Epson Stylus Photo R1800 now working

Question

I'm posting this because I found help here and hope this will be useful. When I switched to Leopard on my Mac Pro, my R1800 printer stopped working. First it printed everything in a washed out draft mode. Then, even after doing what was suggested in this forum, I still couldn't get back t my original dialogue box, which seemed to be the only way to activate the gloss optimizer for real photo quality.
This is how I got back to a fully functioning printer (Note: don't skip any steps, like I did initially).
1. Open up the print and fax dialogue box in system preferences. Highlight the Epson printer and click on the "minus box" to delete that printer driver.
2. Restart your computer (very important)
3. Go to the Epson Website (http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid= 14121&infoType=Downloads) and download Epson EasyPrint v3.1bA and Printer Driver v3.0aAs.
4. Install both downloads.
5. Open up the print and fax dialogue box again. If the Epson R1800 shows up again, highlight it and click on the minus sign to delete it again. Then click on the "plus" sign and add the R1800 back.
6. Look for the menu that says "Print Using." Make sure to select Epson SP R1800 (1) and not the Gutenprint option.
7. Close the dialogue box and you should be good to go.
This procedure returned my original (pre-Leopard) set of options to the R1800 and, once again, I'm getting nice prints.
Note: I do have to access that menu in a new way from Photoshop
a. make sure the triangle next to Epson Stylus Photo R1800 in the print dialogue box is pointing up to reveal the expanded menu selection.
b. under the popup menu where "layout" is listed, select "Print Settings" and you should se the menu you are used to for the R1800.
I hope this helps.

Answer 1

Kent,
The problem here is that the original poster is using an Intel-based Mac (Mac Pro). The driver he is referring to ONLY supports Intel-based Macs (Printer Driver v3.0aAs). So, not to put too fine a point on it, but the post should have been entitled "Epson Stylus Photo R1800 Now Working for Intel-Mac - Others SOL" (grin).
Apparently Epson doesn't think many of us have computers more than a couple years old - and that they shouldn't have to support them.
The printing problem is one that has been well documented and the lack of drivers apparently only affects those "ancient" PowerPC models, not the Intel-Macs.
So, the only current solution that I have found to date is:
1. Replace your decrepid computer with a new Intel-Mac (about $7k in my case)
2. Replace your Epson printer (I hear that the HP B9180 printers are working) and hope the new one works with your ancient PowerPC.
3. Hope that Epson gets around to writing a driver for us before our photo business go belly-up.
Full Disclosure:
Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but still extremely frustrated.
Message was edited by: Gilbert Blankenship1
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