Artwork cut off when printing to Epson Stylus Pro 4000

[asdf@asdf.com]

Hi, I'm having a problem that I hope someone can shed some light on.

I'm attempting to print from Illustrator CS to an Epson Stylus Pro 4000 - my artboard is 430x1390mm, which the printer can handle without any problems in Roll Paper (Banner) page mode with a user defined page size. However, when I attempt to print at this size through Illustrator CS, the artwork is being "clipped" at around 1150mm down the page.

At first I thought this was a problem with the printer itself, until I set the printer driver to perform a print preview. In the print preview the full page size is correct, but the artwork itself is clipped off well before the end of the page. There are no margins set, and increasing the page size to say, 2000mm long, doesn't make any difference - Illustrator seems to always clip the artwork at around 1150mm, even though in Illustrator's print dialog it displays it on the page correctly.

I have the latest firmware for the printer and the latest drivers. I've also tried to print with "print as a bitmap" enabled, but this just causes Illustrator CS to generate a "can't print illustration" error.

It seems as though Illustrator is imposing some artificial limit on the maximum print length. I tried a workaround by exporting to PDF and printing through Acrobat Reader, but the same problem occurs! Importing the file into Photoshop and printing from there *does work* - the image isn't clipped off like it is when printing through Illustrator.

Unfortunately my client, who specifically purchased Illustrator for printing these files through their Epson Stylus Pro 4000, doesn't have Photoshop (and I imagine will be unwilling to purchase it as well after shelling out for Illustrator - which *should* be able to do it!).

Any suggestions are appreciated, as most of my hair has already been pulled out in frustration.

The problem occurs on both Windows 2000 and Windows XP, and across various computers.

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

Zen,

I do not know whether the suggestions in this similar thread can help you (it ended in tears for those who had the problem):

Satoski Komiyama "files not printing correctly to an HP 800 designjet" 4/8/04 4:04am </cgi-bin/webx?14@@.2cd11d98/0>

[asdf@asdf.com]

So it appears that there is no solution, and Illustrator CS is simply incapable of printing correctly at this size?

I have already contacted Adobe's technical support in Australia by phone, but it appears that they don't have a clue. They said they would "get back to me", but so far nothing.

How ironic that the entire reason we decided on Illustrator for this project was its support for large print sizes! :(

What surprises me is the fact that the clipping is displayed in the Print Preview from the Epson driver... which to me suggests the entire issue lies with Illustrator (given that Photoshop doesn't seem to produce the problem).

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

Zen,

You may try changing the print resolution in File>Document Setup>Printing&Export to 80% of the current value (1150/1390 = 82,7%), or ticking Split Long Paths (see Help>resolution of path output (as it is called in AI10)).

[asdf@asdf.com]

Hi Jacob, I couldn't find the first option you talk about, but I have tried changing the raster/vector balance and also the output DPI of rasterised/flattened objects. This has no effect on the problem, unfortunately.

Further, the path complexity isn't an issue either - even printing a single rectangle yields the same clipping problem.

It appears that the issue is not to do with the complexity of the artwork being printed, but rather the output size of the artwork.

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

Zen, I suppose you are making vector graphics so raster related settings would have no effect.

You should be able to locate the print resolution/split long path settings if you look for resolution (of path output) in Help. I am sure they have not disappeared between AI10 and 11 (CS).

[asdf@asdf.com]

Hi again Jacob, actually the graphics are a mix of raster and vector, but for the sake of troubleshooting I've removed all raster elements.

I did check in the Illustrator help, but the only references I could find to changing "path resolution" was manually splitting paths using the Scissors, or changing the Flatness rating (for adjusting the threshold that defines the number of segments used to output curved paths - I assume this is what you're talking about? - which is only available for Postscript printers as far as I know, and the Epson Stylus Pro 4000 isn't a Postscript printer).

As far as I'm aware the "Printer Resolution" setting is only for printing separations and defines the line screen resolution - there is no "Printing&Export" area under Document Setup.

Even placing a small circle or rectangle near the bottom of the artboard will result in it being clipped, even if it's the only shape present. As I've mentioned, the complexity of the artwork makes no difference, it always clips off at the same distance from the top of the page (if it would help I can post some screenshots of what the print preview looks like).

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

Zen,

I am sorry that there seems to be no way through. This is what it says in AI10 Help (output resolution):

Curves in artwork are defined by the PostScript interpreter as small line
segments; and the smaller the line segments, the more accurate the curve.
However, when small line segments are used to draw a curve, the total
number of line segments increases, thereby increasing the complexity of
the curve. If a curve is too complex for a PostScript interpreter to rasterize,
a PostScript error can result, and the curve won't print.





The output resolution determines the flatness of the curve: A lower output
resolution results in greater flatness, and thus longer and fewer line
segments. Using a lower output resolution creates a less accurate curve,
but improves printing performance.





Adobe Illustrator prints fastest and best by using a default output resolution
setting of 800 dots per inch (dpi). However, in some cases, you might
want to decrease the output resolution--for example, if you draw a very
long curved path that won't print due to a limit-check error, if printing
is slow, or if objects are not being printed at an adequate resolution.
To avoid or correct the limit-check error, you can split long paths, as
described in Splitting paths to print large, complex shapes, or you can
set the output resolution for the document to a lower value.





To change the output resolution:





1 Choose File > Document Setup, and choose Printing and Export from the
pop-up menu at the top of the dialog box.





2 Enter a value in the Output Resolution text box. Recommended values
are between 100 dpi and 300 dpi for printing at 300 dpi, and between 800
and 2400 dpi for printing at 2400 dpi. The limits are 100 and 9600 dpi.





3 Click OK.

[asdf@asdf.com]

But is this actually what's causing the problem? I don't think it is.

If it's related to the DPI or the complexity of curves, then making the document thinner or reducing the complexity of the curves (e.g. by only printing a single rectangle) should alter the point at which the document is clipped off... but this isn't the case. It always clips off at approximately 1150mm, and the same thing happens in Acrobat Reader and InDesign. To me this means there's some limitation in the way the printing engine of these programs is interacting with the printer driver, as the printer is certainly capable of handling the data (as demonstrated by printing a high resolution version from Photoshop, where no clipping occurs, or by making an extremely complex design in Illustrator - the printer has no problem with the complexity, it only seems to have a problem with the size of the artboard, and only in Illustrator/InDesign/Acrobat Reader - other programs have no trouble, which suggests the problem lies with these programs).

Surely it can't simply be that Illustrator "can't do it", because we know it can... people print very large designs all the time with Illustrator. It sounds like a bug.

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

Zen,

The simplest rectangle is surrounded by a path, and in print it contains as many DPI as specified.

As you could see from the other thread there seems to be a genuine problem. I hope someone can shed more light on it, and give a solution, if there is one.

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

Zen,

A tough but possible way to try out the resolution suggestion would be to change the code in the AIPrefs file.

You may search for the file as explained in FAQ #4, but instead of deleting it, open it with Notepad and search (Ctrl+F) for printerresolution (in one word) and change the value to 80% (at the most) of the current value; keep the .0 at the end of the figure (AIPrefs is very particular; with my settings, it says 1200.0).

[asdf@asdf.com]

Hi Jacob, thanks again for the suggestions and help, it's 4:40 AM here (burning the midnight oil!) so I'll try this out tomorrow first thing and see how it goes. *fingers crossed*

[L._Nichols@adobeforums.com]

Hi Zen,

Does your printer have a setting for resolution or quality somewhere in the print dialog box? I'm not familiar with the Epson 4000, but it might be a setting for draft mode vs. highest quality, or faster printing vs. higher quality--something like that.

If more of the document prints when set to a lower resolution, this might point to a problem with spooling or memory.

Another option, if you haven't tried it already, would be to check on the Epson website for known issues and updated drivers for your printer. Since you get the same problems printing from several different Adobe applications, it may be an issue that Epson is aware of.

L.

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

Zen,

Just to make sure: any work with the AIPrefs file must be done while Illy is asleep. So close first and open afterwards to see whether it has helped.

[asdf@asdf.com]

Hi again all. I've just been over at the client's place doing test prints and trying some additional ideas. Finally, what appears to be a solution (although we'll know for sure in a couple of days).

According to Epson the clipping is occuring because of an artificial limit on page length caused by Illustrator on Windows, for one reason or another, and because the printer isn't using Postscript (in which case the limit wouldn't exist, as Illustrator would simply hand the data to the printer in Postscript and the printer would work it out itself). Unfortunately the printer doesn't come with a software Postscript compatible RIP in Australia like it does elsewhere (who knows why that is), and the software RIP doesn't even appear to be available in Australia to purchase separately. To get around the problem, the following (surprisingly simple) steps have to be done:

* Artboard size should be kept at physical size
* Change the vertical page size to be less than the limit (e.g. 1000 mm long)
* Enable full page tiling in Illustrator and set the origins to 0 mm
* Enable roll banner mode printing in the printer driver
* Disable auto page cutting in the printer driver and on the printer itself
* Disable page break line printing on the printer itself
* Ensure all margins are at 0 mm (in the printer's internal setup as well)

This causes Illustrator to split the artboard into several pages, and because each page is less than the limit of about 1150 mm the design is kept intact. When it prints, it (should) print as one continuous page without any breaks at all, despite it being sent as several pages from Illustrator's perspective.

Perhaps this is also a solution for others who are experiencing similar limitations - however I'm not sure if this would work for instances where the *width* is larger than the clip.

[Junqi_Ding@adobeforums.com]

I printed even bigger posters in HP3000 plotter. I found if you choose to print as regular, sometimes it will stop in somewhere (even I choose to print in computer). So my trick is to choose printing bitmap in the dialog of printing. Then I print whatever size I want.

I posted a question about Illustrator printing before. But looks like no one has an answer. Hope Adobe can fix the problem: Illustrator always assumes the size of paper with length bigger than width so it wastes my paper a lot. (I have a paper roll with 54" wide, but if I want to print a small poster with such as 10"x54", it will roll my paper 54" long instead 10" no matter how I change portrait or landscape).

Junqi

[asdf@asdf.com]

Hi Junqi, have you tried entering the paper size as 10"x54", and then setting it to print as Landscape instead of Portrait (or the other way around, respectively)?

This may help, as it may force it to print side-ways, 54" wide and 10" high.