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Author Topic: Epson 3800 - Head strikes? Hahnemuhle 308 only  (Read 6335 times)

nopattern

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Epson 3800 - Head strikes? Hahnemuhle 308 only
« on: October 15, 2007, 10:52:25 am »

I've been printing with my Epson 3800 onto Hahnemuhle 308 GSM photo rag.  It's beautiful paper and Ive found some posts about this on here and other forums, but it hasn't helped.  This is the 2nd printer I've had in my posession after the first one was doing a similar thing.  yes I've made the platen gap bigger. I've tried wide, wider, and widest, i believe...  i didnt have the problem with 13x19 once I put it on Wider, but I still have it with 17x22 on any setting. the paper is straight out of the box and completely flat. below are some pictures. is this a headstrike? something else? its putting ink onto the end corners of the print and also bending the corners as well. ANY suggestions are appreciated

the frustrating part is how expensive this paper is. fortunately the ones pictured here are being cut down to 16x20... but eventually id like to do 17x22 full size.  also, when it gets to the end of the print, it makes a noise, like somethings dragging across the paper or something. it just gets louder

« Last Edit: October 15, 2007, 11:00:01 am by nopattern »
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madmanchan

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Epson 3800 - Head strikes? Hahnemuhle 308 only
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2007, 12:11:27 pm »

Yes this is a head strike. But your paper does look a bit curled up at the end; this is what gets in the path of the print head. Are you sure it's completely flat before you feed it?
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Eric Chan

nopattern

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Epson 3800 - Head strikes? Hahnemuhle 308 only
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2007, 01:06:15 pm »

I take it straight out of its completely flat packed Hahnemuhlebox and put it directly into the printer...I suppose I will check next time I do a print to be sure it is absolutely flat.  If it is, what else could be a solution?   I print onto 17x22 Epson Luster perfectly fine without this problem at all
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nopattern

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Epson 3800 - Head strikes? Hahnemuhle 308 only
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2007, 07:07:47 pm »

anybody? are there any other forums i could post this to for other opinions and answers?
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madmanchan

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Epson 3800 - Head strikes? Hahnemuhle 308 only
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2007, 07:13:11 pm »

The reason I ask is that when I pull my 11" x 17" sheets of Photo Rag out of its box, I find that they're NOT flat. For example, if I place a sheet on a flat surface, not all 4 edges of the sheet come into simultaneous contact with the surface underneath -- hence, the sheet isn't flat.

You can try bending the sheet "backwards" i.e., away from the printing surface, to encourage the trailing edge of the sheet not to come up and get in the way of the print head.

Usu. setting the Platen Gap to Wide (via the software driver) is enough to prevent a head strike. But it sounds like you've already done this and continue to get head strikes.
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Eric Chan

jjlphoto

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Epson 3800 - Head strikes? Hahnemuhle 308 only
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2007, 06:28:24 pm »

My 3800 does that also. Tried wider platten gap, still got it. I just live with it and trim when necessary.
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ThomasPoeschmann

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Epson 3800 - Head strikes? Hahnemuhle 308 only
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2007, 05:45:02 am »

You may try the front feed. Beware that this is for "really" thick media (see documentation), so print quality may degrade as the print head is too far away from the paper.

But in any case this is not you problem. Your problem is curled paper. Find a way to make it flat.
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duraace

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Epson 3800 - Head strikes? Hahnemuhle 308 only
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2007, 05:08:01 pm »

I used to get head strikes on the Epson 3800 using Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl.  The paper is NOT flat coming out of the box, so the first thing I do is make it as flat as possible first.  I then use the manual rear feed, and set the thickness to .4 mm in the driver and the platen to Auto.  I now do not get any head strikes.  Flat is the key, then correct thickness selected, using the rear feed.
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mminegis

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Epson 3800 - Head strikes? Hahnemuhle 308 only
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2007, 06:00:36 pm »

Their papers are definitely NOT flat! only few and far between they are. I was getting the same thing with my R2400 and fine art pearl/photo rag combination. Now I test them on a flat desk surface before feeding.
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