you can make the margins as small as you wish.
That is the correct way to do it.
Just insert, negative values, to make the borders /margins, whatever you wish to call them, thinner.
Fred


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: AndreRSA on July 06, 2010, 04:45:42 AM
By using the margin settings in Page Formatting in Qimage you can make the margins as small as you wish.
That is the correct way to do it.
Just insert, negative values, to make the borders /margins, whatever you wish to call them, thinner.
Fred

Don't quite understand.  Do I have to specify borderless printing in the printer driver to achieve the thinner border?


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: BrianPrice on July 06, 2010, 05:30:24 AM
Quote
Then in Qimage specify to disable borderless and overspray expansion. I read in one of the threads that Qi will prevent the printer driver from actually expanding the print beyond the page edges.

Then specify a border of say 2 mm

Hi
This method will work, and is probably the way I would do it, although Fred's will work equally well. Make sure the border is set to B+  (Outside), and set up a template (Layout).
As you say, the problem with both methods is that you have to ensure that the paper feeds in exactly each time as the smallest variation will show up when the borders are so small. The 3800 is not great in this respect, although otherwise its the best printer I've ever used.

Brian


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: AndreRSA on July 06, 2010, 09:28:04 AM
Thanks Brian,

I will try it out.  Like I said I haven't printed yet but just did print previews so far.  I think I will try actually printing a few samples to establish which method is the best and most simplistic.

Regards
Andre


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: AndreRSA on July 08, 2010, 05:17:55 AM
Hi

I have printed a few 4x6 photos with 3mm white borders yesterday.  I used the margins adjustment method that Fred A suggested and did a print preview until the print area was perfectly in the centre.  Then the print came out perfectly centered with the borders even on all four sides. These test prints were made from RAW photos taken straight from my 5D and cropped in Qimage at print time and using the default sharpening and Hybrid SE interpolation and they are perfect.  Thanks guys.


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: Terry-M on July 08, 2010, 07:13:22 AM
Quote
These test prints were made from RAW photos taken straight from my 5D and cropped in Qimage at print time and using the default sharpening and Hybrid SE interpolation and they are perfect.
You got there, well done, now you are beginning to see what a great program Qimage is. I love when you say "made from RAW photos taken straight from my 5D", how's that for an efficient work flow.  8)
Keep going on that learning curve  :)
Terry


Title: Re: Printing 4x6 with white border with Epson Pro 3880
Post by: AndreRSA on July 10, 2010, 09:01:30 AM
Quote
These test prints were made from RAW photos taken straight from my 5D and cropped in Qimage at print time and using the default sharpening and Hybrid SE interpolation and they are perfect.
You got there, well done, now you are beginning to see what a great program Qimage is. I love when you say "made from RAW photos taken straight from my 5D", how's that for an efficient work flow.  8)
Keep going on that learning curve  :)
Terry

Thanks Terry

I must admit I was a little sceptical about not taking the photos to Photoshop first but after seeing the results I'm very happy.  I must add though that my white balance was spot on straight from the camera as these were studio shoot photos and white balance is the first thing I do before I start shooting.  I love my new workflow!

I'll definitely recommend Qimage to other colleagues and show them the benefits of printing in-house (even though much more costly).  I love to have control over my final product at last!