Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: jsch on March 30, 2015, 04:47:05 am

Title: Strange row of dots with Epson 9880
Post by: jsch on March 30, 2015, 04:47:05 am

Hello,

suddenly my Epson 9880 produces always a row of black dots on the left side of the print, marked with red circle and arrow (you must be logged in to see the attached image). Any ideas welcome.

Thank you.
Best
Johannes

Title: Re: Strange row of dots with Epson 9880
Post by: Some Guy on March 30, 2015, 09:41:14 am

I'll guess those are the feed wheel's teeth pushing up the paper, and the black is residual ink off the print head retainer on those mountains.

Might want to widen the platen and head both for the paper you are using.  Maybe try and clean the underside of the printer and the capping station's wiper blade too.  I sometimes see those marks, but if I keep the head clean it won't leave the black marks and be as telling.  I tend to widen the platen a step more that what most recommend too, and the paper clearance doesn't seem liner and I sometimes really have to enter a far larger number for the head or I can hear the scrape (Sound's like horse hoofs!) of the head passing over the paper.

SG

Title: Re: Strange row of dots with Epson 9880
Post by: hugowolf on March 30, 2015, 08:22:05 pm

Quote from: jsch on March 30, 2015, 04:47:05 am

suddenly my Epson 9880 produces always a row of black dots on the left side of the print, marked with red circle and arrow (you must be logged in to see the attached image). Any ideas welcome.

I get those when printing profile patches with X-rite software, and I never get them otherwise. I think they have nothing to do with feeding rollers. It is an X-rite thing, and I really don't see it as a problem.

Brian A

Title: Re: Strange row of dots with Epson 9880
Post by: Farmer on March 31, 2015, 05:49:31 pm

What's your vacuum set at and platen gap?

Title: Re: Strange row of dots with Epson 9880
Post by: jferrari on April 01, 2015, 08:12:35 am

As SG pointed out earlier, have you performed routine head cleaning, flushing box cleaning and wiper cleaning? As the paper advances (line feed) it may raise slightly and a blob of ink-soaked paper dust may be touching the paper as the carriage changes direction.   - Jim

Title: Re: Strange row of dots with Epson 9880
Post by: Garnick on April 01, 2015, 09:58:42 am

Hi Johannes,

For how long have you noticed this problem?  Have you ever printed anything that did actually have these dots included as part of the image file?  if the answer is yes, check your print cue in the very unlikely event that a file might be stuck there, not deleted after printing.  I cannot imagine how that could happen, but at this point it's an easy thing to do to eliminate that possibility.

Gary 

Title: Re: Strange row of dots with Epson 9880
Post by: jferrari on April 02, 2015, 05:19:37 pm

Quote from: jsch on April 02, 2015, 10:20:43 am

Cleaning did the trick. Thank you. Everything is back to normal for now. Thank you.

Glad to hear it! Have fun printing again!    - Jim