Lexjet Sunset Select Matte Canvas - LINES / CREASES IN CANVAS!!!

[Roscolo]

I love Sunset Select Matte canvas, but I cannot recommend it unless Lexjet institutes some quality control. Printing on a 36" wide roll they sent me when they were out of the 44" and it has horizontal, like, fold lines that appear randomly throughout the roll. I've sure if you've used this stuff you know what I'm talking about.

 I didn't have any other stock so I had to print on it. Prints are 16x20 and sprayed.

Question: Does anyone have any method or trick to eliminate or at least partially "hide" these crease / fold lines?

Thanks

[mstevensphoto]

are they cracks in your print or "stretches" in the canvas? if the later, try spraying the back lightly with hot water and letting it dry - it's a way to spot stretch the canvas. if not mounted you could try some pressure for a bit.

I've largely not found the quality trade off to be worth it for the cost savings of lexjet products.

[KenBabcock]

I spray the back of all my canvases after stretching with water, regardless of the canvas brand.  Helps to tighten it up that little bit extra and works great.

[na goodman]

I pressed the back with a warm iron and they came out. I know exactly what you are talking about. I thought the problem was solved last summer. I wonder if it wasn't an old roll from a supplier they do not use any longer.

[Peter McLennan]

I am a complete newbie at wide format printing but I've successfully used photo quality inkjet printers for over a decade.  

I, too am having troubles printing on Lexjet Sunset Matte.  My Epson 9800 output is showing half-centimeter-wide streaks and marks that destroy areas of even tone. Clear blue skies are impossible to print.  These marks sometimes extend over the entire print and run at right angles to the direction of head travel.  

Investigating during printing with a flashlight, I was able to see substantial buckling in a pattern that mirrors the row of guide rollers across the page, immediately adjacent to the most-recently printed swath.

Perhaps experienced 9800 users can advise me: is this a pattern that results from the vacuum pump?  I've side-lit this with an LED flashlight.



So far, changing the platen height has not altered the output.  

My next step in debugging this problem is to change media.  

[Roscolo]

I pressed the back with a warm iron and they came out. I know exactly what you are talking about. I thought the problem was solved last summer. I wonder if it wasn't an old roll from a supplier they do not use any longer.

Thanks for the replies all. Yes, I tried using just a regular clothes iron on them, and that did the trick, or at least minimized the effect. I had already sprayed the prints, so I just wiped the crease with a damp rag, from the back, and ironed it and didn't leave the print lying on the ironing board, as it definitely softens the coating. Pain in the rear. And Lexjet never offered to make good on these crease rolls.

[Paul2660]

Peter,

I believe what you are seeing are what I used to call "pressure marks"  They are created by the canvas being pulled over the platen.  When you look at the platen, note there are raised parts, or bars and valleys.  I believe your lines will line up with the raised bars.  BTW look on the back of any paper print especially RC and you may also see the same marks running down the back of the print.

Personally, I have always been surprised more people didn't notice this as all my 9880's did it to some degree.  My 3 9880 which was an Epson replacement and was shipped as a new machine made the marks, but over time they would fade out.  Epson will tell you that this is normal and within spec, as I had 3 or 4 open calls on it for over a year. 

IMO it's tied to the suction i.e. the fans but there is no control for this.  Yes, you can set suction when you load canvas, (increase or decrease the amount) but as soon as the print starts, the suction returns to a normal setting that you can't control.

For the most part for me, the lines will fade out over time or once the canvas is coated and stretched you will not see them.  I hope yours work the same way.

For the record, my 9900 does the same thing with glossy paper, and faintly on canvas.  I have only found two glossy papers I can run that the 9900 will not "indent" with the same lines.  It's not a problem with luster.  On Canvas I may see the lines, but they are very faint and fade out by the time I coat.  With fibre paper especially Canson or Museso, I will also see the marks but since I dry mount paper prints (due to humidity in my location) they are not visible on the final product. 

Upon my install of the 9900 and my discovery of the lines/indents, I immediately opened a new call with Epson and shipped them several prints showing the effect.  Again their response was "normal" and "within spec" and they also claimed that they got the same marks with their lab 9900.  Personally I was surprised by this but it is what it is, and thus I started testing papers and canvas to see which would preform better. 

Paul Caldwell

[Peter McLennan]

Peter,

I believe what you are seeing are what I used to call "pressure marks" 

For the most part for me, the lines will fade out over time or once the canvas is coated and stretched you will not see them.  I hope yours work the same way.

Thanks Paul for your detailed reply.  Unfortunately, the marks I see are highly visible and do not fade.  They are more visible at some light angles than others, but whatever the cause, they result in wasted media and ink.  The prints are unusable.  My 4800 prints perfect skies. : )

At the risk of boring the rest of the forum with this topic, should we take this specific discussion offline?  I've already hi-jacked the heck out of this thread.

I definitely need more help and I really appreciate your input.  I'd like your permission to send an image of the marks.  If others are interested, we can continue here.

regards

Peter

[Paul2660]

Peter.

You can send me an image of them at paul@photosofarkansas.com

Paul

[Peter McLennan]

Thanks, Paul.  Debugging this problem is costly and frustrating.  I really appreciate your expertise.

By the way, on the "costly" part of the equation: Immediately following our last postings, the telephone on my desk rang.  It was Lexjet.  They'd been monitoring this thread.

A nice guy named Jason sympathized with my problem, agreed with me that it was costly to solve these issues and, with no prompting from me, offered a free roll of the media in question to help defray my costs.  Shipping included.  : ) 

I am not a large volume customer.  In fact, my total lifetime purchases of large format media consists of exactly two rolls of Lexjet Sunset Select Matte Canvas.

Not only is Lexjet listening, they're willing to help.  That pretty well defines the term "customer service"

[Roscolo]

By the way, on the "costly" part of the equation: Immediately following our last postings, the telephone on my desk rang.  It was Lexjet.  They'd been monitoring this thread.

Not only is Lexjet listening, they're willing to help.  That pretty well defines the term "customer service"

Just to be clear, I started this thread, and if Lexjet was "monitoring this thread" (doubt it) I certainly didn't get a PM. Hmmm. I remember some some telephone conversations when I ordered and Lexjet was very much aware they had been shipping out defective product. Trust me, I'm not the only one who had the problem. As such, Lexjet "customer service" pretty much blows. Fortunately I don't rely on them for anything except the occasional roll of Sunset Select Matte canvas. Like the product, but not when it has big old creases every few feet! Pain in the rear having to iron my canvas prints...lol. I have another roll still in the box. Hope I don't have to iron those!

Anyone have any info. on who actually manufactures the Lexjet branded Sunset Select Matte canvas?
Would prefer to buy from another source if the same product is available under another name by a company with a better grasp on quality control.

[Peter McLennan]

and if Lexjet was "monitoring this thread" (doubt it) I certainly didn't get a PM.

Roscolo, Lexjet must have been monitoring this thread.  They had no other way of knowing of my problem.  They telephoned me directly.  They had my phone number from previous transactions.

Another forum member has been extremely generous with technical assistance and, when I get to the bottom of my problem, I'll report back.

[Roscolo]

  They had my phone number from previous transactions.

Another forum member has been extremely generous with technical assistance and, when I get to the bottom of my problem, I'll report back.

Your problem is not related to mine. This roll of canvas is a 36" roll Lexjet sent instead of a 44" roll they did not have because they were aware of the creasing problem. So they sent me a 36" roll instead. Problem is, the 36" roll they sent has the creasing problem, too!  I sympathize with your problem, but you need to start a separate thread for your issue. Tx

[Peter McLennan]

but you need to start a separate thread for your issue. Tx

I agree.  I said earlier that I'd more or less hijacked this thread.  I apologize.

[Mark Potter]

Thanks for the replies all. Yes, I tried using just a regular clothes iron on them, and that did the trick, or at least minimized the effect. I had already sprayed the prints, so I just wiped the crease with a damp rag, from the back, and ironed it and didn't leave the print lying on the ironing board, as it definitely softens the coating. Pain in the rear. And Lexjet never offered to make good on these crease rolls.

I had the same creasing issues with Lexjet Sunset Matte Canvas and they included getting white specs on 24x36 prints that ment I had to toss it and print again and all Lexjet recommend was to unroll the roll and wipe it off before printing! one spot on the roll had a large "glop" made into from the manufacturing and sent them a pic of it. I burned about 2/3rds of the roll to get the ONE painting! Your right on with the iron, that's what I had to do.