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Banding mainly in dark/black colors
- Thread starter duggan
- Start date
DoubleDown
New Member
Tons of posts on this, just search. Banding is caused by anyone of these things, heat, resolution, head alignment, profiling.
Always test head alignment first, then start messing with heat settings on the pre heat area. Uni directional will always cure this versus bi-directional. Resolution/passes will help this as will a correctly used profile.
I'd do alignment then heat first.
Always test head alignment first, then start messing with heat settings on the pre heat area. Uni directional will always cure this versus bi-directional. Resolution/passes will help this as will a correctly used profile.
I'd do alignment then heat first.
Sticky Signs
New Member
Are you using the RIPC profiles? If so, that will lead to increased banding, especially dark colors. Use the none RIPC profiles for stuff that you don't want any banding in.
Sticky Signs
New Member
Try turning the Pre and Print heat down and keep the dryer cranked.
free_refil
New Member
I know this is a bit old, but for those looking, ensure you're using the correct profile for your media. Check the heater and dryer temperatures for the media. My printer (VP-540) uses F, the profiles are in C, so convert them to F and set them manually in your printer. This is because you want the media to be at the temperature it would be printing at normally, and you're about to perform a feed calibration. Go ahead and once the heaters heat up the media, run a little off and print your feed calibration and set it accordingly in the printer. Be sure when you print your job in Versaworks you select "printer settings" for the feed calibration, as you set it up on your printer. Also do a test print of your print heads (cleaning test print) to ensure you don't have any misfiring or clogged nozzles, they can lead to banding as well. If they look good and if all else fails, then use unidirectional printing...
justanothersignguy
New Member
If the banding seems to occur in the dark areas, there are a couple probable causes.
First - what do the bands look like? Are they strips of white going across at uneven intervals? If so, try doing a nozzle check and verifying that the black printhead is completely firing.
If the bands are at set intervals and are either clearly defined lighter or darker stripes, there may be an issue with the advancement settings.
If the bands are darker and not clearly defined (fuzzy, with very very thin lighter swaths running parallel and very close to the darker band), you have an issue with the profile laying down too much ink in the shadows. Try using a different profile.
First - what do the bands look like? Are they strips of white going across at uneven intervals? If so, try doing a nozzle check and verifying that the black printhead is completely firing.
If the bands are at set intervals and are either clearly defined lighter or darker stripes, there may be an issue with the advancement settings.
If the bands are darker and not clearly defined (fuzzy, with very very thin lighter swaths running parallel and very close to the darker band), you have an issue with the profile laying down too much ink in the shadows. Try using a different profile.
renaldas22
New Member
I have the same issue with XC540 and only with colors witch needs lots of light magenta. Slowing the printer helps. So I suggest light magenta ink flow is affected, clogged. In your case probably Black ink flow is affected. How to slow the printer. Use Unidirectional, 16 pass, scan speed 750 instead of 1000. Any or all of these settings combined will yield much slower printing.
Just wondering what else can clog. I replaced both dampers on Light magenta and things did not get better...
Just wondering what else can clog. I replaced both dampers on Light magenta and things did not get better...
Banding in dark colors only is almost always the profile. (providing the nozzle check is good)
Too much ink too fast for the media.
Running uni cuts the speed in half, which should help.
Higher heat should help as well.
It is all about evaporating all that solvent in a timely and controlled manner.
And putting down the right amount of ink for the media.
Too much ink too fast for the media.
Running uni cuts the speed in half, which should help.
Higher heat should help as well.
It is all about evaporating all that solvent in a timely and controlled manner.
And putting down the right amount of ink for the media.
Custom_Grafx
New Member
Also do a feed calibration... this adjusts how precisely the media is spooled forward by your stepper motors on the platen. If the media doesn't come through enough on the feed, there'll be an overlap in passes, creating the banding, if it comes through too far, that'll also cause issues.
Feed calibration is very easy to adjust and doesn't take much time at all. It's usually accessed through the printer's menu panel.
If you have access to w-pass modes in versa works, that can also help.
Good luck!
Feed calibration is very easy to adjust and doesn't take much time at all. It's usually accessed through the printer's menu panel.
If you have access to w-pass modes in versa works, that can also help.
Good luck!
bob
It's better to have two hands than one glove.
Every time someone whispers the word 'banding' out come the standard litany of reasons. Profiles and heaters leading the way.
There's Yet Another reason for banding, especially banding of the will-o-the-wisp here today gone tomorrow what-the-hell-was-that variety. That would be not having enough tension on the media infeed. If there is not some tension against which the machine has to pull the media off the roll then the media will tend to buckle ever so slightly. At least to the extent that it doesn't lay perfectly flat against the platen as it must. That is a sure fire way to generate banding, especially with darker tones.
Always let the printer pull the media off the roll and always have enough tension on the roll such that the media does not sag in the space between the roll and the printer. Do not try to help it along in any way.
There's Yet Another reason for banding, especially banding of the will-o-the-wisp here today gone tomorrow what-the-hell-was-that variety. That would be not having enough tension on the media infeed. If there is not some tension against which the machine has to pull the media off the roll then the media will tend to buckle ever so slightly. At least to the extent that it doesn't lay perfectly flat against the platen as it must. That is a sure fire way to generate banding, especially with darker tones.
Always let the printer pull the media off the roll and always have enough tension on the roll such that the media does not sag in the space between the roll and the printer. Do not try to help it along in any way.