Epson Stylus ® Pro 7900CTP Computer to Plate System User’s Guide
| Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 System Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 PCU Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Purchasing Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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.
| 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.
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.
| 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 | 7 Setting Up Pre-installation Checklist You will need the following components: • Epson Stylus Pro 7900 printer • Plate curing unit (PCU) • Plate guide • Epson DirectPlate Aluminum sample pack (12 × 18 inches) • EFI™ eXpress CTP software RIP CD • Hexagonal (Allen) (2.5 mm/0.
| 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.
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). 1. 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.
| Setting Up the PCU 4. Make sure the trays are fully seated in the slots. You can check this by looking through the slot openings to see if the trays are level with the belt inside the PCU. Note: Both trays should be at a slight incline towards the PCU. 5. To make adjustments if necessary, use the plastic nuts located underneath the tray to create more or less incline. Turn the nuts counterclockwise to increase the tray angle or clockwise to decrease it.
Calibrating the PCU | 11 Calibrating the PCU After setting up the PCU, follow the steps below to calibrate it. The recommended initial settings for the PCU are a temperature of 190 °C and a speed of 1.5. To cure properly, the Epson DirectPlate Aluminum plate should reach an even surface temperature of 150 to 160 °C. Note: Depending on the temperature and the altitude where the PCU is located, you may need to adjust these settings slightly.
| Calibrating the PCU 3. Set the temperature to 190.0 °C on the control panel using the temperature arrows and then press . The set temperature indicator on the right displays (in green) the temperature you set. The temperature indicator on the left displays (in red) the actual temperature. 4. Set the Speed control knob to 1.5. 5. Wait for the PCU to warm up to the set temperature; this takes approximately 5 minutes.
Installing the Plate Guide on the Printer | 13 Caution: The transport belt should be kept moving when the heater is turned on. This reduces the surface temperature of of the transport belt and improves belt life. Always turn off the Heater switch on the control panel before you turn off the main power switch. Let the PCU cool to 100 °C or less, according to the current temperature indicator, before turning off the power switch. WARNING: Aluminum plates are hot when they exit the PCU.
| Installing the Plate Guide on the Printer 4. Tighten the screws (first #1 and then #2 as shown) with the two hexagonal wrenches, making sure the fixing pin on the right of the plate guide fits tightly against the black plastic cover component. Fixing pin Nut #1 Tighten screw #1 then screw #2 #2 Note: The hexagonal wrench included with the Epson Stylus Pro 7900CTP system and the one included with the printer are different sizes. You need both sizes.
Installing the Plate Guide on the Printer | 15 4. When the plate prints out, use a metric ruler to measure the distance from the left edge of the plate to point A on the printed plate. Then measure the distance from the left edge of the plate to point B. If the distances to points A and B are equal, go to step 7. If they vary by more than 1.0 mm, the plate guide is not correctly aligned. Continue with step 5 to adjust the alignment.
| Installing the Plate Guide on the Printer 5. Use the hexagonal wrench included with the Epson Stylus Pro 7900CTP system to adjust the alignment of the plate guide. If distance A is greater than distance B, tighten the alignment screw; if distance B is greater than distance A, loosen the screw. Half a rotation of the screw moves the guide approximately 1.0 mm (0.04 inch). Loosen Tighten Alignment screw 6.
Installing the Plate Guide on the Printer | 17 Applying the Guide Strip After the plate guide is aligned correctly, attach the Teflon guide strip to the printer to prevent plates from catching under the plate guide. 1. Remove the adhesive backing from the strip. 2. Align the strip as shown against the plate guide, and apply it from just above the top of the guide to the bottom edge of the roll paper cover.
| Setting Up the RIP Setting Up the RIP Insert your EFI software RIP CD into your computer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the software installation. Refer to the documentation included with the EFI software for setup and usage instructions. Also, see www.proimaging.epson.com for additional online videos and training tools on the EFI CTP software RIP.
Loading a Plate in the Printer | 19 Loading a Plate in the Printer Caution: Examine each plate carefully before you use it. If the plate is dented or the corners or edges are bent, do not use it. Even the slightest bent corner can damage the printer. Use only Epson DirectPlate Aluminum plates. WARNING: The plate edges are sharp. Use caution to avoid injury. 1. Make sure the media catch bin (fabric bin) is positioned as shown.
| Loading a Plate in the Printer 2. Make sure the printer is turned on, the P power light is not flashing, and the roll paper cover is firmly closed. 3. Press the l Paper Source button until the 4. Press the Sheet icon appears on the LCD display. Paper release (ePlaten) button. Paper release (ePlaten) button 5. Set the printer to the highest paper suction setting. This will help load the plate. To do that, press u to increase the suction. 6.
Unloading a Plate from the Printer | 21 WARNING: The plate edges are sharp. To avoid injury remove your hand from the plate after you press the Pause/reset button. 8. Press the Pause/reset button and let go of the plate. The printer loads and aligns the plate in the correct position. 9. When you see PAPER SETTINGS > ARE THESE SETTINGS OK? on the LED display, be sure to select NO PAPER SELECTED.
| Using the PCU 2. Turn on the Heater switch on the control panel. Heater switch Current temperature indicator Set temperature indicator Temperature arrows Temperature set button Speed control knob 3. Make sure the settings are correct (see “Calibrating the PCU” on page 11). Note: You should not have to change the settings unless you experience a problem on the press. 4. Wait for the PCU to warm up to the set temperature; this takes approximately 5 minutes.
Using Epson DirectPlate Aluminum Plates | 23 Using Epson DirectPlate Aluminum Plates Plate Curing Tips The requirements for curing can vary with temperature, humidity, and altitude. If you don’t get the number of impressions you expect, you may need to adjust the cure rate. You can usually achieve the best results with lower surface temperatures and decreased speed for less media distortion and a higher number of impressions. See “Calibrating the PCU” on page 11 for details.
| Cleaning Plates Dampening Tips • If a transition roller connects the dampening system and the inking system (e.g., ALCOLOR and other similar continuous-feed dampening systems), deactivate the transition roller. • If the printing press has a pre-dampening function (for example, the Heidelberg Printmaster QM), set a higher pre-dampening level. • If there are short breaks during the setup phase, or when the paper stack is being replaced, you should leave the dampening rollers engaged on the tray.
Correcting Plates | 25 Correcting Plates You can delete images with IWATSU Elotax Corrector OX-1. You can also use AGFA Lithostar Copyrapid Correction Pen. Also, a pencil eraser works well to delete a small section from an image. Reusing Plates Epson DirectPlate Aluminum plates can be reused if you would like to store them for use again to reprint the job. If you plan to reuse a plate: 1. Remove ink from it by printing 20 to 30 impressions after disengaging the ink rollers from the plate. 2.
| PCU Specifications PCU Specifications Specification Description Dimensions Width: 33 inches (838 mm) Depth: 16 inches (406 mm) Height: 10.5 inches (267 mm) Electrical 220/240 V, 20 A male plug Requires a NEMA L6-20 receptacle The supplied cable has three conductors: Green = Earth/ground Black = AC Phase (208 – 240 VAC) White = Neutral Plate size Minimum 9 inches (229 mm) Maximum 24 × 30 inches (610 × 762 mm) Plate type PET or aluminum; 0.005 to 0.012 inch (0.0127 to 0.
Notices | 27 Notices FCC Compliance Statement The PCU has been tested to be compliant with the following standards: EN 55022:2006/A1:2007 Class A ITE emissions requirements (EU) ICES-003 Issue 4 Class A Digital Apparatus emissions requirements (Canada) FCC 47 CFR Part 15 Class A emissions requirements (USA) VCCI Class A ITE emissions requirements (Japan) AS/NZS CISPR 22:2006 Class A ITE emissions requirements (Australia) EN 61000-3-2:2006 Limits for harmonic current emissions (equipment input current up to
CPD-28133 Printed in USA
