KeyStoning on my 9900

[Bethie75]

Hi everyone,
 This is my first time posting here. I usually wander around and have found many helpful tips, thank you.

I'm hoping someone may be able to help me. I'm printing on an Epson 9900 and I'm having an issue with the images not printing square. I've run some tests, and I realize that this is probably also happening at the smaller sizes, but it's not evident. The problem came to my attention when I printed files at 40" x 60". the width at the bottom is 5/16 different than the width at the top. I realize this is also minute, but the client is framing the piece with a 1/4" reveal, so the 5/16" is very obvious.
  Any ideas?

 Any help will be appreciated.

Thank you very much,
Beth

[AFairley]

I realize that this is on the level of "have you checked that it's plugged in," but have you confirmed that the print area of the image actually is rectangular (if you have applied perspective correction in Lightroom but your crop is a little outside the corrected image area I thnk you would get what you are seeing on the print, for example).

[Bethie75]

haha- yes, but I appreciate any tips. I should have clarified what "ran some tests" means.

Specifically, I did check the problem files and they are square (this happened in two different oversized prints).
They are printed on Hahnemuhle German Etching paper (310 GSM)
1-I cleaned the rollers with alcohol and a lint free cloth (hoping the issue may have been that the coating from the papers I use transferred, and were now causing the paper to slip a bit while feeding). In the past when I've had a similar issue, this helped to resolve the problem.
2-I ganged up 6 smaller files, (approx 16x20's) into one large document and stroked the edge (at 40"x60") so that I could then measure the individual printed images as well as the ganged 40" x 60" printed edge. (this was both in an effort to see if smaller files are shifting as well as to print a 40x60 image without wasting paper or ink. The result here was that the 40x60 stroked edge was indeed off square, but the individual files were off a negligible amount. This says to me that yes, the prints are all shifting, but it's cumulative, so that on a 16x20 it's not noticeable, but on a 40x60, it is an issue. MAINLY it's an issue for this client because the print is being matted and framed with a reveal, meaning that the mat doesn't go to the printed edge, rather it 'reveals' a bit of paper before the mat window begins.  So, in this case, the 5/16" is a major issue for the framer and client.

 I'm at a loss what to tell them. I wonder if this is within epson's margin of error?

Has anyone else faced this issue?

Thank you for the replies!

[iladi]

Try to Gently Clean the encoder strip with a lint free cloth. Isopropyl alcohol will do the job.

[Bethie75]

what/where is the encoder strip?

[Farmer]

To clarify, the absolute width (direction of print head movement) is different from the beginning to the end?  Have you tried printing an absolute square (say 5mm thick, so you don't pour ink onto the media) and checking?

Or, are you saying that the border is different, but the absolute width of the printed image is unchanged?

One indicates slipping media, one indicates a problem with the movement of the head carriage.

Have you tried different media?  What media settings are you using to approximate this particular stock?

[Paul2660]

If the image size stays constant but the border changes, it's skew. This is common on all Epsons I have owned albeit the 9900 handles it better than the rest.

If it's skew the only way to attempt a fix I know of is re-load the paper and hope for a more even load. Skew will be made worse if the roll ends are not even and don't allow the paper holders to fit flush. This is a common issue.

Skew will always be worse on a larger print like you have.

Paul

[iladi]

here

[Wayne Fox]

this does not sound at all like an encoder strip problem ...

I’m still a little unclear as the original description of the problem, but this sounds more like a paper skew/slippage problem.

[AFairley]

this does not sound at all like an encoder strip problem ...

I’m still a little unclear as the original description of the problem, but this sounds more like a paper skew/slippage problem.

Rereading the OPS first post, my understanding is that the length difference is along the long side of the print, i.e. in the direction of paper feed, correct?

If it's  skew/slippage, shouldn't the OP see overprinting at some point on the image, or is it so gradual as to be unnoticeable for that amount at that size? (I've only see this kind of skew with roller slippage at the end of the print where the overprinting is obvious because of the amount of skew relative to the print travel distance.)

[Wayne Fox]

Yeah, slippage etc was just a shot in the dark. From how I’m interpreting the original post, the inserted piece of paper would be 40x60 inches, with a border, and the border if measured at the top would be slightly smaller (about 5/32”) on both sides than it is a the bottom.  But perhaps the border is the same on one side and 5/16’s wider on the other ...?

I guess my thought was that if the paper was slightly askew,  the printer would be stopping at it’s far right point but the paper is creeping one way or the other.  But this seems as though it should just print a slightly askew image, not something that isn’t rectangular. I can’t think of any way or reason it would be this far off.

to the OP, is this sheet or roll paper?

[Bethie75]

Thank you so much for your replies. I really appreciate it.

I am printing off a 44" Hahnemuhle German Etching Roll. The image itself should be 40x60, the paper is 44" x 70" when trimmed.

The problem is the that the actual image (printed area) itself is printing off skew. I will attempt this with another paper as well. Epson recommended that I calibrate the Paper Feed Mechanism. I will let you know how that worked.

Thanks again!

[Paul2660]

Skew on Epson is mainly due to the fact the the printer can't load in the paper evenly. This issue was worse IMO with the older Epsons. With the 9900 your best best is to try to reload the paper and see if you get a more even load.  If he paper is not even on the roll which is common then you are going to have some issues. This tends to be more an issue for me with canvas.

Note of the skew is over 1/8th of an inch you should get an error at the end of the printing on the LCD. Epson considers skew of less than 1/8th of an inch within spec. Past that and you should get a skew error on the LCD after the print. I spent 2 years and 3 Epson printers trying to get around this issue and finally gave up.

Such errors create havoc when trying to print canvas prints with a mirrored edge or solid edge as the straight line edge won't line up on the stretcher bar.



Paul