Help! Random smudges and scratch marks CJV30-160

[print07]

Hi,

I have a Mimaki CJV30-160. I am trying to print some banners with solid blue background. The media is Ultraflexx DSS 12oz blockout. I am using ES3 inks.

I am having a few problems:

1. White and black bands. I have done a media comp test and image is attached.
2. Random magenta smudges on the prints.
3. Random scratches on the print.


I am not too experienced with wide format printer. It's Canada Day today and everyone is closed. But I have this big job that's due tomorrow.

Any help is really appreciated.

 

[Stormyj]

The first one looks like a strike while printing. The second looks like material problems, your substrate, banner, is not receiving the ink correctly. Could be from factory, your hand touched it and left body oil, or some other contamination. The banding looks like a feed problem. Perhaps the roll of banner got snagged or something while feeding into the machine. I tend to write off these types of errors to simply printing on banner material. Its course and not very printer friendly, so if it looks ok, that's a +. I rarely will reprint a banner if there are minor defects.

 

[WalkerP]

I agree with Stormy. In my experience, the media comp test is only a test. You sometimes have to adjust it based on the actual print. Some printers will actually vary a good bit from the beginning of a roll (heavy and lots of drag) to the end in terms of feed.

 

[Andy D]

Hard to tell from the picture, but I agree, it looks like a media issue.

 

[print07]

Thank you for the replies.

I have used this media before. I printed 60 banners last week on the same material and it was all perfect. This particular job is giving me so much problems. I increased the no.of passes and was able to get rid of the banding, but random scratching and smudging is what's causing problems now.

 

[heyskull]

I also reckon that is a material issue.
Banner material is not particularly well manufactured and I have come across varying defects in some rolls.
I don't think quality control is a high priority in such a cheap substrate.

Mind you last year we had faults and contamination in 3Ms IJ180 on a wrap we were printing which wasted a piece almost 12 Metres long.
Our supplier wanted to replace 2 Metres of print only as this was where the fault was and was not going to replace any laminate!
I couldn't join it due to the continuous length and it took quiet a while to be compensated properly.

I very much doubt your supplier will compensate for faults in a material as cheap as front lit banner.

SC