my prints are not centered

[megan_stone]

<p>i have been having this problem for some time now. i print on my epson 3800 ... my prints never come out centered. the border is always slightly larger at one side than the other. can anyone help?!<br>

most of my prints are done on A3+ paper size. once i'm ready to print. i go to Canvas Size, add a .2 border, i then go to Image Size, and select a size as close to the paper size as possible... so i punch in, height 12inches. </p>

<p>i then go to Print. i select the paper size and whether it's landscape or portrait .. and then i hit Fit to Media<br>

i can never get a centered print - what am i doing wrong? can someone give me the proper steps please?<br>

many thanks. should i just calculate the border when i punch in Image Size, rather than going to canvas size?</p>

 

[digitaldog]

<p>I simply set the size of the print I want in Image Size (NO interpolation), then select the paper size from the Page Setup and off I go. No issues. I wonder if you are futzing around too much in terms of adding this border, fitting to size etc. <br>

You have A3 selected in the Epson driver, it specifies that is 11.69x16.53. Go into Image Size, set the size you wish and as long as the output resolution falls between 180-480, let that value stick. The size you pick is the size you get ON that 11.69x16.53 sheet and previewed in Photoshop’s print dialog. No need to fit to media size. Should print centered on that page. </p>

[allyn_saroyan]

<p>Megan,<br>

Does your Epson 3800 printer dialog have an "Super A3 / B (Sheet - Maximum)" paper size selection? If so, that selection will center an image.<br>

Allyn</p>

[megan_stone]

<p>thank you rodney, so i ignore Image Size and go straight to Print and enter the Paper Size and then image size I want in the Print Box? is this what you're saying?</p>

<p>Allyn, yes, that's what I select. :)</p>

[monika_epsefass]

<p>Hello Megan,<br>

"Fit to Media" will not necessarily centre the image, just blow it up or adapt its size. There is a little tick box saying 'centre' in the print dialogue, I believe that's what you're looking for.<br>

<img src="http://www.abload.de/img/p_dialh5wd.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[digitaldog]

<p>You can size the image in Image Size without resampling. OR you can do it in the Print dialog that Photoshop provides shown above. The reason I do this in Image Size is to set the size and resolution for proper output sharpening before printing. That will not work with the product I use IF one sizes in the Photoshop print dialog. </p>

[megan_stone]

<p>i have tried another print today - prior to reading the new replies.<br>

i set image size length to 18 (as A3+ is 18.5) that would leave me a thin border on each side.<br>

the top & bottom borders have come out equal. the left and right border are slightly larger than the top & bottom and they're not equal.<br>

i never noticed the center image box - will look for it when back at work tomorrow<br>

many thanks.</p>

[richard__]

<p>I don't know about this printer, but you might find that it's native paper margins are not equal on all sides. That would affect your ability to properly center an image.</p>

[megan_stone]

<p>i still cant get this right - i tried the center image option - still no use. today i tried to go into image size .. resized the image to 18" length, so that leave me with .5" for each side as A3+ paper is 19" long. i then went to print image .. and made two trials.. 1) center image. i still got unequal borders .. i then tried fit to media... still unequal borders, all but 3 sides seems ok... as it's a horizontal image.. the border on the right side is larger than all the others.<br>

i cant work out what i'm doing wrong!</p>

[megan_stone]

<p>i have also just read, that when changing Image Size, one must work on a copy of the image as it can affect the colours?! is this true. i don't save my changes, i do a test and then go to Undo ... is this ok?<br>

here is where i read the info: (scroll down to image size)<br>

<a href="http://www.awdsf.com/courseware/photoshop/ps2_ImageSize_Resolution.htm">http://www.awdsf.com/courseware/photoshop/ps2_ImageSize_Resolution.htm</a></p>

[digitaldog]

<blockquote>

<p>i have also just read, that when changing Image Size, one must work on a copy of the image as it can affect the colours?!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Not the colors, but IF you are adding or removing pixels when you <strong>resample</strong> its permanently altering the master data file. You don’t want to do that! If you size the image down (<strong>resample</strong> down) 50% and save that, you’ve thrown away half the data. Undo (or not saving) would be OK of course. Changing the ‘size’ but not the number of pixels (<strong>resample check box off</strong>), no harm. You’re just changing the math in terms of dividing up the pixels you have into some metric (inches) that would result from an output of the data. Digital images don’t have a ‘size’ other than the space they take up on a drive. </p>

[megan_stone]

<p>i am still at it with those prints and it's not working ... i wonder if it's due to the fact that when i put my paper in the printer, i press the down arrow (load) button on the printer, that pulls down the paper slightly and sets everything for printing. could that be it? as the space on the side that goes in first is always proving to be the widest. pls help.</p>

[monika_epsefass]

<p>Why would you press that button when the printer pulls in the paper automatically?</p>

<p>I'm out of my wits with your problem, but I need to say it's something I've never experienced. I can only tell you my workflow: get as close to the size of the paper as needed, or as close as needed to put it properly into a cardboard passepartout. Then print it. My printer menu per default suggests 'centre image'. I don't fiddle with anything except the proper paper set-up in the menu and the correct profile.</p>

<p>Something completely different: what is the driver you use? There are two, one of which is Gutenprint. If you use that one, bin it immediately. I'd recommend getting the latest driver anyway - sometimes this quickly resolves strange behaviour.</p>

[m_burton]

<p>I had similar problems trying to print greeting cards through the 3800 driver, and was completely frustrated. I used Qimage software and got a perfect result from print one. The Epson software is just not worth the effort. </p>

[megan_stone]

<p>monika, how do i know what driver i'm using?! pardon my ignorance - but i cant work out the answer to that :(<br>

M Burton... are u saying i need to get rid of the Epson software and download Qimage? is it free?</p>

[megan_stone]

<p>monika, i press the Load button on the printer as that's what i was told to do when i first bought the printer. put the paper in, then hit load... maybe that's the problem. will try it wihtout it next time.</p>

[monika_epsefass]

<p>Sorry, Megan, I just read this now. I don't know whether you are on Mac or Windows, but if I remember correctly, the Epson Utility should tell you which driver is used. I had weird problems long ago with my R800, who was also tempted to use one of two drivers, and eventually I completely uninstalled the printer, downloaded the new driver, hooked up the printer again and voilà! worked. <em>Sometimes </em>it's the driver, but it may still not be the cause of your problem.</p>