Inkjet printers: Can I print on transparencies/transparency media? If so, what are the recommended settings?

Please refer to your printer's user guide for information on media compatibility/paper specifications. You can also view this information in the Online Guide, available from the Online Support & Manuals section of the Epson Support website.

If the user guide lists Ink Jet Transparencies as a supported media in the 'Paper Specifications' or 'Paper Handling' section, then the printer does support this media type. However, if the Inkjet Transparencies is not listed in the Media Type section of the printer driver, select 'plain papers' instead.

The settings you should make in the printer driver are as follows:

The print quality/resolution setting of '360dpi' or 'Text' is recommended, as setting a higher quality/print resolution will result in too much ink being laid down onto the media; this can affect the quality of the print e.g. it won't dry properly or dry at all.

Note:
If transparencies are not listed in the driver and plain paper + 360dpi/Text is selected, these settings are not guaranteed if the printer does not list Ink Jet Transparencies as a supported media in the 'Paper Specifications' or 'Paper Handling' section of the user guide and printer problems could arise e.g. ink on the rollers or paper feed problems.

Epson only support the use of genuine Epson Transparency Media, in line with the printer specification for any media over 90 g/m². Some non-genuine papers are made for printers which heat the ink before transferring it to the page, thus the paper coating is manufactured to bond with this hot ink and fuse it to the page. All Epson printers fire the ink without heating it, using our Micro Piezo™ technology and as such the ink cannot bond correctly to the paper coating, which can result in blotchiness and severe mis-colouration. Epson papers are made with a micro porous layer which draws the ink just below the surface of the paper and locks it into place, ensuring each droplet of ink stays exactly where it was placed.

Epson is dedicated to providing its customers with industry leading image quality and durability through a unique printing system that combines its Micro Piezo™ technology and its genuine Epson inks and media.

Benefits of Epson's Micro Piezo™ technology include:

• Epson's Micro Piezo™ print heads are designed to last the life of the printer.
• Micro Piezo™ print heads use dozens of high-precision mechanical pumps to produce ink droplets, and no heat is involved in printing. The same high quality is maintained over the life of the printer, from the first page to the last.
• Thermal print heads used by other printer manufacturers have a very short life compared to Epson's Micro Piezo™ print heads.

Only Epson builds a high-quality permanent print head into every Stylus model, from consumer through professional. Additionally, non-genuine papers can cause paper feed issues, either due to the paper being too physically heavy for the paper feed mechanism or due to the coatings some manufacturers use on their papers. Any damage caused by using the printer with third-party media or outside of specification is not covered under the EPSON warranty.

EPSON produce high quality Ink Jet transparencies, designed to work in harmony with Epson's Micro Piezo™ technology. For A4 Stylus products, we recommend Epson Transparency Media A4 format. Visit your local Epson Store for more information.