Image Printing Off Centre on Page
I am having a very unusual problem with Capture One. When I go to print a file and set say, 1 inch borders, it will print the top border 1 1/2 inches high, and the bottom border ends up being 1/2 inch high. The side margins are similarly uneven. This happens only on larger papers such as an 11x17.
I tried printing with that other program (Photoshop) and got the same result.
I called Epson and they ultimately told me the problem was with an optical sensor in the printer. Rather than pay the cost of shipping + repairs, I bought a new printer but have the same problem - using both programs.
I have also uninstalled and reinstalled both programs, to no avail.
I don't know where else to look, but I am open to any suggestions.
Thanks!
-
Are you selecting Borderless for your paper choice? Epson printers and papers have built in "safe" border areas. You have to select Borderless paper sizes to truly center an image on the page.
0 -
In Capture I am specifying margins, and until recently it worked flawlessly. In Photoshop I don't specify Borderless.
I should also mention Epson had me print a Word Document on 11x17 and it also came out off centre. I'm starting to wonder if this is a Windows issue...
0 -
I'm running Windows 11 and downloaded and installed the drivers for my new printer yesterday, so they should be current.
I just tried printing a test image from my Surface Pro 8 (which I don't use for printing) and it seems I have the same problem using a different computer. You can see both the set up and the result in the attached images.
The border on the left is 1inch, not 0.5 inches, and the border on the right is 0.5inches,for a total of1.5 inches. Same with the bottom and top.
I'm now really confused about what to do.
0 -
I haven't set a specific crop.
This is the image straight out of the camera so I don't think (not certain) it will impact pixel dimensions or require any resizing or rescaling.
0 -
You need to crop the image to the aspect ratio of the cell size you are printing. If you want an 8x10 print you need a 4x5 aspect ratio crop. If you want to print a 16x24 you need a 2x3 aspect ratio crop. Make sense? Capture One does not "auto crop" to the output aspect ratio.
0 -
Hmm. I must have been getting away with bad behaviour for a very long time.
If I wanted to print the full image, on any size paper, I would simply select the paper size and orientation, specify the margins on all four borders, and Capture One would automatically scale the image to the paper when it printed. The cell height and width shown on the image above were simply the product of the way I set the borders, and the image in the print screen is the way it actually used to print - until these recent challenges.
If I want to print the full frame I have to do a crop of the full frame?
0 -
The other question I have is this: I just printed the same page on 8 1/2 x 11 using the same approach - set the borders and the cell size sets itself, and it printed perfectly, with the correct borders on all sides - why the different outcomes?
0 -
I use a Nikon Z8, which has a 3:2 sensor.
Below are images I just took, which I think followed what you were recommending: I set the margins to 0, which results in the image being full from a height perspective, but not width due to, as you point out, the different aspect ratios.
I then changed ONLY the height, and reduced it from 11 inches to 10 inches. Capture shows the correct borders - and since I didn't input borders for width, they simply show as white.
When I print, it prints off-centre, as you can see from the third image. In addition, the borders are wrong - the top is slightly over 1/2 (5/8th to be precise) inch, and the bottom is 1 inch; the top and bottom borders have printed at > 1 1/2 inches, versus the 1 inch specified. In addition, the side borders have printed unevenly.
When I print this using the same approach on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, it prints correctly, even though there is a greater variance in aspect ratios, which is not what I should be seeing, based on your comments.
Thanks, Ian
0 -
One other interesting data point - I printed a 13x19 photograph this evening for an exhibition, using Epson Hot Press paper; this paper uses the manual feed tray at the front of the printer.
It printed perfectly when I specified the width when setting up to print - the borders are all the correct widths. Go figure.
Ian
0 -
Thanks for the comments. I will have to figure out how to make this work.
The real mystery to me is why this is suddenly occurring. For over seven years, using my P600, I could print an image printer on any size paper simply by specifying the border sizes (the same comment applies to when printing from Photoshop). Suddenly, in the last 60 days or so, my larger prints have been inexplicably off-centre, while my 8 1/2 x 11 photographs continue to print as they always have. Even more confusing, is why this issue persists with a new printer, the P700.
Ian
0 -
Did you upgrade your OS in the last 60 days? Perhaps an upgrade of the OS caused an incompatibility with Capture One? What version of Capture One are you running?
0 -
I update my Windows 11 OS as the updates come out, and according to my system there have been monthly updates. I'm running Capture version 16.3.7.1979 (i.e. perpetual license version).
Since I have the exact same issue with Photoshop - and on two computers and two printers - is it possible the Epson drivers are the problem (I am well past the limits of my technical know-how at this point)?
0 -
Thanks. I will check the updates.
My next stop is to call Epson again - the challenge is to get past the first level support people, who told me the problem was MS Word/Photoshop/Capture One. Once I got to the second level support, they got it.
0 -
So I have spent about 5 hours on the phone with Epson (50% of the time listening to Muzak) and got nowhere.
I finally managed to get to third level support, and was asked to install Epson Layout, and print images from that program, which I did, and was able to print images with correct borders. The agent then effectively declared victory, saying if I could print with their product it meant that Capture One and Photoshop were the problem.
I noted that I was also unable to print a Word file properly, which didn't seem to bother him since the Epson program had worked. He told me I need to file incident reports with Capture and Adobe as it is their issue. I pointed out that nowhere in Epson's literature did it state that the printer requires Epson Layout to print properly which, if it was disclosed, would not be well-received by photographers because of the extra steps that requirement introduces into their workflow.
I also asked to be provided the old driver and firmware and was advised "Japan" had to specifically approval the use of out-of date firmware and drivers, and that he had never seen that approval provided.
Other than asking the dealer obtain a purchase price adjustment from Epson, I was wondering if people had other thoughts/suggestions?
Thanks
Ian
0 -
I have an open case with Capture One about Epson printing. The latest feedback I received is that macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 seems to now print acceptable. I don't have a Sonoma 14.4.1 machine to confirm for myself that my printer issues would be resolved. It implies that Apple did some shenanigans in the printing engine that could be causing issues.
Since you are on Windows that would not apply so perhaps there are driver issues or indeed Capture One and other apps are the issue. Maybe Epson made changes and the apps need to do better regression testing with multiple versions of drivers and operating systems.
0 -
Thanks for the comments.
I will open tickets and see what happens. Stay tuned!
0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
16 comments