Epson Stylus Pro 7900CTP User Guide

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Epson Stylus Pro 7900CTP

Computer to Plate System

User’s Guide

2 |

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

System Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

PCU Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Purchasing Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Setting Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Pre-installation Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Setting Up the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Setting Up the PCU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Calibrating the PCU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Installing the Plate Guide on the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Setting Up the RIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Loading a Plate in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Unloading a Plate from the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Using the PCU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Using Epson DirectPlate Aluminum Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Plate Curing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Punching the Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Press Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Cleaning Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Correcting Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Reusing Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Washing the Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

PCU Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Introduction | 3

Introduction

The Epson Stylus®Pro 7900CTP Computer to Plate System enables small business printers to print Epson DirectPlate Aluminum plates to run on their presses.

To run a print job on the system:

• Computer-separated images are produced with the RIP software

• The images are printed on a plate

• The plate is heated in a plate curing unit

• The plate is mounted on a press

• The job is printed

System Workflow

The workflow for the process is as follows:

4 | PCU Safety Instructions

PCU Safety Instructions

Before using your PCU, read the following safety instructions to make sure you use the equipment safely and effectively.

• The electronics and heating element use dangerous electrical voltages. To reduce the chance of

personal injury or property damage, turn off and unplug the PCU when maintaining the system.

• Always turn off the PCU using the Heater switch on the control panel first. When the PCU

temperature reads less than 100 of the unit. Failure to follow this could result in a shortening of the life of the mechanism that moves the plate through the PCU.

• The PCU heater reaches high temperatures during plate curing. Do not touch the slot area where the

plate comes out on the tray.

°C it is safe to turn off the PCU by the main power switch in the back

• Aluminum plates are hot when they exit the PCU. Let the plate cool before removing from the tray.

• Make sure the plate is dry when feeding it into the PCU; if the plate is wet, it could create steam and

cause burns.

• Do not open the PCU because of electric shock danger.

• Do not run the PCU with the protective cover open or removed.

• Place the PCU on a flat, level, stable surface that is larger than the unit. The PCU will not operate

properly if it is tilted or at an angle.

• The PCU weighs about 55 lb (25 kg) in the box and is bulky, so it should be handled by two people.

• Do not disable the safety mechanisms installed by the manufacturer in the PCU.

See additional safety instructions for the printer in the Epson Stylus Pro 7900/9900 Printer Guide.

Purchasing Supplies | 5

Purchasing Supplies

The Epson Stylus Pro 7900CTP Computer to Plate System was designed exclusively to use Epson DirectPlate Aluminium plate technology. Epson currently offers a complete lineup of plate sizes to work with the majority of printing presses available. If you do not see your press in the table below, check www.proimaging.epson.com or contact your Epson Professional Imaging Authorized Reseller to determine if plates are available in your specific size.

Epson DirectPlate Aluminum Plate Sizes

Dimensions (Width × Length)

Part number

S045194 Ryobi 3302 13-3/16 × 19-3/32 13.19 × 19.09 335 × 485 6 100

S045195 Ryobi 3200 12-3/4 × 18-1/2 12.75 × 18.50 324 × 470 6 100

S045196 Heidelberg QM 13-3/8 × 19-7/8 13.38 × 19.88 340 × 505 6 100

S045197 Heidelberg GTO 14-9/16 × 17-3/4 14.56 × 17.75 370 × 451 6 100

S045198 Heidelberg GTO 52 15-3/4 × 20-1/8 15.75 × 20.13 400 × 511 6 100

S045199 Komori Sprint 22 × 26-1/2 22.0 × 26.50 559 × 673 8 50

S045200 Heidelberg SM 52 18-1/16 × 20-11/16 18.06 × 20.69 459 × 525 8 50

S045201 Hamada 601 12 × 18 12.00 × 18.00 305 × 457 6 100

S045202 Hamada 600 11-3/4 × 18 11.75 × 18.00 298 × 457 6 100

S045203 Hamada 700 15-3/4 × 18-1/2 15.75 × 18.50 400 × 470 6 100

S045204 Roland 200/SM74 23-13/16 × 29-1/8 23.81 × 29.13 605 × 740 8 50

S045205 Multi 1850 15 × 18 15.00 × 18.00 381 × 457 6 100

S045206 Multi 1250W 11 × 18 11.00 × 18.00 279 × 457 6 100

S045207 AB Dick 360 11 × 18-1/2 11.00 × 18.50 279 × 470 6 100

S045208 AB Dick 9800 13 × 19-3/8 13.00 × 19.38 330 × 492 6 100

Press

Inch (fractions)

Inch (hundredths)

Metric (mm)

Gauge (mil)

Quantity

S045209 Itek/Ryobi 2800 11-1/4 × 18-1/2 11.25 × 18.50 286 × 470 6 100

6 | System Requirements

System Requirements

Your computer must meet these requirements to run the RIP software:

Minimum

• IBM

-compatible PC with a Pentium® 1 GHz CPU or equivalent

• 1GB of RAM

• 80GB hard drive (20GB available space recommended)

• Microsoft

Windows Vista® or Windows® XP

• DVD drive

Recommended

• Pentium 4, 3 GHz or comparable multi-core

• 2GB of RAM

• 300GB hard drive

• Windows 7 x32 (recommended), Windows Vista, or Windows XP

• DVD drive

• One free USB port

Setting Up

Pre-installation Checklist

You will need the following components:

• Epson Stylus Pro 7900 printer

• Plate curing unit (PCU)

Setting Up | 7

• Plate guide

• Epson DirectPlate Aluminum sample pack (12 × 18 inches)

• EFI

™

eXpress CTP software RIP CD

• Hexagonal (Allen) (2.5 mm/0.10 inch) wrench

• Teflon

• THERMAX

tape for use on plate guide

temperature strips

8 | Setting Up the Printer

• Windows-based PC (see “System Requirements” on page 6) (not included)

• Ethernet

(CAT-5) network cable or USB cable for connecting computer and printer (not included)

• Metric ruler (with half-millimeter increments) (not included)

Before you begin, make sure you have sufficient space to set up and use the system.

Setting Up the Printer

See the Epson Stylus Pro 7900/9900 Printer Guide for the printer’s setup instructions and additional space requirements.

For additional information, see the following:

• The Epson Stylus Pro 7900/9900 Printer Guide provides important information on setting up and

using your printer, replacing ink cartridges, maintaining your printer, and troubleshooting tips.

• The Epson Stylus Pro 7900/9900 Quick Reference Guide provides a summary of procedures for daily

use and printer maintenance. Attach it to your printer for easy reference.

Setting Up the PCU | 9

Setting Up the PCU

You should allow an area of 50 × 33 inches (127 cm × 84 cm) for the PCU. The PCU has an L6-20P plug and requires a 220 V L6-20 electrical outlet.

Caution:

The electrical outlet must be rated for 220/240 V AC (with an acceptable range of 208 to 240 V).

Place the PCU on a level, stable surface.

WARNING:

The PCU contains a heater and rises to high temperatures. Aluminum plates are very hot when they come out. Do not touch the plates or slots when hot to avoid burns. Use of gloves is recommended. Make sure the plates are dry when putting them through the PCU. Do not open the PCU because of electric shock danger.

2. Attach the input tray (the smaller one) to the unit by inserting the tab into the front slot of the PCU.

Press the tray down to make sure the tab is completely locked into the PCU.

Control panel

Input tray

3. Attach the output tray (the larger one) to the slot at the rear of the PCU by inserting the tab and

pressing it down in the same way.

Output tray

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