Epson ColorWorks C4000 media settings: labels, sensors, cutter

The ColorWorks C4000 needs to know the shape of your labels, how to find the start of each one and what surface it prints on. This guide explains where those settings live and which values to choose for die-cut, black mark and continuous media.

Which media the C4000 takes

The C4000 is an inkjet printer, so it needs inkjet-coated labels, tags or paper. Rolls go inside the printer, up to 4 in (about 101.6 mm) in outer diameter. Fanfold stacks feed in from the rear.

Label length in the driver runs from 8 to 406.4 mm. Do not use thermal paper, pin-fed media, media with a transparent liner, or rolls taped to the core or joined with tape.

Create a media definition

1. Open Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners, select the C4000 and then Printing preferences.
2. On the General tab, select Media Definition.
3. Select New, enter a unique Media Name, then the label width, label length and gap between labels.
4. Set the media form, coating type and the other options in the next steps.
5. Select OK and then Close. The new definition is now in the list.

The default definition matches the starter roll from the box: 108 × 174.8 mm die-cut labels, 3 mm gap, matte paper.

Choose the media form and detection

Media Form tells the printer what the media looks like and which sensor finds the top of each label.

Two more settings work with it:

• Media Source: Internal (Roll) for a roll inside the printer, Rear Feed (Fanfold) for a fanfold stack. Rear Feed (Roll) is for a roll outside the printer, which needs an external unwinder and rewinder.
• Media Detection: gap, black mark or no detection. It must match the media you load.

With a no-detection form you can also set Media Saving to remove the lower margin, or the lower and upper margin, and save paper.

Match the coating type and print quality

Media Coating Type tells the printer what surface it prints on, so set it to the material you load. Which types you can use depends on the black ink: Matte Paper and Synthetic work with both, Glossy Paper, Glossy Film and High Glossy Paper need gloss black, and Plain Paper, Texture Paper and Wristband Paper need matte black.

Changing the coating type resets Print Quality to that type's default.

Set the colour

Color Correction offers Epson Preferred Color (the default and a good start), Epson Vivid Color, ICM for Windows colour management with an ICC profile, and None. For brand colours that must match exactly, Epson provides an ICC profile and a spot colour matching tool for ColorWorks printers.

Choose what happens after printing

Settings For Paper Handling After Print controls the auto cutter, which makes a full cut through the liner.

• Cut (after printing last label), Cut (at specified label) or Cut (after last page of collate page) let the printer cut automatically.
• Do not cut (stop at cut position) is the default. Use the cut button on the printer to cut by hand.
• Do not cut (stop at peel position) and (stop at the print end position) stop the paper without cutting.

Notification can sound a beep at each cut, job end or collate end, and Pause can stop the printer at the same points.

Load fanfold labels

Set Media Source to Rear Feed (Fanfold) first. With the printer on and the Home screen showing:

1. Open the front cover, then the rear cover. Remove the paper feed guide, close the rear cover and refit the paper feed guide.
2. Set the shutters on the platen for your width, following the label inside the printer.
3. Slide the paper ejection guides fully outwards, raise their lock lever until it clicks and close the front cover.
4. Open the rear cover and raise the lock lever of the fanfold paper guides.
5. Place the stack at least 40 mm behind the printer, square to the feed slot.
6. Slide the guides against the paper and lower the lock lever.
7. Insert the leading edge, printable side up. After about 100 mm the printer pulls it in.
8. Close the rear cover and press Pause.

Video: Epson

Roll loading and the shutter table are in our C4000 setup guide. If labels skip, smudge or stop with a message, go to the C4000 troubleshooting guide. All C4000 guides are on the ColorWorks C4000 page, and the printer is on its product page.