Canvas printing problem

[EMay]

Hello All, I am printing with an Epson 7900 on Epson Exhibition Canvas Satin and coating with Clear Shield (spraying). It appears that on certain prints that the ink is not adhering to the high spots on the canvas after coating. I've printed these images on photo paper and they come out fine so I don't think the pictures aren't saturated enough. I am using the canned Epson profile (SP7900 9900 ECS MK v1) which has been pretty good on the color for me. I'm using an hvlp gun and do have 35 yrs. spraying experience so I don't think it's the spraying although this doesn't show up until after I sprayed (non diluted Clear Shield).
It seems to be an adhesion problem and am wondering if I should be using a matte canvas instead of the satin. Has anyone else come across this? E

[dgberg]

How long have you left the ink dry?
24 hours is fairly standard for most canvases but the consensus for the new Epson line is 48 hours.

[EMay]

Dan, come to think of it the 2 prints that I showed were printed less than 24 hrs before so you are probably right on this. The other 7 prints had dried for days and hadn't shown this problem. Thanks!

[blpanther]

from my experience this shouldnt matter - i have varnished canvasses straight from the printer and never experienced this kind of issue. what media type do you use in driver ? do you print through rip or directly from photoshop ? could it be too much ink which will need this extra time to dry properly ?

[Landscapes]

I would bet that your problem is that you're not using the glossy black ink.  I did the exact same stupid thing.  Always used matte canvas on my Canon iPF6100 and it came out gorgeous, and when I tried the satin canvas, ink was coming off, even days later. 

A kind member on here mentioned that perhaps I wasn't using the right black ink and he was totally right.  I used the same profile and media setting for the sample roll of satin that I bought that I was using for the matte canvas which told the printer to use matte black versus the glossy black which is what I needed on the satin surface.  Changing the media setting fixed the problem. 

I'm not sure with your particular printer and black switching, but it sounds like you have matte black loaded and you really need the PK for the satin canvas.

[EMay]

Interesting thread -thanks. I'm doing pretty much what Dano has posted, mk driver, media - watercolor radiant white, etc... except I have been using canvas in the printer control panel which he says doesn't matter. I think the ink was not dry enough on these prints. Maybe I will switch to matte canvas in the future, I feel the ink would have better adhesion to it than the satin surface.
Question - Is the pk ink more durable on the satin canvas than mk ink before coating?
Thanks for the responses.

[Landscapes]

Question - Is the pk ink more durable on the satin canvas than mk ink before coating?
Thanks for the responses.

The difference is night and day.  I'm using Canon ink and hence it is different than Epson ink, but for me, the MK ink just didn't seem to dry even after days.  It could easily be wiped off with a finger, and after it was coated, the coating would still come off because the ink layer underneath was acting like a lubricant.  Now I should say that it was more the black border that I print around my canvases, so it was 100% MK ink and hence the image part would have small amounts of actual MK ink mixed in with other colors.  But I would certainly never use MK ink on the satin canvas again.  Mind you, I won't be using the satin canvas anyway.  Its more expensive, it curls up in the printer which jammed my printhead, and it feels more like cardboard.  The exhibition matte is superior to the satin in my opinion, and your coating can give you a matte or satin or glossy finish if you so desire.

[EMay]

Thanks Kiran I think I'll switch to matte in the future and will try the pk next time.