What is a Buffer Underrun?
How can I reduce or prevent Buffer Underruns from Happening?
Can a virus be transmitted onto a CDR that is targeted for duplication, from a master source?
Can a virus program run on the same PC as the PowerWrite software?
Why should I update my drive firmware?
How do I upgrade the drive firmware?
I tried to update my drive firmware, a message on the computer says, "looking for winaspi32.dll file not in library." Where can I find that file?
What new features have been added to the 12x drives?
Is a burned 12x CD-R disc just as good as a CD-R burned at 4x or 8x?
Are CD-R affected by heat Pits when recording at higher speeds?
Will 12x be the highest duplication speeds that a CD-R can go what limits will physics set?What media manufacturers are supported by my drives?
What media does Trace Digital recommend?
Why does my carrier tray move off the back of my PowerPrinter II, III, IIIE, CD-Artist plus or PowerScribe?
How many CD's can be printed from one set of ink cartridges?
How long does it take a printed CD-R to dry?
On my SK-7 or V4E printer, why does the caddy tray feed through without printing, displaying a paper out error? The arrows are aligned correctly.
My ink was running low, so I charged the ink cartridges, now the print quality is bad (faded print, streaking, banding, no ink flow); what should I do?
How can I transfer the printer templates from one version SureThing CD Labeler program to another version of the software?
My printer is leaving lines (banding) across the disc how can I get rid of them?
Why did the colors change in a print image from one day to the next, the job is the same?
How can I get the highest quality prints from my POWERSCRIBE?
How can the printer template be aligned to center the print image when using bitmap images?
How can the printer template be aligned using an application such as Adobe Illustrator?
Can a separate duplication only job be run on the left stacks while a dupe with print job is run on the right stacks?
When using the POWERWRITE Disc Face Editor, why are none of the PRN image file available and viewable?
When exporting an image from Adobe Illustrator to a jpeg file, the image has lost its clarity when opened in the POWERWRITE Disc Face Editor, why?
Printer setting information
Charge process with Epson Inks
Changing ink cartridges
Charge process
Carrier tray adjustment
CD carrier tray sensor maintenance
CD carrier tray alignment
Removal and replacement of carrier tray sensor
Disc clamp mechanics for the POWERPRINTER, CD-Artist and POWERSCRIBE
Manual clamp test
Automated disc clamp test
POWERWRITER
PRO/PC-W
What
is a Buffer Underrun?
Loss of data transferred from a computer to a drive.
A Buffer underrun can occur: when writing a CD. Each track has
to be written without an interruption. Most CD-R drive manufactures
have a built in buffer of 2 mb (which holds all information in
the CD recorder before it is written to the disc) to compensate
the reduction in the transfer rate from the computer. If this
transfer is to slow, the buffer runs out of data. This is called
a Buffer Underrun. A Buffer Underrun will cause the disc that
is being written to be unusable.
How can I
reduce or prevent Buffer Underruns from happening?
To reduce the occurrence of a Buffer Underrun condition
you can consider the following steps:
Make sure the Auto Insert Notification is turned off in your PowerWrite software to prevent autorun CD's inserted from causing a buffer underrun condition while recording.
Close all other programs (especially those that can activate on their own) on the PC when running PowerWrite. Your computer should be dedicated to your duplication process.
Disable schedulers, animated icons, anti virus software, system sounds, and screensaver
Do not allow remote access to your system. Disconnect from the network while doing any copy job.
Defragment your HDD; check the space in your temporary directory (Min.1Gb)
Disable Power Managers.
Reduce the record speed, or create global CD image.
If your data includes more than 10,000 very small files, create a global image first, or record at a slower speed.
Shorten the external SCSI cables to 3-ft SCSI cable (or less).
Web links for more Buffer Underrun information.
http://www.adaptec.com/support/faqs/bufunder.html
http://www.fadden.com/cdrfaq/faq03.html
http://www.cd-info.com
Can a
virus be transmitted onto a CDR that is targeted for duplication,
from a master source?
Yes, if the master is image is created from the source
using any of the global image formats (direct, stream or image
copy), the system will make exact copies of the master source
image; if a virus is present, it will be copied.
Your PC will not catch the virus since the image file is not an executable program. You can store a virus-infected image on your PC without affecting the PC.
Can a
virus program run on the same PC as the POWERWRITE software?
It is best to scan your source master for viruses
before attempting to duplicate it. Do not use a virus scan application
while transferring data (specifically when using POWERWRITE software),
as this may cause buffer underrun conditions to occur.
Why should I update my drive firmware?
The CD-R drive manufacturers are constantly improving their drives functions and abilities. When you up-date the firmware on the drive, your POWERWRITER system should work more efficiently.
How do
I upgrade the drive firmware?
Go to your drive manufacturer web site see our links
page firmware update section.
Brand Model Level available
TEAC www.teac.co.jp/dspd/download/download.html
CD-R55S 1.0R
CD-R56S-4XX 1.0P
CD-R56S-6XX 1.0P
CD-R58S 1.0PPLEXTOR www.plextor.com/english/support/support_downloads.html#firm
Plexwriter 8/20 1.08
Plexwriter 12/4/32 1.07Plexwriter 12/10/32 1.01
UltraPlex 32X 1.03 (chip replacement only)
UltraPlex 40 wide 1.04UltraPlex 40 Max (1.0X) 1.04
SANYO
www.sannet.ne.jp/BURN-Proof/product/downloads.html#rw1
CRD-RW2 1.21www.sannet.ne.jp/BURN-Proof/product/downloads-bp4.html
CRD-BP4 431
I tried to
update my drive firmware, a message on the computer says 'looking
for winaspi32.dll file not in library. Where can I find that
file?
Look in the Adaptec website. Load the ASPI32.EXE file onto your desktop and run.
What new
features have been added to the 12x drives?
The new CD-R 12x drives include 12X CDR write, 4x CD-RW write
and 32X read capability as well as support for Audio Text.
Is a burned
12X CD-R disc just as good as a CD-R burned at 4x or 8x?
Recent studies made by independent sources appear to confirm
that, there is no loss of quality when recording at 12x drives
with certain brands of media
(Ref. May issue of e-Media - The Speed of Sound by Robert Starrett)
Are CD-R
affected by heat Pits when recording at higher speeds.
CD-R recording doesn't incorporate "pits and
lands" like molded replicated discs, but instead uses a
light sensitive dye that changes reflectivity when exposed to
a laser. The digital transition occurs when the reflectivity
of the dye changes, not because of a scattering of light reflection
associated with the physical transition from a pit to a land.
CD-R drives don't actually burn a pit in the dye, but chemically
alter the dye's state and reflectivity characteristics. Since
we are only heating the dye to some transition temperature and
not burning material away, the process can be very fast. Although
the inherent light sensitivity characteristics of the dye are
what also make them more sensitive to natural light degradation
(UV exposure).
Will 12X
be the highest duplication speed that a CD-R can go, what limits
will physics set?
There isn't a theoretical limit for CD-R recording,
but the recording process is limited by, a) laser wavelength,
b) laser power output and c) dye material wavelength sensitivity.
Currently laser manufacturers are experimenting with blue light
lasers, which once they can reliably and economically mass-produce
them, will result in smaller spot sizes and increased packing
densities and speeds.
What media
manufacturers are supported by my drives?
Each drive manufacturer qualifies
media which they judge to perform satisfactorily in their drives.
Check out these links for your particular dirve type.
What media
does Trace Affex recommend?
Many manufacturers claim 12X or 16X certified media.
Trace Affex uses Teac, Plextor and Sanyo drives. Check their
websites for the latest media certifications. Uncertified medias
may function fine or have higher failures for power calibration
and recording performance.
Why does
my carrier tray move off the back of my POWERPRINTER II, III,
IIIe, CD-Artist Plus or POWERSCRIBE?
Your paper settings are incorrect: The 740 Epsom print
engine requires certain paper setting to function correctly,
you can set your printers default setting to prevent the carrier
tray from moving off the back of your system. See the HOW
TO section.
How many
CDs can be printed from one set of ink cartridges?
The number of discs printed depends entirely on the amount of
graphics, color saturation, color coverage, dpi, paper selection
and the model of your printer. The 740-printer model has larger
ink cartridges; the capacities could be up to 800 or more CDs
but probably averages 400.
How long
does it take a printed CD-R to dry?
Drying times vary by CD-R make, humidity, and the
amount of ink coverage/ saturation on a CD-R. Typically, under
normal conditions/temperatures, with Epsom certified ink, the
absorption layer of a CD-R typically dries in a minute total
saturation up to 3 to 4. The 740 Epsom print engine used a finer
print head resulting in smaller ink jet droplets reducing drying
times. Printing onto labeled CD-Rs dries almost immediately.
On my
SK-7 or V4 printer, why does the caddy tray feed through without
printing, displaying a paper out error? The arrows are aligned
correctly.
Don't align the arrows; place the leading edge of
the caddy just underneath the back feed wheels and the shaft.
My ink was running low, so I changed the ink cartridges, now the print quality is bad (faded print, streaking, banding, no ink flow); what should I do?
Charge and clean your printer, the charge and clean process may need to be done 2 or 3 times. Make sure the head height lever is in the PLUS position. (See link to HOW TO section). Go to the Epson website for a demonstration of the procedure.
http://support.epson.com/hardware/printer/inkjet/sc670_/flash/oldink.html
NOTE: For more information regarding your Epson printer, print images and latest driver downloads, see the Epson Web Site: www.Epson.com
How can I transfer the printer templates from one version SureThing CD Labeler program to another version of the software?
You must download and install the patch, which contains all the latest templates for the program. The patch can be found at http://www.surething.com/dlpage3.htm. The templates for the AFFEX printer are found by clicking on the file menu and select New. Select CD Printers for Products Types and browse for the AFFEX templates in the label Products field.
My printer is leaving lines (banding) across the disc how can I get rid of them?
Banding can be caused by several different reasons including
low ink supply, incompatible print surface of the media, clogged
nozzles, wrong Epson driver or driver settings, or a video card
driver conflict.
First, try cleaning your print heads follows the instructions
in our How TO section.
Consider printing at a higher resolution 1440 dpi, some color
hues (blues, grays and red), seem to exasperate the problem,
change the color add texture to the color, rotate the image.
Due to the modifications made to the Epson Printer by Trace Digital,
you may need to clean and purge the print heads instead of running
the nozzle-printing test. See the Epson web site for information
on banding.
http://support.epson.com/webadvice/wa0031.html
Return to question summary
Why did
the colors change in a print image from one day to the next,
the job is the same?
Power down the printer before turning off the system.
Color shifts may occur if the proper power down sequence is not
followed. The Epson print engine retains information about the
ink cartridge levels and cleaning status. If the system is turned
off before the printer has stored all the settings it requires,
color shift could occur.
How can
I get the highest quality prints from my POWERSCRIBE?
Verify that you are using the correct printer driver for your
system. Make sure the paper adjust lever is set to the + for
thicker CD's. Try varying your print settings turn on/off Mircoweave,
High Speed, check the Halftoning and Color Adjustments Mode options
to be sure they are set correctly for your document image. Change
your DPI setting from 720 dpi to 1440 dpi. If the print image
does not contain the colors, you expected, the color setting
on your application software could need adjustment. Refer to
software documentation for help in adjusting colors. Replace
your ink cartridges following the HOW TO for help to clean and
charge your new cartridges.
How can the printer template
be aligned to center the print image when using bitmap images?
From the File/Printer Setup/Disc Position and Cropping drop down. The values
for center position supplied with the POWERSCRIBE print rings CD should be
input to the appropriate fields. Place an unprinted disc on the printer tray
and press 'Print Test Rings'. This should be very close to centered. If adjustment
is required, increasing the number of twips for the X 
to
center field will move the image to the right (decreasing to the left), increasing
the number of twips in the Y to center field will move the image down (decreasing
will move up). Bear in mind that a move of one sixteenth inch is equal to
90 twips.
How can
the printer template be aligned using an application such as
Adobe Illustrator?
Since the POWERSCRIBE printer can operate as a manually loaded
desktop printer from any printable application, the printer template
mask can be finely adjusted using the Transform controls within
Illustrator. The printable mask layer should be selected, the
white mask itself selected, then the center coordinates of the
mask can be adjusted by entering new numbers in the Transform
fields. For Illustrator, to move the mask left/right, decrease/increase
the center position (X), to move the mask up/down, increase/decrease
the center position respectively.
Can a
separate duplication only job be run on the left stacks while
a dupe with print job is run on the right stacks?
Yes, as long as each job uses different drives. These two activities
can occur concurrently when controlled by the POWERWRITE software.
This would not be successful if POWERWRITE was controlling a
duplication job and an application such as Illustrator was controlling
a print only job because of CPU prioritization and the risk of
a buffer underrun condition.
When using
the POWERWRITE Disc Face Editor, why are none of the PRN image
files available and viewable?
PRN files are printer command files created in a format only
understood by the printer and are not in a viewable format; only
PXF file types are viewable and creatable in the Disc Face Editor.
When exporting
an image from Adobe Illustrator to a JPEG file, the image has
lost its clarity when opened in the POWERWRITE Disc Face Editor,
why?
When exporting from Illustrator, the image was created at screen
resolution (72 DPI). This can be changed by selecting Export/Custom
360 DPI in the RGB and JPEG formats instead of the default formats.
This should provide satisfactory results.
How can I transfer the printer templates from one version SureThing CD Labeler program to another version of the software?
You must download and install the patch, which contains all the latest templates for the program. The patch can be found at http://www.surething.com/dlpage3.htm. The templates for the AFFEX printer are found by clicking on the file menu and select New. Select CD Printers for Products Types and browse for the AFFEX templates in the label Products field.
My printer is leaving lines (banding)
across the disc how can I get rid of them.
Banding can be caused by several different reasons
including low ink supply, incompatible print surface of the media,
clogged nozzles, wrong Epson driver or driver settings, or a
video card driver conflict.
First, try cleaning your print heads follows the instructions
in our How TO section.
Consider printing at a higher resolution 1440 dpi, some color
hues (blues, grays and red), seem to exasperate the problem,
change the color add texture to the color, rotate the image.
Due to the modifications made to the Epson Printer by Trace Affex,
you may need to clean and purge the print heads instead of running
the nozzle-printing test. See the Epson web site for information
on banding.
From the Start Menu, select Settings, the Printers. Highlight Epson Stylus Color 740, and then right click the mouse:
Windows 95/98
Select properties
Select the main tab
Change settings
Windows NT4
Select document defaults
Select the main tab
Change settings
Windows 2000
Select Properties
Select the advanced tab
Select printing defaults
Change settings
Change Settings as follows:
Click: Custom click: Advance
Media type: Photo Paper
Print quality: Photo 720 dpi
Select: Error Diffusion
CHARGE & CLEAN PROCESS WITH EPSON INKS
**Must use original Epson inks per Epson documentation. No refills allowed***
CLEAN PROCESS:
Cleaning of the printing mechanism may be required periodically
to adjust color or to get ink flowing to the print head. Press
and hold the ink cleaning button until you hear the ink cartridges
start to move then let go. The printer will then go into the
CLEAN mode and continue to prime the inks. This will take 2-3
minutes, and when the cycle is complete, you will have a solid
green light on the Epson control panel. Print a sample and see
if the print quality is accieptable. If not, repeated cleanings
(up to eight times) may be necessary to achieve satisfactory
results.
If ink quality and color are not improved by the above processes, change out both ink cartridges following the changing and charging processes.
CHANGING
INKS:
Press and hold the load/eject (paper feed) button on the Epson
control panel until you hear the ink cartridges move then let
go. Open the access cover and you will see the ink cartridges
in the CHANGE position (approximately three inches left of the
home position). UN-clamp both ink cartridge holders and remove
and replace with genuine Epson inks of the same model number:
see Epson manual or Trace Digital manual for model numbers. Re-clamp
the ink holders back down. Press the ink-cleaning button one
time, the printer will go into CHARGE mode and start priming
the inks, taking about 2-3 minutes. When charge process is complete,
you will have a solid green light on the Epson control panel.
CHARGE
PROCESS:
Press and hold the load/eject (paper feed) button on the Epson
control panel until you hear the ink cartridges move then let
go. Open the access cover, the ink cartridges should be in the
CHANGE position. UN-clamp both ink cartridge holders (do not
take the inks out) - then re-clamp them down. Press the ink-cleaning
button one time. The printer will go into CHARGE mode and start
priming the ink, taking about 2-3 minutes. When charge process
is complete, a solid green light appears on the Epson control
panel. See the Epson website for a demonstration of the change/charge
process.
http://support.epson.com/hardware/printer/inkjet/sc670_/flash/oldink.html
This process may need to be performed if repeated cleanings
have not produced satisfactory print results and it is believed
that the ink cartridges are not empty. It must be noted that
this procedure tricks the Epson engine into thinking that new
ink cartridges were installed and will render the automatic ink
out warning unreliable until a regular ink changing with good
results has ocurred.
CARRIER
TRAY ADJUSTMENTS:
Check where the picker places and removes discs from
the carrier tray (this is the tray that clamps the disc in place
and transports in/out of the print area)? The discs should be
placed in the middle of the tray (slightly to the back) and picked
off the tray so the picker extension arm clears into the tray
to pick up the disc. The extension arm on the picker should miss
the edge of the tray by no more than 0.015". This adjustment
can be accomplished by moving the carrier tray within the printer
on its left/right travel using the alignment tab on the carrier
tray. To find the adjustment screws, open the top access cover
of the printer. If the ink cartridges are at home position, you
will be able to view a small circular hole drilled into the top
edge of the aluminum bracket that runs the width of the Epson
printer. (Approx. 3.0" from the ink cartridges). Looking
straight down into the hole, you should be able to see a Phillips
screw. Located in front of that screw is the other screw for
the adjustment. Remove the top cover to access both screws. Loosen
both screws (do not remove them), and you will be able to adjust
the carrier tray left/right. Anytime a carrier tray is moved,
you will need to readjust the graphics coordinates to compensate
for the move.
CD CARRIER
TRAY SENSOR MAINTENANCE:
Manually slide the CD carrier tray back into the printer so you
can view the platform below the carrier tray.
Located at the right rear side of the platform you will see a square cutout with a black plastic piece mounted with Phillips screws. The surface of the black piece is V-shaped and you will see multi-color wires attached to it, that is the tray sensor. Clean the V surface with a damp Q-tip or cloth. Bring the CD carrier tray back into the forward position.
CD CARRIER TRAY MAINTENANCE:
The bottom surface of the CD carrier tray is marked
with a different color in certain areas, as the tray moves the
sensor detects the color variation. The printer determines the
tray position from the sensor input. To prevent false readings
by the sensor any ink or dust should be cleaned off the underside
of the tray.
Clean the bottom side of the CD carrier tray using a long wooden Q-tip dampened with water. Hold the Q-tip up against the carrier trays bottom surface. Locate the Q-tip on the sensor path; manually slide the carrier tray back and forth to clean the sensor path on the bottom side of the carrier tray.
CD CARRIER
TRAY ALIGNMENT:
The CD carrier tray alignment is critical for correct
performance of the carrier tray's movement in and out of the
printer. If the tray comes off the back of the printer and backs
off from the gears that the tray moves on, then it will be necessary
to re-align the CD carrier tray to the gears. The cogs on the
two gears are very small, if the carrier tray is off by one cog,
you may see a sudden change in registration and/or the tray may
not even move from position and cause the load/eject button error
light to appear.
When the tray is aligned properly, it will slide into the front
tray guide with ease. If the tray stops against the front tray
guide it may appear that the tray is fully forward, but is not
fully forward until the tray slides up onto and into the front
[white plastic] tray guide. See diagram in the users manual
for proper tray position. One suggestion for proper carrier
tray alignment is to align the front edge of the carrier tray
with the gear shaft. Place the tray up to the gears and use the
gear shaft and front edge of the carrier tray to make a parallel
alignment. It may be necessary to use the release lever at the
front of the platform to unlock the gears for the tray to move
with ease.
REMOVAL
& REPLACEMENT of the CARRIER TRAY SENSOR
Remove output stack plate:
Mark the chassis/output stack plate so when you put it back in
you will have a reference mark to put it back into the same place.
The output stack plate is held by 2 Phillips screws and 2 Allen
screws. The Allen screws will require a 3mm Allen wrench.
After the output stack plate is removed, you will be able to view the components below the carrier tray.
Remove sensor-mounting bracket:
Before removing the mounting screws that hold the sensor in place,
take note of where the position of the sensor is so you can re-install
the replacement sensor into the same position. It is a slotted
adjustment.
Slide the carrier tray in towards the printer exposing the
platform below the carrier tray.
Remove the 2 Phillips screws that hold the sensor in place from
the top of the platform. Remove the 2 Phillips screws that connect
the sensor to the sensors mounting bracket.
Remove and replace the sensor, taking note to re-connect the
mount exactly to it previous position.
DISC CLAMP
MECHANICS FOR THE POWER PRINTER, CD-ARTIST AND POWERSCRIBE
The disc clamp is designed to work as the carrier
tray is moving in towards the printer at the first _" of
travel. At the first _" of travel the disc clamp will engage
and lock the CD-R into position. The clamped disc should be in
the most forward position in the CD indent of the carrier tray
and have no free movement.
When a disc is finished printing the carrier tray will move the disc forward and as it arrives to the most front position, the disc is unclamped so the picker or the user can remove the CD easily. Use the manual disc clamp test to check the function of the disc clamp slider mechanism.
MANUAL
CLAMP TEST:
Place any CD into the carrier tray. Manually move
the carrier tray in towards the print area. Watch carefully at
the first half inch of travel, you will feel and hear the CD
lock into place. Slide the tray back and forth and observe the
clamping/unclamping action.
AUTOMATED
DISC CLAMP TEST:
Place CD's into the input stack. For CD-Artist, place
a disc in the carrier tray.
Press the load/eject button and the carrier tray will move into
print position. While the disc is in print position it will stay
there until the load/eject button is pressed again. Before pressing
the load/eject button test that the CD has been clamped properly
by trying to move the CD. It can be forced to move, but should
not be free floating.
Open the top cover access panel to view and check. Wait a couple
of seconds for the printer to initialize and then press the load/eject
button to bring the disc back into loading (starting) position,
the CD then should be unclamped and free to be removed.
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