Line on left side of paper (when it is coming out) Img. Pro2000??

[JudyKonopka]

Hi, I have a line coming down the left side of my paper when it is coming out. Also, sort of uneven ink coverage with this heavy weight fine art paper (Red River Paulo During Etching).  I looked in the manual and couldln't find anything about a line on the left.  Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Here's a pic.  You can see the uneven coverage in the pic.  The high parts of the paper are lighter..and of course, the line. .  Head alignment is on high as well as vacuum strength.

[mearussi]

Looks like a scratch mark. Do you have the printer set for maximum head height and vacuum? Also is the paper curled in any way?

[I.T. Supplies]

What media type did you use for that paper?  Usually the media type will help with the head spacing, but you can manually adjust that too if the head doesn't adjust on the media type directly.

If you used the best media type, head space and profile and the line still shows after a few prints, contact Red River about it as it may be a coating issue on that area of the paper (unfortunately).

[Geraldo Garcia]

Hello Judy,

The small plastic wheels under the cover of the PRO-4000 that are supposed to prevent paper scratches sometimes can scratch the most delicate papers, even more if there is something stuck on it. Worth checking as it causes a longitudinal scratch as the one you have.

About the ink coverage, have you replaced the printhead? I saw a post from you a few days ago reporting an error that suggested printhead replacement.

Regards.

[Conner999]

Some papers will swell under ink-load and often, but not always, cause (when viewed from head-on as print emerges) a wave-like shape across the print as different areas of the paper swell vs others.

When they do distort, the high points will contact X on the 'roof' of the paper path and thin scratches will result. Our (former) Epson 3800 was infamous for it. 

Check the paper path between the print head and 'ejection port'. Whatever the paper is hitting, it is removing ink that's already been laid down.   It may be that once the inked paper is no longer under vacuum pressure, the paper distorts at the edge and brushes against something.

On a thinner or maybe very flat paper, it may not be an issue. But it's cumulative: Paper X swells by X% + maybe not flat edge-edge + thicker paper + heavy texture = odds of scratch increasing once no longer under vacuum.

The uneven ink lay-down (head issue?) may or may not have any connection. Fact the high points are lighter is odd at first glance as they're closer to the print head - maybe a fault in paper coating (if has one)?

Be nice if printers had a laser measurement system that scanned papers for flatness edge-edge just before they hit the print head and could adjust paper path/head height, vacuum pressure, etc. Also be nice if papers were under vacuum until paper had cleared paper path.

Let us know what you determine.