Tractor feed printers margin issues in Windows 8.1

Anonymous
2013-11-06T16:21:56+00:00

Attempting to print from two different Windows 8.1 systems to three different (2 are the same brand Epson FX-890) tractor feed printers results in the entire document printing but the right margin is about 25-30% in the page resulting in everything printing out of alignment.

I have reinstalled the drivers changed every setting I can think of. I spoke with Epson tech support which referred me to Microsoft Tech Support which is not free. The exact same documents print just fine using these printers on Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8 we only experience this problem with Windows 8.1 systems.

I know that isn't a lot to go on but thanks in advance for any help, at this point my only option is to revert the system back to Win 8.

Thanks.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-11-13T00:04:47+00:00

    Thank you JGiles Gurruuno, Suncrest11 for your analyses and reporting the problem. We have identified this issue and we are currently trying to see what mitigation we can provide. Please bear with us till we can recommend a solution.

    Thanks,

    ---Arun

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-11-12T19:03:08+00:00

    I too, have a customer that has the very same issue.

    His configuration is a Dell XPS8500 that WAS running Windows 8 and we did the upgrade to 8.1 Sunday (11/10/13).  Ever since THAT upgrade to 8.1, printing issues are problematic for the EPSON FX80 (1) driver, that a lot of dot matrix printers use for basic printing from within applications.

    Key point is that everything worked fine prior to the upgrade to 8.1.

    The specific application is Filemaker Pr v11, I also tried upgrading to v12, no change.

    All invoices printed out give the representation on the screen that it's "zoomed out", shrunken, and the output to the print is the same, a large white space on the right of the page as well as the bottom.

    NEVER had the issue prior to upgrading Windows to 8.1.

    If I for testing purposes, output the file to a PDF, the representation of the page size states 10.63 wide X 16.50 high.  I therefore assume that somehow something is not correct after the upgrade.  Even checking, double checking, triple checking page sizes and all the settings that are normal default (8.5 X 11.5) are correctly set, nothing changed.

    I tried deleting the printer, adding the printer (it's an Okidata ML-420), installing the Epson FX80 generic driver, no change whatsoever, still a messed up preview and output to printer.

    If I try to print to a normal Laser printer, no issues, flawless output.

    If I print from an XP box no issues.

    If I print from a Windows 7 box, no issues.

    If I print from a Windows 8 box, no issues.

    If I print from a Windows 8.1 box, issues!

    And, I cannot roll back to OS from control panel, only from an image backup from 5 days prior (not really what I feel is a 'solution', but maybe a temporary fix).

    So, I now have my customer using the XP box (gee, what happens after end of life in April if this is not fixed.....>>>>>>>>>>)?????????

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-11-09T01:01:41+00:00

    Hi Suncrest11 and JGiles,

    Thank you for providing in-depth information, it is much appreciated.

    We are investigating this issue. Please bear with us, we'll get back to you shortly.

    Thanks

    ---Arun

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-11-08T20:45:01+00:00

    I am going through the exact same issue. The exact same issue. I used Quickbooks 2012 and Office 365 and the alignments are off as the previous user had stated.

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  5. Anonymous
    2013-11-08T14:12:56+00:00

    Sure thing.. For the Epson FX-890 I obtained the standard driver from the Epson website here:

    http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?oid=23730&infoType=Downloads&detected=yes&platform=OSF\_W\_7-64

    The problem first appeared when attempting to print a pick ticket from our accounting application but if I print a test page from the printer properties, or print from Adobe Acrobat I experience the same issue. I have not tried printing from word but since test pages and PDFs have this problem I am sure it isn't the application.

    We also tested this using an Okidata Microline 321 printer (ML 321) with the same result.

    So far the only thing I have determined that is different between a system that works and a system that doesn't is that Windows 8.1 is installed on the system that doesn't work.

    Thanks again for all your help!

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