Major flaw with Epson Stylus Pro 9900 causes banding in BLACK only

[Sven W]

If the cutter starts to jam or rip the paper:
Take it off and apart. It's usually full of paper-dust.
Clean and put a couple drops of some thin oil. Be careful to put it together in a proper way.
Esp. the small gearwheels.

It should now work nice and smooth.

/Sven

[TylerB]

it works the vast majority of the time, thinner papers are fine. But it's simply not strong enough to make it all the way across with a thick fine art paper toward the end of the roll, which pinches the cutter head more and more as moves left. I've received all the advice imaginable about this, it's been replace 3 times, and the entire device replaced once, including motor. It has occurred with Canson Rag Photographique 310, H Sugar Cane, and Epson's own Hot Press Natural- all somewhat "hard" papers.
It's simply too weak about 1% of the time, usually fairly critical times...
It's obvioulsy a step up from the previous cutters, but it needs a stronger motor to work flawlessly here.
Tyler

[dgberg]

Tyler,
You are holding the heavier papers or canvas up with both hands when it is cutting?
I had what you are explaining happen to me right after the purchase several years ago. It was 36" or 44" canvas cannot remember.
As the cutter cut the wide canvas the weight of the cut section pulled and pinched the material and I got a jam.
I now position myself directly in front of the printer and hold both sides of the paper or canvas until the cut is complete.
No problems since.

[deanwork]

That's good advice.

[davidh202]

Well since this old thread has been resurrected and now going OT, I'll chime in quickly to reiterate that Epson specifically says that cutting canvas will prematurely dull the cutter blade and specifically recommends turning auto roll cutting off.

[dgberg]

David,
My Epson,s cut canvas like a hot knive through butter.
My print counters shows in excess of a 1000 prints (Mostly canvas) and the cutter is cutting as it did from day one.
Not sure where that information came from in the Epson chain but from "my" operational standpoint it stays on.

[Randy Carone]

The cutter on the X900 series of Epson printers is fine for canvas, according to Epson. Where did the advice about not cutting canvas originate?

[Sven W]

David,
My Epson,s cut canvas like a hot knive through butter.
My print counters shows in excess of a 1000 prints (Mostly canvas) and the cutter is cutting as it did from day one.
Not sure where that information came from in the Epson chain but from "my" operational standpoint it stays on.

+1

/Sven

[TylerB]

One more comment, if we keep this thread going it needs to be renamed or started anew. Dan, I appreciate the advice, and yes I do indeed do that now. I have a one man shop, I do many things at once, making sure I am at the printer each time a cut will occur to assist it is not my idea of a functional cutter. In fact there are times the printer may be doing several on a roll and cut in my absence. So, I consider this a flawed cutter, period. That's my point. I'm not looking for workarounds, I'm looking for Epson to improve their pro level and expensive product, I know for a fact others share my experience.
But thanks, and by the way, I never print on canvas, so whatever cutter/canvas issues may or may not exist are not what I was referring to...
Tyler

[dgberg]

Sorry I disagree but their is nothing wrong with the cutter itself. (At least not mine.) With wide materials it does not matter if it is matte paper or canvas.
Wide heavy materials  all react the same.(Sagging on the cut side causing binding.)
I admit it would be nice if Epson had designed something to hold the heavy print from falling before it is completely cut off.
Always cost versus benefit.

[Sven W]

My post above about cleaning the cutter, was tip from an Epson Tech. Because I called them for a cutter problem that was
the same as Tyler mention; Canson Baryta and Hot Press.
But he also adjusted the "driving-belt" and position of the cutter. Everything worked perfect.
After that I clean the cutter on regular basis.

/Sven

[davidh202]

Specifically stated on the Info sheet that came with PCM.

"If your printer has a cutter,do not use it to cut the paper.The thickness of this media will dull the cutter blade.Additionally,lint from cutting the paper can clog the print head cleaning mechanism and make it necessary to clean the print head more freequently or have the printer serviced.Instead press the (down arrow) Paper Feed button to feed the paper to the cutting position.Then cut it with scissors another type of cutter or the optional manual media cutting system ( avilable with printers listed below)...7600,7800,7880,9600,9800,9880,10600.

 

[Sven W]

Yea, but the 9900 has a completely different cutter than the printers on your list.

/Sven

[fetish]

Yea, but the 9900 has a completely different cutter than the printers on your list.

/Sven

ditto, the x900 series had a completely new disc/rotary cutter which does not have most of the problems of its predecessors.

[davidh202]

According to the fact sheet it lists the 7900-9900 and other (Utrachrome models) as supported printers, and the list at the bottom stipulates  models specifcally to use the[size12pt] optional [/size]  manual cutter available for those specific models only.

So I take that at face value... "If your printter has a cutter don't use it" !
don't use the auto cutter that is built in to the 7900-9900 or the others on the supported printer list for this canvas, but you can use the manual (optional) cutter available for the printers on the list wrote above. 

[Sven W]

What a lot of rubbish!
I'm printing almost every day on our 49- and 9900, and use the auto-cutter on every media out there !!
As Dan posted, it's like "a hot knife through butter".

/Sven

[Farmer]

There is absolutely no reason to avoid using the cutter on the 900/890 series printers when using canvas.  The comments about not using it relate exclusively to previous generations of printers.

In fact, you'll find that the driver for the previous generations of printers won't allow you to set to cut for canvas, but the 900/890 series will, which is a pretty clear indication as to the intent.

As Dan has said, there's zero problem with canvas and heavy media in terms of cutting.  Wide prints may have some issues, although personally I've not found it a problem.  You can set the basket to be more of a "ramp" for want of a better term, which offers some support during cutting, but still I've not found this necessary but I understand that others may have a different experience and may well print more or on different media.

[Randy Carone]

I suppose it is obvious at this point, but as an Epson dealer, I can confirm that the cutter on the X900 series printers is engineered to cut canvas. There is no longer a need to manually cut canvas. The old style razor knife on Epson printers before the 900 series had a tendency to carry the fibers to the head area as it is a static knife. The new rotary cutter does not carry the fibers to the head end of the printer because it turns as it moves across the media, which avoids the issue of fibers at the head. If a cutter is exhibiting problems it may need service.

[TylerB]

It frankly escapes me why there is any problem with the point I am making. To be clear- I do not print on canvas, the problems I am describing occur with fine art papers. The cutter has been service multiple times and replaced, and the errors and problems verified by a tech in the internal log. With every previous large format Epson I have owned or still own, I have not had this problem. Yes, the old cutter required printer cleaning as it was inside the printing cavity, everyone knows that, but it would print and cut print after print after print un-monitored or "helped" manually.

Other than the lack of required printer chamber cleaning and less frequent blade replacement, the new cutter, JUST AS A CUTTER, does not perform as reliably for me and others I know.
I hope Epson, at the least, hears me.
Tyler

[gromit]

Other than the lack of required printer chamber cleaning and less frequent blade replacement, the new cutter, JUST AS A CUTTER, does not perform as reliably for me and others I know.

The only time I had problems with the cutter on my 7900 and 9900 is when I hold the paper OUT from the printer. Try pressing the paper against the feed chassis at both sides at the time of the cut. Readjusting the basket position can also help the paper lie flatter on the feed.