Droopy's Journal

So, here is my enquiry:


First Name: Jeffrey
Last Name: Carpenter
Date: 20080306
Time: 21:29:55
Zip/Postal Code: 15116
country: usa

SYSTEM INFORMATION

Printer model name: LQ-2090
Date of Purchase: 03/03/2008
Serial Number: undefined
Computer Type: Intel-based Mac
Operating System: Mac OS X v10.4.4 or later
Cable type used: USB
Is the printer connected to a network? directly to computer

PROBLEM REPORT
Software used during problem: Excel 2008
File type being printed: xlsx
Digital Camera Card used: choose type
Detailed Description of Problem:
I set up this LQ-2090 on OS X using gimp/cups, specifically the "Epson
24-pin" driver. I am able to print fine, as long as the "paper size"
parameter is set to "letter" even if I am printing on 14 7/8 x 11 paper.

If I set the paper size to letter, the file can be printed fine, except I
am only printing on the first 8/5 inches of the 14 7/8 inches wide. If I
set the page size to "fanfoldus" which is 14.88 in x 11 in, it overprints a
few lines on one and it is garbage.

I know this printer is not officially supported on Macs, but I am hoping to
be able to solve this problem. I feel I am close to getting this to work...


And this is their bogus canned result:


Thank you for contacting the Epson Connection.

1. Make sure the printer is turned on.
2. If necessary, load paper as described earlier. If you load paper onto
the push tractor, press the Load/Eject button to advance the paper to the
current top-of-form position.
3. Lift the printer cover up and off the printer.
4. Hold down the Pause button for about 3 seconds. The Pause light starts
flashing and the printer enters the micro adjust mode.
5. Press the LF/FF D button to move the top-of-form position up on the
page, or press the Load/Eject U button to move the top-of-form position
down on the page.

Never use the knob to adjust the top-of-form position; this may damage the
printer or cause it to lose the top of-form position.
The printer has a minimum and maximum top-of-form position. If you try to
adjust it beyond these limits, the printer beeps and stops moving the
paper.
When the paper reaches the default top-of-form position, the printer also
beeps and stops moving the paper briefly. You can use the default setting
as a reference point when adjusting the top-of-form position.

To adjust the top-of-form position for continuous paper loaded on the pull
tractor, see the following example: First mark a point 0.26 inch (6.5 mm)
above the paper’s
perforation; then position the paper so that the mark is even with the top
edge of the plastic ribbon cover. This gives you a 0.33-inch (8.5-mm)
margin on the next page, meaning
the printer starts printing 0.33 inch (8.5 mm) below the perforation. If
you mark a point 0.22 inch (5.5 mm) above the perforation, you get a
0.37-inch (9.5-mm) margin on
the next page.

6. After you set the top-of-form position, press the Pause button to exit
micro adjust mode.


If you require further assistance with this particular issue, please ensure
all of our previous correspondence is contained in your reply, so we can
better track the history of this issue.

If you have a different issue, please submit another E-form via our website
(http://www.epson.com), and we will respond in a timely manner. Thank you
again for contacting Epson.


h.r. reyes
Epson Connection


So, what does issues with the width of printing have to do with positioning the paper at the right location? That's right, NOTHING. Morons. Maybe if they actually read my question, they might be able to select the right canned response.

I figured it out myself. For some reason, the mechanism that rasterises postscript and sends the image in the Epson format causes 13.25 inches of virtual page width to be printed on 14 7/8 with of actual paper.