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Print Adjust?

jmcnicoll

New Member
Wondering how often everyone does a print adjust on their JV3 printers?
Everyday? Every Media Change? Every time you turn it off and on?
Any help would be great!

jim
 

eforer

New Member
The print adjust function is really reserved for head changes and if serious alignment or printing issues occur. Its not a regular routine thing like media compensation.

To do the print adjust right, you'll use 40 linear ft of material. Check out the Mimaki yahoo users group for more info.
 

jmcnicoll

New Member
I too think daily is not needed, but here is why I ask. I am running one JV3 160, one JV3 130 and an epson 11880 with Onyx production house 7.1 and can not print a smooth solid color on JV3 machines. Almost every solid color has major streaks in it that some would call in starvation. Problem shows up with custom made profiles as well as stock profiles from the Onyx drivers. Anyway our vendor told me the Onyx guys told him that the JV3s are very picky machines and need a print adjust done every day, or even when the machines are turned on and off, even if you don't change media. Both our JV3s are running dual 4 color and both have the same problem. Been dealing with this for about a month and a half and have had our vendor techs here looking at it. Have new dampers on both machines. The 160 was a used machine, but the 130 was brand new and installed around 2/20/08. Any ideas? Our vendor thinks we may want to try the Fiery rip instead??????? Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jim
 

particleman

New Member
You need to speak with a different tech then, I would call that bad advice. Print adjust simply doesn't affect the way the ink flows through the machine. Kinda like fixing a flat tire by changing the oil. We only do a print adjust when a head is changed. You could do one every few months for good measure I suppose, but I don't really see that needed either from my personal experience.

There is alot of things you can check for the ink starving issue. First I suggest doing a search because this has been discussed before.

What resolution are you printing at? 360x540 4pass bidir, I wouldn't be surprised if you are getting this issue. I believe high flow dampers are recommended if that is what you are running. We ran at this resolution for a brief time and found the trade off on quality wasn't really worth it (banding). On the other hand if you are at 720 8 pass (more typical resolution) and having this issue, then that would raise some flags.

Have you done a test draw to see which head is running dry? You may find it is the same head and simply be a pump. Have they ever been changed, do they hold fluid in the capping station if you do a disway wash? Even if they do it may be something to dry, very cheap fix.

It is odd both your printers have the same issue, I would not point this at the rip though. Us, including hundreds (if not thousands) of other people use Onyx on their JV3.

I'm not sure how familiar you are to digital printing, you may be seeing Chromatic banding and mistaking it for ink starvation. Is the streaking you see alternating light and dark areas? One way to check is print unidirectional and see if your problem stops.
 

jmcnicoll

New Member
I am fairly new to solvent printing, but not large format over all plus I have years of digital imaging and prepress experience. Typically I like to make my profiles at 720 8 pass bidir, but the problem shows up at all settings, even 16 pass uni. I have tried raising the temp, lowering the temp, different passes at both bidir and uni. Our vendor techs can't figure it out either. Problem shows up on on my custom profiles and canned profiles from onyx. Test draws are fine, no nozzles missing. Our vendor tech just changed all the dampers on both machines 2 weeks ago.

Any pictures of Chromatic banding available?

jim
 

schurms

New Member
What is your humidity ? Too low can cause this. What's your room temp? It's something effecting both printers but your rip does not all of a sudden lay down less ink. What ink are you using? These are things I would check. Low ink levels will cause this too.
 

jmcnicoll

New Member
We are using the Mimaki ss2 ink. Room temp is right about 70 degrees all the time and humidity is in the 40 to 55 range, higher at times with all the rain we have had. We have gone over this type of stuff with our vendor many times, but nothing seems to fix it or make any sense why it's happening.

jim
 
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