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Author Topic: Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?  (Read 2331 times)

narikin

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Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?
« on: August 19, 2016, 10:05:21 am »

Hi - I'm getting a single super fine hairline scratch on prints (Legacy Baryta cut sheet) from my 3880, one position, runs the length of every print.
It appears either one of the paper handling pin/star wheels or finger rollers might be causing it - is there any way to adjust these at all? Or another answer?

I tried increasing paper gap - made no difference, but that's adjusting head height, not the handling rollers, I suspect, which come further down the paper path.
The 3880 has been a great printer, hate to have to get a new one just for this very fine line on a print that most people would not even notice.

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howardm

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Re: Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2016, 11:32:43 am »

perhaps a pass or two w/ a cleaning sheet or something to maybe grab whatever is causing the scratch (ie some piece of loose crud) vs. an issue w/ the star wheel etc

Wayne Fox

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Re: Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2016, 12:16:26 pm »

I tried increasing paper gap - made no difference, but that's adjusting head height, not the handling rollers,
Paper thickness adjusts the head height in relationship to the transport mechanism ... so the head is further from the surface of the paper.  Gap increases the overall path thickness allowing more space for the media, but the head height to paper relationship is maintained.

Usually a scratch like this is some dried ink or other material lodged in the paper path after the printhead.  The cleaning sheet mentioned often will resolve them .... http://www.redrivercatalog.com/acc/inkjet_printer_cleaning_sheets.html is one source. May just be able to see it and clean it up with a q tip and some windex or alcohol. 

This is assuming the scratch isn't physical damage being done to the receptor coating before the print head which prevents it from holding the ink.  This is rare and usually pretty obvious.

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narikin

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Re: Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2016, 01:17:17 pm »

Thanks.

Didn't know about printer cleaning sheets, will order and give a try. I suspect one of the pin wheels has some debris, that needs removing to free it up.

I'd think a sheet of regular paper misted with water to make it tacky, would be just as effective, but am happy to try the official product first.
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Wayne Fox

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Re: Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2016, 01:28:44 pm »

Thanks.

Didn't know about printer cleaning sheets, will order and give a try. I suspect one of the pin wheels has some debris, that needs removing to free it up.

I'd think a sheet of regular paper misted with water to make it tacky, would be just as effective, but am happy to try the official product first.
should be pretty easy to figure out if it is one of those, as they are quite visible so the scratch should match up with one of them if they are they cause. Most of those are pretty easy to access with a qTip. 

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howardm

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Re: Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2016, 01:32:37 pm »

amazon also sells official Epson cleaning sheets imported from Japan.

narikin

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Re: Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2016, 03:59:03 pm »

Excuse my ignorance, but how does one use these cleaning sheets - run them through slowly enough thorough without printing on them?
(you don't print on them do you?!)
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graeme

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Re: Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?
« Reply #7 on: August 19, 2016, 06:56:56 pm »

This is a fix for pizza wheel marks but might be worth a try if all else fails:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZqdM-1skEU
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Wayne Fox

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Re: Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?
« Reply #8 on: August 19, 2016, 10:39:21 pm »

Excuse my ignorance, but how does one use these cleaning sheets - run them through slowly enough thorough without printing on them?
(you don't print on them do you?!)
Yes, load them like a sheet of paper.  Some printers will error out and just spit it out, but if it actually loads, then just eject it.  You can usually run it through a few times.
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narikin

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Re: Very fine hairline scratch on 3880 prints - any way to fix?
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2016, 08:31:37 am »

Got some of the Epson Japan sheets and that seemed to do it. or me fiddling in there lifting up the finger rollers and pizza wheels - not sure which did it, but the scratch has gone now.

Honestly you could simply run some A4 label paper through with 3/4 of the release paper removed (leave backing on for the leading 1/4) load it sticky side up, then eject through,  to drag off any dirt. That's all they are - single sided sticky sheets.

thanks all for help.
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