z3100 ink smearing...

[sloow]

I am having an issue with ink smearing on prints. Where a dark area meets a light area, black ink (I think it's black, anyways) is showing up on the white areas of the print. I removed and cleaned the printheads, and whatever I can reach in the printhead carriage, but evidently no luck so far. Is this a print head issue, or just some fibre stuck on some part of the print head carriage that's dragging the ink around?

thanks

[Ernst Dinkla]

I am having an issue with ink smearing on prints. Where a dark area meets a light area, black ink (I think it's black, anyways) is showing up on the white areas of the print. I removed and cleaned the printheads, and whatever I can reach in the printhead carriage, but evidently no luck so far. Is this a print head issue, or just some fibre stuck on some part of the print head carriage that's dragging the ink around?

thanks

Very difficult to say something about that.
Is the vertical dimension of the image representing the paper transport direction but turned over and that black-white border near an edge of the print?
The droplets further on seem to have the same distance between one another. Looks more like misfiring of a nozzle than paper lint.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[sloow]

Thanks for your reply Ernst,

I changed what I thought were the offending printheads- PK-Grey and MK -Red, as well as removing all printheads and inspecting for dust on the printheads and in the printhead carriage as far as I can see, but I still have the same problem. The smear happens on the leading side of the carriage or (if you're looking into the printing area from the front, on the left side of the printhead), which makes me think that it really is just a piece of lint or dirt somewhere on the carriage head. I just can't see it. Is there a way to really get under there with something and have a good look, or wipedown without pulling the carriage out of the printer? Not that I want to go there.

Another thing. This also happens when printing a printhead alignment pattern, but not when printing the diagnostic pattern. All printheads seem to be firing normally, especially now that I've replaced two of the heads.



thanks

[Ernst Dinkla]

Thanks for your reply Ernst,

I changed what I thought were the offending printheads- PK-Grey and MK -Red, as well as removing all printheads and inspecting for dust on the printheads and in the printhead carriage as far as I can see, but I still have the same problem. The smear happens on the leading side of the carriage or (if you're looking into the printing area from the front, on the left side of the printhead), which makes me think that it really is just a piece of lint or dirt somewhere on the carriage head. I just can't see it. Is there a way to really get under there with something and have a good look, or wipedown without pulling the carriage out of the printer? Not that I want to go there.

Another thing. This also happens when printing a printhead alignment pattern, but not when printing the diagnostic pattern. All printheads seem to be firing normally, especially now that I've replaced two of the heads.



thanks

Hard to say what is going on. If you set the printer in head changing mode and pull the power cable out you can move the head carriage to either side. Maybe you can see something when it is shifted to the left side and looking through the left panel side with the panel removed (cutter replacement panel). You will need a torch. Check the black lid on the capping station at the right side then too. There can be a lot of waste ink accumulated there that transfers to the head carriage. Clean it with Windex. Load a plastic foil and try to clean the underside of the head carriage with a piece of wet cotton on that plastic. Never done that on the HP but it was a method for the Epsons.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[deanwork]

I would go to the printer panel and tell it to replace heads. When the head unit moves toward the center you can open the top cover and see the area inside to the right of the printer carriage. Look in there with a strong light of some kind. You will see the large wiper blade that sits back in there. Over time a lot of ink will build up inside this area. Clean with a damp cloth with something like windex on it. I've seen this happen about once a year and it can deposit ink onto the head unit which ends up on your paper. Each time the head moves back into this area it picks up more ink deposit.  I"ve had that happen and cleaning it cleared up my deposits on the paper. All brands of inkjet printers have this situation happen eventually, especially when a lot of black ink is laid down on big prints or a lot of prints in a short period of time.

j

Hard to say what is going on. If you set the printer in head changing mode and pull the power cable out you can move the head carriage to either side. Maybe you can see something when it is shifted to the left side and looking through the left panel side with the panel removed (cutter replacement panel). You will need a torch. Check the black lid on the capping station at the right side then too. There can be a lot of waste ink accumulated there that transfers to the head carriage. Clean it with Windex. Load a plastic foil and try to clean the underside of the head carriage with a piece of wet cotton on that plastic. Never done that on the HP but it was a method for the Epsons.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/