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Participating Frequently
January 27, 2025
Pregunta

Problems with printing on A3+ size paper on Epson ET 8550 printer

  • January 27, 2025
  • 3 respuestas
  • 3725 visualizaciones

Hi

 

I have used Photoshop for many years for making photo graphics, and I have enjoyed using the application.

 

A couple of months ago I bought a new printer, Epson ET 8550, and until now I have primarily made pictures of size A3+ (329 x 483 mm) and just printed them I full size with good results. Right now I make pictures of size 30 x 40 cm and want to print them on A3+ paper in the exact size, but the resulting print has a different size.

 

Because of my problems, I have made the following 3 tests.

 

  1. I want to print a Picture of size 30x40 cm. So I create a PS document of that size. The only content of the picture is a thin frame made as a Select (CMD+a) and an inside  2 px black stroke. In the print menu I select “Super B/A3 borderless” and Paper Type Premium Semigloss. The measure of the printed frame is 30,5 x 40,8 cm.
  2. I suspected the choice “borderless” to be the reason why the resulting  frame is larger than expected. Next I print the same document, but now without “borderless”. The measure of the printed frame is 29,3 x 39,0 cm.
  3. I make a new document of size 20x30 cm and I print it with the same print parameters as in test 2. The measure of the printed frame is 19,5 x 29,3 cm.

 

So none of the prints are correct, and I don’t understand it :-(.

 

I couple of days ago I made a similar test print on A4 paper, where the document size was 10 x 20 cm. This time the right frame size was printed.

 

As a last thing, I did as in test 3, but on A3 gloss paper instead of A3+ Semigloss. This time the resulting frame has the right size.

 

To me it seems to be a problem with the A3+ format. But who is responsible, and how to fix it?

 

I hope somebody can help me.

 

Steffen Dyhrberg

3 respuestas

Participant
June 23, 2025

Common Problems & Fixes

1. Printer Not Detecting A3 Paper

  • Fix:

    • Make sure A3 paper is loaded in the rear paper feed (ET-8550 only supports A3 from the rear feed).

    • In your printer settings on the computer:

      • Go to Printer Properties > Paper Size, and manually select A3 (297 x 420 mm).

      • Make sure Paper Source is set to Rear Feed.


2. Wrong Print Area / Scaling Issues

  • Fix:

    • In your print dialog (from Word, Photoshop, etc.), ensure:

      • Page Size is set to A3.

      • Scaling is set to 100% or Fit to Page, depending on what you want.

    • Check document/page setup in the software you're using to make sure the canvas is A3.


3. Margins or Cropping Problems

  • Fix:

    • EPSON ET-8550 supports borderless printing, but you must enable it:

      • In printer settings, check the Borderless option for A3 size.

      • Some apps (like Word) override this—use apps like Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, or the EPSON Print Layout app for better control.


4. Print Quality Issues

  • Fix:

    • Make sure you select the correct paper type (e.g., Plain Paper, Premium Photo Paper, etc.).

    • Run Print Head Alignment or Nozzle Check from the printer’s maintenance menu.

    • Use high-quality or photo setting for detailed A3 printing.


5. Paper Jams or Feeding Issues

  • Fix:

    • A3 paper must be flat and loaded properly in the rear tray.

    • Fan the paper before inserting, and don’t overfill the tray.

    • Make sure the paper guides are snug against the paper.


🖥️️ Software-Side Troubleshooting

  • Update Drivers: Make sure your EPSON drivers are up to date:

  • Use Epson Software: For A3 prints with complex layout, use Epson Print Layout or Epson Photo+ apps.

  • Check Application Settings: Your app may default to A4 – always check and change to A3 in Page Setup or Print Settings before printing.

Participating Frequently
February 3, 2025

Thank you for the fine detailed list. I have done it all and I am now waiting for answer from Epson 🙂

NB, colourmanagement
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 5, 2025

@Steffen Dyhrberg Please share the solution here - if Epson give you a fix

 

You could also try this:"

On your Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences, then click Printers & Scanners
Press and hold the Control key as you click in the list at the left, then choose “Reset printing system” from the menu that appears.
After you reset the printing system, the list of printers in Printers & Scanners preferences is empty.
Reinstall the print driver, only from the manufacturer, not Apple.

 

Also (for both Mac and Win) take a look at the following article and check if that helps: 
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/printing-color-management-photoshop1.html

 

You may like to re-install the printer drivers to check if that makes a difference?

Here is some general Adobe [Mac and Win] info on printing problems,
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/troubleshoot-printing-problems.html


Simple reset for Photoshop printing: hold the space bar when you open the print window. It resets the print dialogs - deleting possibly corrupt print metadata in the file.

- - - - - - - -
If that doesn’t help -
Here is some troubleshooting advice:
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/basic-trouble-shooting-steps.html

 

 

I hope this helps

neil barstow - adobe forum volunteer,

colourmanagement consultant & co-author of 'getting colour right'

See my free articles on colour management online

Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.

Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts

 

davescm
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 27, 2025

On most printers, selecting 'Borderless' printing results results in a slight scaling up of the image. That is to prevent white edges showing if the paper is slightly misaligned. I don't know about their Mac drivers but on Epson's Windows drivers, when choosing borderless there is an Expansion option, which can be set to Autoexpand or Retain Size. Retain size stops the scaling but at the risk of those white edges showing.

This is why many commercial prints are made with a bleed area, i.e. an extra area of image around the print, which is trimmed off when the paper is cut to final size. That allows for any misalignment in the printing process.

 

Dave

Participating Frequently
January 27, 2025

Thank you Dave for your explanation to the use of borderless printing.

In my test 2, I don't select borderless, and the print size is still not exact as it is when I print on A3 or A4 size paper. So I still have a problem and as far as I can see there is not a posibility to set detailed options as you show me.

But thank you for a fast response.

Steffen

 

 

davescm
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 27, 2025

It sounds like there is some scaling going on within the Epson print driver. Unfortunately, as a user of a different Epson printer (SC-P5000) on Windows 11, I am limited in what I can test here.

 

Hopefully, someone with an Epson printer on a Mac may be able to help.

 

Dave