Droplet of Magenta

[Colin]

The other day I was printing off some 3" x 12" decals flooded with black with white lettering on my 2 month old SP540i. The CMYK values were 10/10/10/100.

Soon into the print, there was a singular droplet of Magenta ink sitting on the outer edge of the decal. I don't mean like a micro drop, but about 1/16" in diameter.

Could this be indicative of anything to be concerned about? I did a manual cleaning after that, (and it didn't look bad) and it hasn't done it since, and only did it that one time. I'm just curious.

 

[Bigdawg]

Look at your wipers. See if there is a buildup and it's time to change them.

 

[Colin]

When I did the manual clean, they were not "dirty", and the machine hasn't seen a lot of use yet. Is there a general number of hours of printing when they should be replaced?

 

[Mosh]

CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN! run the wipers out and make sure there is not ant built up dryed ink on them. If they look curled or crappy in any way replace them. We do this around once every 18-24 months, we used to run ALOT. Or make sure there is no dust hanging off the heads anywere, I had that happen a couple of times. Just a little hair of dust caught the ink and dripped it.

 

[Bigdawg]

Good point Mosh. Even a little carpet fiber will sling ink if it picks it up. What does the head test print look like?

 

[Colin]

CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN! run the wipers out and make sure there is not ant built up dryed ink on them. If they look curled or crappy in any way replace them. We do this around once every 18-24 months, we used to run ALOT.

As I said, the machine is almost brand new with not a lot of use. The wipers were clean and straight.

What do you mean by "run the wipers out"?

Or make sure there is no dust hanging off the heads anywhere, I had that happen a couple of times. Just a little hair of dust caught the ink and dripped it.

That could be it. See this other thread I started. Sounds like a fibre was possibly the culprit for both issues.

 

[Colin]

Good point Mosh. Even a little carpet fiber will sling ink if it picks it up. What does the head test print look like?

I did a head test print after the manual clean and it's perfect.

 

[Mosh]

Jeeze, I am home drunk, and can do this in my sleep at the shop. In the cleaning mode hit the down key, I don't know but it runs the wipers out so you can "wipe" them off! If you don't do this, that might be you problem. Yeah I think the down key when you are in the cleaning mode.. Did I tell you guys about these damn turkeys in my yard tonight? Most people shoot them with shotguns, but to me that is too easy.

 

[Colin]

In the cleaning mode hit the down key, I don't know but it runs the wipers out so you can "wipe" them off! If you don't do this, that might be you problem. Yeah I think the down key when you are in the cleaning mode.

Perhaps my new SP540i is a little different. When I go into manual cleaning mode, the head unit moves over to the far left, and when I remove the right cover, the wipers are right there staring me in the face.

 

[Sticky Signs]

It's most likely dirty wipers or some sort of contamination on the head. IE - dog hair, lint, pubes. You know run of the mill kind of stuff. Try using a flashlight when you examine the heads.

 

[Colin]

Try using a flashlight when you examine the heads.

I'll do that tomorrow.

 

[bob]

Droplets of ink on a print are almost always from a bit of lint, even a single tiny hair, on or near the print head. The lint collects ink until a droplet forms and then it falls onto the print. It seldom, if ever, has anything to do with clean or not clean wipers.

 

[randya]

bob is correct.

Get a nice bright led flashlight and look for a single hair.
May be an inch long maybe only 1/4 or less.
Mist collects on these, forms a drop, when it has enough mass it will drop typically when the head changes direction. Ususally leaves a comet looking mark.

Could be on head or the carriage.
Probably close to the magenta head. (usually at the very outside edge of the head)

 

[Jet Fast Printing]

Agree on the lint or hair. Take a good look.

 

[Colin]

Just took a look but no hair/lint was found. I suspect that this hypothesis is correct though, and that it was removed in the manual cleaning I did a few days ago.

Thanks.

 

[Drip Dry]

I have the same problem from time to time. I truly believe it has something to do with static.
A few years ago, I had a tech on the phone trying to solve the problem. He had me do everything he could think of. He suggested I try this static discharge kit they were selling. It was 50.00 I figured ir was worth 50.00 for the time he spent with me on the phone. I thought it would be a waste of money

It solved the problem immediately. I still get the problem sometimes when it's running a long time and it is printing a large dark color background ,but not to extent I once had.

The discharge kit is basically a very thin bungy cord felt wire that is strung across the back of the machine just above the media. It actually touches the media to discharge the static. It's attached to the machine by 2 magnets.
It came from Sign Supply which is now Proveer

 

[Colin]

Interesting! Thanks for that. While I was convinced that the hair/dust/lint hypothesis was correct, I was having a hard time understanding how a piece could have got up in there in my clean shop. And if it was a piece of debris, why did it only happen that one time?

Me thinks you might be correct about the static. That string thing sounds like something a person could easily make themselves - no?

 

[randya]

Interesting! Thanks for that. While I was convinced that the hair/dust/lint hypothesis was correct, I was having a hard time understanding how a piece could have got up in there in my clean shop. And if it was a piece of debris, why did it only happen that one time?

Check out the morning sun through a crack in the curtains and you will see all kinds of stuff floating in the air.

We shed skin and hair all the time, fibers from our clothes, etc...

Not to mention threads from banner material, fibers from cardboard containers and paper...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleanroom

 

[Colin]

Yes, I'm fully aware of all that, but given that the heads are quite covered or sheilded, and the fact that I've been particularly anal about vacuuming my shop since getting the printer, it seems unlikely to get a peice os debris up in there.

The beauty of being a rationalist though, is that we don't get married to beliefs or ideas, but simply follow the evidence & reason.

 

[randya]

Keeping the shop clean and especial the carriage area clean will make your print work easier.

For those that allow ink to build up on the print heads and carriage are just creating an expensive Swiffer that sweeps across their media at high speed stirring up the air trying to collect all the dust and dirt that static draws to media so well.

Good luck!

And are you having fun yet, with the new printer?