I'd like to know if anyone else has had this problem, because our tech support dude is clueless.
Background story is that the machine was used to print a banner (on banner fabric) which had a predominantly black background. Head height was changed to thick physically at the machine.
Since then, its been all reverted back to standard settings. Now here is the issue:
It is printing "excess" magenta on virtually everything. By that I mean a halo-ish "not-quite an outline" around anything, especially solid black. It gives black lettering that cheap "Jiffy marker" look.
Remedies tried include nozzle wash, complete cleaning both manual and through the test/clean menu, reloading profiles (all sericol on this machine, we're using Fuji's Stingray system)
Ive also done everything the tech guy said to do, though as I said, this is something he's never run across. He says it sounds like overspray.
An interesting note is that if the color correction box is unchecked, I can get solid black, but the SAME HALO is there, its just black and not magenta. Weird eh?
One thing I have noticed.. someone here has set the temperature at 40/45. Just my opinion, but I think thats pretty darn high. Besides, I don't know how much temperature will affect this sort of phenomenon.
Here's hoping Im not the first to have this issue....
[ August 14, 2007, 10:59 AM: Message edited by: Rob Hopkins ]
Posts: 12 | From: Red Deer Alberta | Registered: May 2007
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For the purpose of visual illustration, Ive scanned a sample I printed. This is a pdf file depicting two black squares. One with color correction on(magenta halo) and one with it off (black halo).
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Have you calibrated the machine? I'd be curious if the alignment patterns all jive. Does your print test pattern look normal? Any nozzles not firing?
-------------------- Bruce Evans Crown Graphics Chino, CA graphics@westcoach.net Posts: 912 | From: Chino, CA | Registered: Nov 1998
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The reason I ask is I too had some similar issues with our Roland today. My test patterns lookd pretty normal. Then I set my basepoint near the far side and ran my test pattern again. There was a slight shift with some of the color. I ended up taking off the cover and giving the cable that pulls the head back-and-forth a good cleaning. It had a few bits of gunk that might have been binding it. There is also a ribbon cable up there that had alot of dust and debris in there, that almost looked like laser toner. After I cleaned those areas, it was back to working normal.
-------------------- Bruce Evans Crown Graphics Chino, CA graphics@westcoach.net Posts: 912 | From: Chino, CA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Yes, Ive run through every test and cleaning procedure that the manual tells me to do. The test print showed some clogged nozzles, but a good soak had that cleared up.
I sent the same pdf to our tech support, and the response was that a head alignment needed to be done. The tech is supposed to be here friday for that. Based on past history, that's far from an assured thing.
Maybe I should get his cell number to hand to my customers who are getting more than a bit annoyed that their jobs are sitting in limbo.
Posts: 12 | From: Red Deer Alberta | Registered: May 2007
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Rob, We have had the same printer for a little over a year. We print on 13oz vinyl banner material and have never adjusted the heads for thicker material. Could it be your heads are too far away? Just a guess.
-------------------- Bob Boyd A C Display Studios Atlantic City, NJ Posts: 54 | From: Atlantic City, NJ | Registered: Nov 2001
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Id thought of that, Bob. Thank you for suggesting it, but they reverted everything back to original settings after the banner was printed.
I am however, going to save that bit of information for the future. Very interesting that you havent had need to adjust head height for banner prints.
Ive been assured now that the tech is on his way out friday. What I learn from him I will post in here, in hopes that anyone in the future running into this problem will find the info useful.
Posts: 12 | From: Red Deer Alberta | Registered: May 2007
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If Bob doesn't change his printers head height for banners, that would mean it's set for banners all the time, so not changing it for vinyl would better describe his methods I would think.
Setting the printer on the thin setting for thin media is a 60 second tweak that must be remembered before printing banners or a head strike will be highly likely, & possibly leading to head damage, but without a doubt it will provide better resolution. For most signs that is the difference between better-then-needed, and way-better-then-needed... but, better is still better, so after running my JV3 the way Bob does for the first 6 months, I switched to making that 60 second tweak.
I saw this post earlier, but have been fortunate in not seeing that issue, so I don't have any ideas for you. Hopefully the tech support person will show up as planned and get it straightened out for you. Good luck!
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Doug, We were never instructed to adjust for thick and thin. You are right, I just went and looked and it has always been in the thick position. Are you saying I will get better prints on vinyl by setting to the thin position. We have always been happy with the quality of the prints.
-------------------- Bob Boyd A C Display Studios Atlantic City, NJ Posts: 54 | From: Atlantic City, NJ | Registered: Nov 2001
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yep, they will be less blurry because the ink drops fall a shorter distance with greater accuracy... but as I said above it's still only the difference between better-then-needed, and way-better-then-needed... but on photos you will be getting improved clarity. Plus it's pretty easy to do. We also have made some other adjustments for printing vinyl on the thin setting, so we switch between "type 1" and "type 2" to access those 2 different sets of adjustments to the heater temps and whatever else that I don't recall right now. Advantage Sign Supply is my vendor & they taught me everything I know. They are a great vendor with an excellent tech support department. (I've suggested they sign up here as merchants too)
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Doug, We had the same tech as you install our Mimaki. I remeber him telling me that he got to go to Hawaii to do an install at Island Signs. Small world isn't it. Two of us were trained together & don't remember the thick/thin issue ever coming up. We will experiment.
-------------------- Bob Boyd A C Display Studios Atlantic City, NJ Posts: 54 | From: Atlantic City, NJ | Registered: Nov 2001
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I sort of thought I remembered you being an Advantage customer too...
...so Dustin did your initial set-up too. He is a great guy & I value his expertise completely, and in fact although he did mention the thick/thin choice to us, he said a lot of his clients just print everything on thick & consider it to be just fine. Then he showed us the quality on the thick setting & compared to 4 color process prints on our edge... it was absolutely amazing... so we just went forward with his idea of printing everything on the thick setting.
As mentioned above my switch to the use of the thin setting option was after 6 months & the reason was that advantage sent another tech out to assist me (at no charge) because I had to replace 2 print heads earlier then usual. The second tech was named Steve & he was even more of a connoisseur in the finer points of tweaking the machines printing capabilities to perfection. He showed us another thing dustin didn't show us... mediacomps-on-the-fly... so instead of just doing comps before printing & hoping you get the optimum results, even if you see slight (yet tolerable) evidence of an imperfect feed rate, you can tweak it while running the print.
Even though my warrenty only covered parts and not labor OR transportation costs, Advantage covered all of the above, because that's the kind of vendor they are... in fact after the new print heads went in, there was another issue that seemed to imply things had not yet been brought back into perfect, like-new condition... that's when they sent Steve in. I bring this up for those reading this who might be in the market for a printer some day. I see people looking to save $1000 here, or $2000 there by jumping over to any printer choice or vendor choice that can save them a buck on the front end. My opinion has always been to shop for a good vendor because all the printers print well... but complicated machines are best bought from vendors with a good record for service after the sale. The incident described above was worth well over $2000 or $3000 just in the cash difference between me paying what my vendor wasn't obligated to pay... or not, but the prompt service & the quality of the service (no more issues now for 18 months because they made sure to get me fixed up right when I needed it) is worth far more, not to mention the value of peace of mind that this level of service is available in the future as well
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Well heres the update. The tech got here and began running some tests. Reset the head height using 20 sheets of looseleaf.
Ran some print tests and the thin lines that were supposed to be straight turned out bent. He'd never encountered that before so I scanned the result and printed to pdf file so he could email it to his sources.
Their recommend: 99 minute nozzle wash. We did one, things improved. The second one got even better. We decided to go ahead with the pressing job as the quality was near top notch. Once it's printed, I'll do a third 99min wash.
Moral? When in doubt, soak them nozzles.
Posts: 12 | From: Red Deer Alberta | Registered: May 2007
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