Can someone tell me what causes these lines?

[LenXIII]

I dont have a pic handy to show you but here is the deal...

It has been going on for a few weeks now. When printing on banner 4 setting (the fastest as far as I know) it will start out printing just fine. Then about 3-4 minutes later some of the colors like blacks, reds, greens, start to get liney. It starts with some white stitch looking lines, then they start to get solid, then after a minute of that it just looks like a liney mess. Lots and lots of straight horizontal lines going through the colors.

I use a wave print pattern, but these white lines are perfectly straight. If i watch it print, I can actually see the lines in the wave pattern as if the ink isn't even firing in those lines. Between prints or panels when there is a downtime of a couple minutes it starts out good again, then gets progessively worse. This is becoming VERY frustrating....

If anyone has any ideas or solutions please let me know.

 

[HaroldDesign]

I haven't had quite the same problem, but I do get the best 4-pass results when I print Fine & Wave effect. I wonder if it prints a bit bit too fast for the firing to stay consistent.

 

[SE SignSupply]

Ink starvation?

How old is the machine? This only happens in banner 4 mode?

 

[LenXIII]

I was thinking ink starvation as well...it makes sense..

As far as I can tell it only does it in banner 4. I use banner 2 all the time with no issues. The machine just hit its 1 year mark and has no warranty !@!! It is a VJ 1614

 

[LenXIII]

Any ideas on how to troubleshoot or diagnose this problem?

 

[HaroldDesign]

If Randya chimes in you'll be getting somewhere.

 

[ProWraps™]

your printing in banner 4 mode, and your worried about quality?

 

[LenXIII]

your printing in banner 4 mode, and your worried about quality?

This isn't a very constructive comment. There is obviously a problem that has nothing to due with the fact I am using a low quality setting. If the setting isn't suposed to be able to print properly they wouldn't have added it as an option....This particular job is a billboard so quality doens't mean anything, but I do need to atleast have even ink on the darn thing.

 

[visualeyez]

Try a different media with the same settings first of all... Same result would mean either a problem with the profile or printer, and would eliminate media. Then you could further test to determine if it is the printer or the profile...Process of elimination, one variable at a time. You can actually get very creative with this method, if you have some time on your hands...
On a side note, do you unwind a few feet of the roll while loading, which gets printed freely, and then the printer has to unwind the roll? If so, try unwinding the media in advance, as some printers have a problem handling the full weight of 150' rolls. Our Roland SP-540V is only reccomended to handle 75' rolls of 54" media...

 

[Biker Scout]

Clogged Nozzles... plain and simple.

Nothing wrong with banner 4 mode. It's fast and still looks pretty darn good on a banner. (Or anything that will be viewed from more than 10 ft away.)

I've noticed that banner 4 mode lays down lots of ink. Too much in fact. If you are showing the lines in that mode, than you definitely have a problem. Start saving up for a new print head. They are $1200 from fieldcenterusa.com

 

[DRamm76]

This isn't a very constructive comment. There is obviously a problem that has nothing to due with the fact I am using a low quality setting. If the setting isn't suposed to be able to print properly they wouldn't have added it as an option....This particular job is a billboard so quality doens't mean anything, but I do need to atleast have even ink on the darn thing.

Good point..It's not a very constructive comment..Perhaps this is why customers and end users end up having to seek answers from a forum rather than to be able to rely on the dealer to help out..

 

[SE SignSupply]

To test for starvation:

Run the machine in banner 4 mode for a few feet until the problem occours. Open the cover, this will pause the machine. Let it sit for 30 or so seconds (lets the ink fill back into the head if this is the problem). Close the cover and see what the results are once the printer starts again.

Ryan

 

[henryp]

If you are using original inks, starvation should not occur in any mode. How old are the dampers on the printer?

 

[p3promotion]

I've had the same kind of problem before. Is the banner material slightly wrinkled at all...I mean at all? Mine it used to look alright, but was up just a tad bit and hitting the print head on the passes, which was making it worse as it went on...and it only does it on banner material and sounds like the same problem.

 

[Pacific Coast Sign]

Check your capping stations, then check your dampers (suspected problem for ink starvation). If you have a poor/old/worn/damaged seal on the dampers this may occur.

 

[OttoC]

sounds like nozzles droppin out in your print heads. i would do a nozzle check when you see it. you prob done this but its were id start.