“Echo” in prints on Epson 3880

[D Fuller]

I have a 10-year-old Epson 3880 that seems to be printing what looks like an echo in prints. For example in a print with small images of boats in the background, the masts will appear to be printed twice. Printing primarily on Ilford Smooth Pearl.

Alignment check prints and nozzle checks seem fine, oddly enough.

In a recent development, it has deposited some ink smears of black ink outside the printed area.

Does anyone have any idea what’s going on? Has this printer reached end of life?

[D Fuller]

You can see the echo effect in the first photo. The second shows the entire image and the smeqring

[PhilipCummins]

In my limited experience with the Ilford paper you would want to set the Platen Gap to a wider (or widest) setting to avoid the smearing along with optionally front loading the paper so it stays flat vs being rolled through the mechanism (which could brush against the head towards the end). Not sure about those double images however.

[unesco]

It can be print head slant issue - when printhead is not 100% perpendicular to the direction of movement. If so, it requires qualified service to trim print-head (2 screws).

Try to print calibration target (in uni direction mode) and see if similar effect appears on some borders between some combination of colors. Also you can print nozzle check pattern on glossy paper and magnify it. In the areas where colors goes from one to another the dots of neighboring colors should be just between each (color) other.

[JRSmit]

Did you check the feed alignement?

[nirpat89]

Did you check the feed alignement?

You mean head alignment, right?  It does look like it.  Some channels are displaced from others. 

[JRSmit]

No the feed alignement is the movement of paper during Printing.
This shadow effect, is it in the feed or in the head movement direction?

[digitaldog]

Go to this guys YouTube site, filled with good info and fixes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9YXaSulpM90vC24lmAeZA

[D Fuller]

I think in the end this is a feed system problem. Head alignments--repeated auto and manual head alignments did nothing to fix the problem. turning off bi-directional feed helped some, but I also seem to have a problem in the black feed system that is causing the smearing.

I think I'm going to call it a day with the 3880. It's served well since 2012, and it doesn't seem wise to have it serviced given its age. I like what I'm reading about the P900, so that looks like a good replacement.

[digitaldog]

I think in the end this is a feed system problem.

Could be a simple and inexpensive fix:
How to fix Paper Feed Problem on Most Epson Stylus Photo Printer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4m2kcl2ffM

[D Fuller]

Could be a simple and inexpensive fix:
How to fix Paper Feed Problem on Most Epson Stylus Photo Printer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4m2kcl2ffM

Thank you.

I'll give that a look.