Epson R3000 CD Printing Problems?

[davidhunternyc]

Hello everyone. This is my first post on the Inkjet Printer Forum. I just bought the Epson R3000 printer and I am having problems with the CD printer. First off, it seems that the printer will only work when the black used is MK (matte black). Is there a way to use PK (photo black)? I would like to print glossy CD's as opposed to matte. When I switch the ink to PK, the printer says that this black is unrecognized for CD printing and will not work. Also, when printing solid colors on a CD, there is banding; darker areas and then lighter areas. The solid color is not uniform across the entire CD. Is there a way to change the CD print settings? Perhaps my settings are not optimized. I am crossing my fingers you guys will come through for me. Thanks.

 

[jtoolman]

Can you choose from the media types a premium surface cd/dvd?

 

[pharmacist]

Yes you can: I just checked the printer driver and it is set to Matte Black standard. Choose the Photo Black ink setting, also be sure you select the Premium surface setting (higher resolution) to use microweave to print your pictures.

 

[davidhunternyc]

If I just change the ink in the printer from MK to PK, the printer does not work. Where do I change the settings in the in Epson CD Print menu to PK? Also, where in the print menu can I set the CD options to print in higher resolution? Thanks.

 

[pharmacist]

If you have such a printer I presume you are able to find the right setting in the driver.

menu: file > print. Now choose from the pop-up menu:

the third option: paper type: CD/DVD premium surface: photo black.

That should clear your problem..

 

[davidhunternyc]

I found it. Thank you.

 

[davidhunternyc]

Guys, I have one more question. Which make of printable CD's do you use? I am using CD's that have a print surface from the very outer edge to the very inner edge. The problem is that the outer edges look a little messy (the color sputters at the edge and there are specks of the white printable surface underneath the color), even with the print CD settings maximized to the outer edge. Perhaps there are CD's that work especially well with the Epson R3000 that I don't know about. Thanks.

 

[stratman]

Disks are all of the same radius but the dimensions and quality of the printable surface varies. The printable surface alters the height of the disk, some more than others, but this is a non-issue. If your printer's software controls for printing on disks is not to your satisfactions then you should investigate other software which often are much more flexible. Usually you can demo these applications to see if they suit your needs. I currently use Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker. Make sure to read if the software is compatible with your printer. Acoustica does support your printer.

With printable media, it is important to keep in mind the quality of the data burned onto the disk as well as the image printed on top of the disk, unless you don't care or can't obtain better media. I have found the best combination of quality to be with Taiyo Yunden/JVC, Verbatim and Falcon Media (Made in UAE). In general, you will need to try different disks to determine what you think looks good. Each type of printable surface will give it's own blend of image quality results, just like photographic paper.

 

[davidhunternyc]

Thanks. I am using the Taiyo Yunden/JVC disks. I am glad you are too so you can see what I mean. The white printable surface extends all the way out to the edge of the disks. I am using Epsons own software to do my layouts and I am wondering if I switch to Acoustica if it will be more exact. I would like to print from the center of the CD to the outside edge without flaw. So far, I have been unsuccessful.

 

[stratman]

Like I said, download and try Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker (or some other third party disk printing software of your choosing). You can make adjustments in the application to accommodate the dimensions of the printable surface for whatever disk you are using. Use the printout target or your own ruler to measure in millimeters the dimensions of the printable surface, enter that data into the appropriate sections, test print a disk, and make adjustments as needed. Once you lock in your measurements, you are good to go, at least that has been the drill with my Canon printer.

Which specific TY/JVC disks are you using?