BW Banding using Image Print and Hot press Natural

[Jglaser757]

I have been having an issue with banding or faint stripes on BW prints on a new epson 9900. My color prints are fine.

I am using IP RIP and their recommended settings and epson's recommended settings but I'm still getting a faint stripe when printing BW.

I called Image Print again and they recommended creating a custom paper. So I called epson for their help which wasn't much.  Settings are as follows,

 fine art ultra smooth
Platen gap, wider
Paper feed adjustment .0.05%
Drying time 0
Paper suction normal
Roll paper tension normal

Help me please. I had the same issue but worse with Entrada Rag natural. I waisted that roll trying to adjust the media feed and other things in the IP software. And decided to switch to manufactures paper until I figure out how to use this beast.

[dchew]

If you print through PS or LR using the standard pipeline (either using ABW or the software) is there still banding?

I just went upstairs and looked close at a few b&w 17x22's I printed using IP on hot press bright (7900). They look fine, so I don't think it is the IP driver controls or settings. Although neither print has large solid black areas, which I assume is where you see the banding? If I have some time today I will print one that does have heavy blacks.  Do you use any tint in the narrow gamut selection or straight neutral?

This doesn't make much sense but I will ask anyway:
1. Are you printing fast using both directions or slow? There is a choice in IP.
2. Have you run a head alignment test? You mentioned it is new.

Dave

[Jglaser757]

Far questions to ask,,After the issue with the Entrada Rag and waisting a full roll on that, I ran a head alignment..

Technological support at IP asked me about the speed also,,I am running slow(not High speed). I did run a test strip of the Paper without using IP to see what happens. The shades were off, but there was no banding. The print should of had deeper blacks and whiter whites but was more of a dark coffee kind of tone.

[dchew]

And you are using Matte black right? Or are you trying to use the Phatte thing?

I wonder if fast would be better...? Less time for the ink to soak in between passes, IDK.

Dave

[Jglaser757]

I didnt use Phatte black,,,Im using mat! I can try another test strip using trying fast!

[Roscolo]

Hard to help you without some pictures of the problem.

[Jglaser757]

Hard to help you without some pictures of the problem.

The banding is defintely better but it is still faint..but now there is a huge horizontal rub mark on my print,,same corner every time.

the vertical banding is hard to see , but you can see that huge rub on the second one.

Could this be an issue with the print head?

[Jglaser757]

well, I did a head alignment and that took care of the horizontal banding..(recommended in the manual.

Also the manual recommended to increase the value for the paper feed and this is the result,,it was set to 5,,it was 3 before.

[robgo2]

This is very puzzling.  I use IP to print BW on Hot Press Natural all the time with my 3880, and I have never seen banding.  The prints are gorgeous.  My guess is that the problem lies somewhere in the printer.

Good luck figuring it out.

Rob

[Jglaser757]

Nope, it's not the printer. I ran a print using epson's profile straight thru the printer from Lightroom
and there is no banding. So it's an adjustment with the media and IP.  This sucks. All IP tech support told me was to vary media speed, try different. Platen gaps and/ or media types .

[Roscolo]

Those pictures are too low res to show the problem. I'm looking at one now and it is 6.6 x 8.8 @ 72dpi