P800 - head strikes on Roll, but not cutt sheet

[ThirstyDursty]

It appears its lack of vacuumed feed is an issue with stiffer papers that have lots of curl.

I'm getting perfect prints on Canson Baryta cutt sheet.

Go to do one pano big...head strikes. Boo!

I'll increase the gap.

[howardm]

Might want to make a DIY deroller courtesy of Home Depot   (4" PVC & a heavy duty piece of vinyl or shower curtain)

[ThirstyDursty]

Success!

Extended tray to full length and then rolled trail of paper below. Without tray at full length the paper weight down causes the paper to push up. The full tray keeps the reverse "kink" or whatever you'd call it. I also opened the gap one setting.

I'm printing panos so reverse rolling more the the first 30cm would be a pain

[howardm]

Yes, that is a common mistake w/ the 3880/800 w/ long sheets.  you need to extend the tray so the paper doesn't cantilever and hit the paper near the trailing edge.

[hokuahi]

I found it was the gap, increasing that eliminated any head strikes (which I actually got on sheets and didn't see with roll prints.)

[ThirstyDursty]

The tray seems to have solved most of the issue.

Still getting one strike at the very start. I assume because the curl...and so close to the end, the tray/length can't reverse kink the paper flat  yet.

So printing a small place holder print first. Seems easier then ejecting and reverse rolling each time.

I don't think I'd have this issue on a softer paper.

[ThirstyDursty]

Yes, that is a common mistake w/ the 3880/800 w/ long sheets.  you need to extend the tray so the paper doesn't cantilever and hit the paper near the trailing edge.

It would be as Epson's instructions are the opposite. They say the tray should only be 1/2 extended.

[ThirstyDursty]

Sadly still getting a few here and there. Guess this will just be part of the cost of doing business. It doesn't seem predictable...but only on roll paper -specifically Canson Baryta.

[howardm]

what did you end up setting the thickness & platen gap to?

I wonder if *fully* retracting the output tray (for roll paper only) so the paper hangs would let gravity work for you.

[ThirstyDursty]

what did you end up setting the thickness & platen gap to?

I wonder if *fully* retracting the output tray (for roll paper only) so the paper hangs would let gravity work for you.

I only had two options: standard and wide

On other settings I think I had a "wider" option...but might be misremembering.

Might try it fully retracted.

Most often it seems to happen in first 5cm of first print.

But I've had a few mid roll. Like I've printed 2 meters...it is all coiled and going fine and then boom...for about 1-2 cm then fine.

I'm preparing for an exhibition of panos. Lost a 3m x 40cm full 360 print because of head strikes at about the 3/4 point.

[howardm]

maybe they changed teh driver because the 3880 driver had something like 4 different gap settings.

I sympathize.  I was printing last night on some very flat RC commodity paper and all of a sudden, out of now where (the print was very dark though), my 3880 starts banding in the middle.  A post-print nozzle check showed every color on the last few zigzag lines to be intermittent.

Printing is such a pain in the a*s sometimes.

[ThirstyDursty]

But the results when they do workout!

I'm so happy with my purchase.

And in reality very few issues.

6 1-2m panos
15 prints A3-2
50 museo artist cards.

Waste...in all this is well below my projected/costed 30%

And the results are at least as good as I would have expected externally.

Looking forward to "playing" with different papers after these projects are behind me.