CUPS: test page error on Epson Stylus C59 printer

I used CUPS (*) 1.3.7 with my OpenSuSE 11.0 + Gnome system to install a USB-connected Epson Stylus C59 printer. The test page does not print completely correctly, as it has done for other model of Epson printers which I have added. The color segments in the color wheel are a long way out of position, but the rest of the page is OK.

Is this a printer driver problem or is it likely to be hardware related?

During the installation process I had a choice of driver:

C50 + GutenPrint version x.y

C50 + GutenPrint version x.y (simplified)

C60 + GutenPrint version x.y

C60 + GutenPrint version x.y (simplified)

Note that there is no driver explicitly for the C59. I used the C50 instead.

What does (simplified) mean in practice?

(*) CUPS is a seriously good application, isn’t it?

I would guess a printer driver problem. Epson do not provide a high level of support for Linux, and many Linux users have problems with Epson printer setup …

Take a look here:
OpenPrinting database - Printer: Epson Stylus C59

It recommends you use either the:

  • Epson Stylus C63 or
  • Epson Stylus C65 or
  • Epson Stylus CX3700
    driver …

Out of idle curiosity I did a Google search on “CUPS printer driver Epson Stylus C59”. The first hit had a lot of useful links and/or information. One key piece of advice was to set the printer up as an Epson C63, C65 or CX3700.

I chose the C65 simplified driver. The test page printed perfectly.

CUPS made it very easy to redefine the printer.

Great - thanks for this -I failed to see your post before making my own. In fact setting the printer as a C65 results in CUPS correctly reporting it as a C59! That CUPS application is a peach.

I used CUPS to set up my Stylus Photo 890 - it worked without problem first time up (once I had restarted the computer).

I’m going to push my luck now with my Lexmark and HP printers now…