Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: soboyle on July 08, 2009, 10:11:33 am

Title: Head Strikes with Epson 3800
Post by: soboyle on July 08, 2009, 10:11:33 am

I have been printing Cranes Silver Rag 8x11 sheets with no problem, and yesterday I started getting printer head strikes with the same paper, from the same box. No changes to the printer or driver.
Paper seems quite flat. But the prints are useless, the strikes are occuring on the end of the prints, enough to skew the paper sheet, mark the paper surface, and cause mis-registration of the print, as well as ink on the edge of the paper.

Thoughts on the cause and the solution?
Maybe a change in the humidity, or perhaps the paper is curling somewhat once in the printer?
Premium luster is printing with no problems from the sheet feeder, but silver rag is striking from both rear feeder and sheet feeder.

Title: Head Strikes with Epson 3800
Post by: francois on July 08, 2009, 10:26:12 am

Quote from: soboyle

I have been printing Cranes Silver Rag 8x11 sheets with no problem, and yesterday I started getting printer head strikes with the same paper, from the same box. No changes to the printer or driver.
Paper seems quite flat. But the prints are useless, the strikes are occuring on the end of the prints, enough to skew the paper sheet, mark the paper surface, and cause mis-registration of the print, as well as ink on the edge of the paper.

Thoughts on the cause and the solution?
Maybe a change in the humidity, or perhaps the paper is curling somewhat once in the printer?
Premium luster is printing with no problems from the sheet feeder, but silver rag is striking from both rear feeder and sheet feeder.

It might be a problem with the humidity. I'm not using the same paper but I saw head-strikes with Ilford GFS. I'm using the sheet feeder instead of the rear or front manual feed and had yet to experience head-strikes. But I seem to remember that head-strikes occured when it was rainy last year (December) and never before.

You might want to read this lengthy discussion (jump to post #7 if you're in a hurry): http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=32881 (http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=32881)

Title: Head Strikes with Epson 3800
Post by: Gellman on July 08, 2009, 08:19:48 pm

Have you tried increasing the platten gap?

Title: Head Strikes with Epson 3800
Post by: howardm on July 09, 2009, 08:29:53 am

try setting the gap to wider or widest and the paper thickness to 5  (at least thats how its denoted in the Mac printer driver).

normally, Silver Rag doesn't present much if any problem