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Author Topic: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels  (Read 12297 times)

davidh202

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #20 on: February 20, 2013, 10:26:25 pm »

I believe that the simple act of firing each nozzle regularly with even the smallest amount ink from a nozzle check, is definately enough to do the trick.
I think too many people are way over thinking the entire process, getting paranoid, and way too technical.
 It is primarily the lack of use that causes the biggest problems. If you at least do a daily nozzle check if you are not actually printing often, you should be just fine by just printing 1 or 2 nozzle checks at least every couple of days.!
I use plain office paper and print a check on one side, then flip over and print a second one if I don't print for a few days.
If your talking about not printing for weeks or months at I time, well that's a whole other subject that I don't even care to get into...

 
« Last Edit: February 20, 2013, 10:29:00 pm by davidh202 »
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #21 on: February 20, 2013, 10:37:30 pm »

I believe that the simple act of firing each nozzle regularly with even the smallest amount ink from a nozzle check, is definately enough to do the trick.
I think too many people are way over thinking the entire process, getting paranoid, and way too technical.
 It is primarily the lack of use that causes the biggest problems. If you at least do a daily nozzle check if you are not actually printing often, you should be just fine by just printing 1 or 2 nozzle checks at least every couple of days.!
I use plain office paper and print a check on one side, then flip over and print a second one.
 

You believe that so you can't say it's "definitely enough to do the trick". If you KNEW that it would be a different story. :-)

I happen to "believe" that a nozzle check alone is inadequate to assure trouble free performance. This is because it uses so little ink that virtually nothing actually moves through the whole delivery system to keep it wet. These printers are meant to make prints, not just nozzle checks. If you don't use them to make prints regularly, under-use and low humidity are the two key recipes for trouble. Epson pro-graphics people with whom I have raised these issues make these points consistently every time, so I have no reason to believe otherwise. A page of patches or a rainbow or better still real photographs run through the printers at least every several days is much more likely to keep you out of trouble than doing only nozzle checks.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Darrel

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #22 on: February 20, 2013, 11:25:04 pm »

I made the printer exercise image a couple months back for my Canon 8300.  Since I do not print on a hardly any gloss paper, I make a plot file using gloss media settings, but print on plain cheap paper.  While there has been some talk on other threads about printing an 8X11 or nozzle check every few days, I do not think that is enough, as you will be hardly doing anything with PM, PC or BK/MBK depending on media type.  The test print runs about 1ml of ink total, roughly 0.1 ml per color. So printing this out 3 times a week will use 150ml per year.  This was just a quick hack image for now, ideally you would want to send another image with a few squares of MBK ink, to exercise you MBK if your main image is set for gloss papers.

If you would like to print unattended while on vacation, the LPR DOS command will send your plotfile to the printer, which can be scheduled by the windows task scheduler, with the LPR command in a batch file.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2013, 11:27:57 pm by Darrel »
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TylerB

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #23 on: February 21, 2013, 12:01:11 am »

printing the calibration page in calibration mode in QTR will print a step wedge of all carts individually, even the light inks separately from their darker component...
Tyler
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RHPS

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #24 on: February 21, 2013, 04:10:51 am »

printing the calibration page in calibration mode in QTR will print a step wedge of all carts individually, even the light inks separately from their darker component...
Tyler
I second that. A great tool for exercising colors individually, and very easy to make "purge" images that truly use only one ink. Not much use to Canon users unfortunately.....
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Stephen G

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #25 on: February 21, 2013, 04:51:20 am »

printing the calibration page in calibration mode in QTR will print a step wedge of all carts individually, even the light inks separately from their darker component

Yes, useful, but it ignores the orange and green inks.
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Ernst Dinkla

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #26 on: February 21, 2013, 05:47:46 am »

When I still used Epsons, >6 years ago, I had a small rainbow image next to the prints on a Qimage print page, left or right or both depending on the paper wasted anyway. A 5 feet long 0.4" wide CcMmYK like RGB rainbow image. Length cropped to the print page length, Qimage has features for clipping on the fly. The CcMmYK description in RGB did not have to be accurate as long as all the head channels were kept busy at some demand during the print page run. So the full yellow that was only in the last image to print still got a functioning yellow channel. Desperate measures in my opinion but I have seen RIPs with that feature, calibrate and profile targets with that addition.

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Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

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December 2012, 500+ inkjet media white spectral plots.



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TylerB

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #27 on: February 21, 2013, 08:59:32 am »

It does print O & G as well, do you have the 10 channel ink sep file? When Roy was first working on 9900 support I tested it for him, I know it works.
Tyler
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Wayne Fox

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #28 on: February 21, 2013, 03:22:44 pm »

I believe that the simple act of firing each nozzle regularly with even the smallest amount ink from a nozzle check, is definately enough to do the trick.
It's definitely not enough to do the trick if you are trying to avoid the problem of some air being pulled back into the nozzle after a clean.  This manifests itself when after doing a clean a nozzle check shows different nozzles "clogged" ... which aren't really clogged, just some air.  You can print several nozzle checks and still not get enough ink.

I don't know how much it takes, and my page might use more than necessary (thus my plan on reducing it down). But a nozzle check isn't anywhere near enough ink.
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Scott Martin

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #29 on: February 21, 2013, 03:49:16 pm »

a nozzle check isn't anywhere near enough ink.

I agree and wish Epson and Canon had an option to put down what's enough to ensure proper maintenance during periods of inactivity. If they could help us protect ourselves from under-usage it would be a big help! And you would think they would know how best to go about this, and welcome the extra ink usage.
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Scott Martin
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enduser

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #30 on: February 21, 2013, 05:51:51 pm »

With my Canon I just do a calibration and that guarantees every color is used.  As has been said before, "Calibrate often". ;)
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JohnHeerema

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #31 on: February 21, 2013, 09:14:14 pm »

Quote
I don't know how much it takes, and my page might use more than necessary (thus my plan on reducing it down). But a nozzle check isn't anywhere near enough ink.

I've done a bit of experimentation with my 9900. For me, in my environment, one page a day isn't quite enough to completely avoid clogs, but two pages is. Of course, your mileage may vary.
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Stephen G

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #32 on: February 21, 2013, 11:31:17 pm »

It does print O & G as well, do you have the 10 channel ink sep file? When Roy was first working on 9900 support I tested it for him, I know it works.
Tyler

Ah hah. thank you.
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Wayne Fox

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #33 on: February 21, 2013, 11:38:03 pm »

I agree and wish Epson and Canon had an option to put down what's enough to ensure proper maintenance during periods of inactivity. If they could help us protect ourselves from under-usage it would be a big help! And you would think they would know how best to go about this, and welcome the extra ink usage.

+1
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #34 on: February 21, 2013, 11:58:56 pm »

On one of these other LULA threads about Epson printer clogs someone posted a home-made app called "holiday mode" offered for download. I downloaded it but haven't unzipped it yet so I have no idea how or whether it works. But it's attached - use at your own risk.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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davidh202

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #35 on: February 22, 2013, 12:04:08 am »

I'm not arguing with what you say Wayne, but it is power cleans and back to back cleans that cause air to be drawn back .My 7900 is now 2 1/2 years old and my 9890 is at it's 1 year anniversary. I have never had to do a power clean on either machine (knocks on wood), and never had a instance of more nozzles dropping out after a clean and nozzle check.
I have had two  instances wherethe 7900 had a complete PK or MK channel drop out after a switch, but have always recovered by allowing the machine to rest for an hour or so and restarting it to pressurize the system again,then re-doing the nozzle check.

I have said before that I have my machines set at the default setting of auto cleans and checks periodically, and I allow them to do their own thing even if it wastes a little ink. Being penny wise and pound foolish with the inks is a surefire way to get into trouble!
My ink costs are built into my costs of doing business and what I charge for my printing services. When I get a "clean me" message I do a nozzle check to see which nozzles are being ornry, and then do a pairs clean. usually when the machine detects a clog it goes into auto clean and it is fixed on it's own without getting "carts too low to clean messages" and having to put new carts in to do the necessary cleaning, and the switch them back out for the old ones .It sure seems to be working for me  ;)  
I guess each machine has it's own quirks, YMMV

David
« Last Edit: February 22, 2013, 12:08:54 am by davidh202 »
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l_d_allan

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #36 on: February 22, 2013, 12:50:05 pm »

Here's the current version of my file.  I tweak it a little each time to try and get a perfect balance of all colors but it's getting pretty close now.

I've been doing something similar, especially when evaluating a used printer on CraigsList. IF AND ONLY IF it passes a nozzle check, then I proceed through a series of increasingly challenging "stress tests".
  • nozzle check on cheap glossy paper to look at nozzle check closer
  • IFF passes, re-use glossy paper above on what I think of as a "safe level ink usage" test with slow, uni-directional, high-quality
  • increasingly stressful tests leading to ...
  • large rectangular patches of pure CMYK at bi-directional, fast, standard quality (and Red & Green with 8 color inkjets like Canon 9000-2)

I'm aware this doesn't really test the PM and PC ink nozzles, or the smaller 1 pl and 3 pl nozzles on 4 color Canon inkjets. It does seem to check ink flow overall, especially if the refilled ink cartridges and print-head ink buffers are "breathing" ok.
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cybis

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #37 on: February 22, 2013, 01:00:27 pm »

This method will exercise all nozzles in all channels exactly and equally using QuadtoneRIP on x900.
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l_d_allan

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #38 on: February 22, 2013, 01:17:36 pm »

Personally I think Epson should design this into the firmware ... whenever you print a nozzle check it first prints a small block of each ink color.

Agree !!!!! if for Epson (of which I'm almost completely ignorant).

But I'd have this as a separate check IFF the nozzle check works ok for non-Epson inkjets. Especially with Canon (and HP and others?) using heat too "explode" the ink.

But why stop with that kind of firmware improvement. At one point, I think I recall writting to Canon tech support to suggest adding things like:
  • time-stamp of nozzle check (also alignment)
  • EEPROM info like serial number of printer and print-head (for people with multiple printers and/or print-heads)

And why stop there?
  • settings like Quality, MediaType (not applicable for basic nozzle check)
  • IIRC, some Canon printers provide a capability of printing out the "slanted lines" for each color, similar to the norm for the black pigment nozzle check. I would find that Very Helpful to check for individual non-working nozzles.
  • progressively more challenging tests IFF nozzle check passes
  • especially "pure patches" of each group of nozzles, with break-outs for 1 pl, 3 pl, 5 pl, PM, PC, etc.
  • Perhaps have a "wizard" or HAL, kind of like the Canon print-driver does after the nozzle check to ask about cleaning
  • "Dave, would you like to print pure CMYK+ patches?"
  • "Sorry, Dave. I can't do that. You indicated the nozzle check didn't pass.")
  • and the list goes on
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TylerB

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Re: Dummy Image to Print to Equally Exercise All Ink Channels
« Reply #39 on: February 22, 2013, 02:40:59 pm »

This method will exercise all nozzles in all channels exactly and equally using QuadtoneRIP on x900.

cool, I'll try it, thanks!
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