BC_VibranceGloss_6300_pk_pgl280

BC_PuraSmooth_3880_mk_wcrw

SP3880 CPBWFAP MK 1440 v1

There are several things worth noting here: First of all, note the v1 annotation at the end, which means this is version number one of the profile. Sometimes these profiles are remade, so you should always check back on the manufacturer’s website to be sure your profiles are up-to-date.

Also be aware that there is a second distinct profile available for the same paper, printing at a resolution of 2880 dpi. Be sure to select the correct profile for the resolution at which you will be printing. Finally, note there is no ‘media type’ listed at the end of the name, since you would be using Epson OEM paper, selecting CPBWFAP.

Examples of other paper acronyms include CAMC for Canon Artistic Matte Canvas; UPPPL for Epson Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster; and so on.

Here is how Example 2 above looks in Photoshop CC’s print settings dialog box:

What is a Platen Gap?

Here is where the rubber meets the road, when there is a significant weight and thickness mismatch between the suggested OEM media type and a third-party paper. In this section and the next, we will review how to resolve potential printing problems due to differences in paper thickness.

The platen is a long narrow strip running across the width of the printer at the point ink is fired from nozzles. The platen gap is simply the distance between the bottom of the printhead (where ink is ejected) and the surface of the paper.

On Epson printers, the term platen gap is used and adjustments to this gap can be made either in the printer driver dialog box or on the printer itself via the LCD control panel. On Canon printers, this is called the head height and is adjusted directly on the printer.

When printing on thicker papers, this gap is naturally narrowed and may need to be increased. Conversely, when printing on very thin papers, the gap is naturally widened and may need to be decreased. The key is to determine the optimal gap to use for each third-party paper. This information may, but not always, be included with non-OEM paper printing instructions, but is taken into account when building ICC profiles.

Some problems that can occur with incorrect (too narrow or too wide) platen gap settings include the following:

With Epson printers, the platen gap works in conjunction with the paper thickness setting, although they have somewhat different functions and can be adjusted separately. Both settings are automatically configured for Epson branded papers of course, but may need to be adjusted for third-party papers in the printer driver dialog box.

You may notice in the dialog box that the platen gap is often set to Auto, which is fine as long as you are printing on Epson papers. Or in cases where OEM and non-OEM papers are a close match in weight and thickness. Plx driver download for windows 10 free.

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Since the platen gap controls the printhead height relative to the paper, adjustments compensate for paper thickness at that location inside the printer. However, according to Epson, the paper thickness setting relates more to the printer feed/transport mechanism itself and how the paper is fed into, through, and out of the printer by sets of rollers. Epson claims vertical banding and paper feed or skewing errors may result; therefore, users are able to customize adjustments to paper thickness separately from platen gap adjustments.

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Below is a table with approximate platen gap settings for Epson printers based on paper weight in grams per square meter (gsm). Please consult your printer manual or technical support for Canon printers on making adjustments to the head height. These Canon settings may be called high, higher and highest on certain models.

Note that these settings are not exact and require experimentation – they are only a starting point. Depending on your printer model, some but not all of these platen gap settings may be available. Please also see the important caveat below the table.

An important caveat to this table is the following critical fact: There is not an exact correlation between paper weight and its thickness. Some thicker papers may weigh less than their thinner counterparts, while certain thinner papers may weigh more than their thicker counterparts. To demonstrate this important fact, I will show comparisons between two Breathing Color papers that are close in weight, but differ substantially in thickness – Elegance Velvet and Vibrance Baryta.

Examining these specification data sheets, you can see that these two papers are approximately the same basis weight – 310 and 345 gsm. However, the Elegance Velvet is much thicker at 23 mils than the Vibrance Baryta at 14 mils. If you study spec sheets from other paper manufacturers, you will also see this pattern of non-correlation between weight and thickness.

Let’s now look at why this is especially important when selecting an OEM media type for a third-party paper. I will demonstrate printing on an Epson 3880 with Elegance Velvet paper. For Elegance Velvet, Breathing Color recommends using the Epson media type setting for Watercolor Paper Radiant White.

The rub is that WCRW is a much lighter and thinner paper than Elegance Velvet, with a weight of 190 gsm and thickness of 11.5 mils. Therefore, if adjustments are not made to the Epson 3880 platen gap and paper thickness settings when printing on Elegance Velvet, problems may likely occur.

Here is what the default Epson driver dialog box (advanced media control) looks like before any adjustments are made when programmed for Watercolor Paper Radiant White:

Remember, your printer will automatically adjust these settings based on the media type you select in the printer driver dialog box. In this case, because directions are sent to the Epson printer that WCRW is loaded when in fact Elegance Velvet paper is, you must at least widen the platen gap setting to account for the thickness difference.

Here is what the same driver dialog box looks like after the correct Platen Gap setting of Wider is applied for Elegance Velvet:

How Do I Know What Paper Thickness Setting to Use?

This section applies to Epson users, as I am unaware there is a comparable setting for Canon printers separate from the head height adjustment.

If you wish to adjust the paper thickness setting on your Epson printer, you need to find out what the caliper (thickness) specs are for the paper you wish to print on. Refer to the paper data sheet supplied by the manufacturer or look at the specifications printed on the outside of the paper box. In the above section, I showed excerpts of Breathing Color paper specification data sheets with this information circled in red.

On these data sheets, specifications are provided for both the paper basis weight in gsm (grams per square meter), as well as the caliper (thickness). Again, these settings (weight vs. caliper) are mutually exclusive as paper weight doesn’t necessarily correspond to paper thickness.

The caliper specs are usually specified in mils, but sometimes they are listed in mm (millimeters). To make matters even more confusing, data sheets from some paper manufacturers specify the paper thickness in inches or even micrometers (μm). We will make sense of this and go over how to translate these units.

Before we begin, please note that mils are not to be confused with millimeters (mm). A mil is much smaller than a millimeter (mm). One ‘mil’ (also called a ‘thou’) is equivalent to a thousandth of an inch (0.001 inches) and is a term used in engineering and manufacturing. One mil is equivalent to 0.0254 mm.

For Epson printer drivers the paper thickness is specified in tenths (0.1) of a millimeter (mm), although the advanced media control section of the driver dialog box displays whole numbers as I have demonstrated in screenshots. So a value of 3 is actually 0.3 mm.

Here is an example of a ‘mils to mm’ calculation for Breathing Color’s Elegance Velvet Paper. This paper has a caliper of 23 mils, according to the data sheet. Multiplying 23 x 0.254 equals 5.842. Round that up to the next whole number, 6, to calculate the Epson paper thickness setting. (Of course choosing 6 actually means 0.6mm per the Epson printer driver dialog box.)

Here is what the Epson 3880 driver dialog box looks like after the correct Paper Thickness setting of 6 is applied for Elegance Velvet paper:

As a general rule on Epson printers, thinner photo papers (using PK inks) such as glossy, luster and metallic use a thickness setting of 3; fiber-based baryta photo papers and thicker fine art matte papers use a paper thickness setting of 4–5; and the thickest cotton or canvas papers use a setting of 5–6. In contrast, plain paper would default to a thickness setting of 1 (0.1mm).

Additional Useful Driver Settings

Since there are so many makes and models of printers, it is beyond the scope of this article to cover advanced media settings for all scenarios. And they may or may not be available for your printer. Refer to your printer manual for more information on available options. These advanced options can vary widely even amongst various models produced by a single manufacturer.

Although I have addressed solutions to some common printing problems, there are additional advanced media settings that may also need to be configured. Some prosumer and all professional Epson printers have Advanced Media Control options available in the printer driver dialog box that enable the user to optimize settings for third-party papers. I have shown these on the Mac.

On Windows, these settings are accessed via the Paper Configuration button from the main tab in the Epson driver dialog box, although the terminology may vary depending on the printer model. As always, refer to your printer manual.

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In addition to the Epson platen gap and paper thickness settings, users can adjust the paper feed adjustment time (how fast or slow the paper is advanced through the printer), color density percentages (applies more or less ink to the paper), drying time per print head pass (helps avoid ink smearing and banding), and paper suction (helps flatten the paper – available on pro printers only).

Experimentation with all these settings may be necessary to achieve optimal results. Of course, as is the case with all papers, making your own custom ICC profiles and tweaking the advanced settings for each paper will produce the best possible print for your situation.

Again, complete instructions for third party paper printing on Breathing Color papers – for Epson, Canon and HP, on Mac and Windows –can be found at: Support Tab > Print Instructions

On a final note, I hope this post will assist you in creating the perfect print. May the papers be with you!

Want to have this guide on hand for reference later on or to print at home? Click the below link to get the downloadable PDF version of this article!

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For more great information from Renée Besta, the author of this series, check out her extensive guide to HDR photography.

Renée Besta is a fine art photographer and printer, digital imaging and graphics instructor, graphic designer, and exhibit producer who has been avidly engaged in the art form for over 35 years.

For more info on Renée you can check out her website.

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