Spots in foil - print head issue?

[Caitlin]

Hi guys,

I'm having significant spotting issues in a print today. I'm running Edge FX through Composer 5.0. Have tried cleaning the vinyl and foil but my concern is that this is a foil from my old Edge 1 which we replaced at Christmas and this is the first time I'm using this colour since then just with FX conversion caps in it. I'm not sure if it may have picked up some residue from being cut out of the old cartridge but I started the run twice more and same results.

Is this the print head dirty? It wasn't doing this earlier today. Excuse me if this is a silly question, I still don't know all the ins and outs of this machine.

 

[Marlene]

static happening when it is printing? static can pick up stuff and make spots even if the vinyl was clean and the print head cleaned. have you tried a different foil to see if it is just that one foil?

 

[jfiscus]

Blow all of the dust away from the printer, then clean the printer head, then check again for more dust. It looks like dust on the vinyl to me. Normally when the print head is dirty it is more of a "streak" going in a straight line.

 

[Caitlin]

A different colour on a different vinyl gave me similar issues yesterday but this morning on a smaller run I didn't notice anything.

I did clean the vinyl and hit it with compressed air before the second attempt and it didn't do anything. More thoroughly than I usually would. Maybe another try.

Could be static, I suppose. I have the humidifier running though.

 

[Caitlin]

Upon extremely close inspection, the vinyl appears to have pinpoint sized pits in it. (??) This must be what it is, since I just started a small sample run on white vinyl and the problem has vanished. (!)

The weird thing now is how that vinyl became so pitted and it's strange because I have printed to it before. Oh well, thanks for the help!!

 

[gabagoo]

Upon extremely close inspection, the vinyl appears to have pinpoint sized pits in it. (??) This must be what it is, since I just started a small sample run on white vinyl and the problem has vanished. (!)

The weird thing now is how that vinyl became so pitted and it's strange because I have printed to it before. Oh well, thanks for the help!!

this!!!! I have found that in most cases it is indeed the vinyl itself...best to use Gerber products in the machine...especially reflective

 

[Caitlin]

this!!!! I have found that in most cases it is indeed the vinyl itself...best to use Gerber products in the machine...especially reflective

an Avery Metallic this one is, close enough.

Good point, it's just not something I've ever seen!

 

[jfiscus]

an Avery Metallic this one is, close enough.

Good point, it's just not something I've ever seen!

I've ran across a couple rolls of Gerber 280 White reflective recently that have similar defects; raised and lowered points at random in the material. Normally the defective area doesn't run for long enough to be a major problem and/or we use that area for just cut striping.

 

[petepaz]

usually if it's a print head problem it's in one concentrated area. a blown pixel will leave a contant line through your jobs.we have one, i had to measure and set up a template in composer so i can lay out our labels when we print them so they don't land in that are. fortunately we don't print any big size jobs on our gerber anymore so it works out ok.

 

[Caitlin]

usually if it's a print head problem it's in one concentrated area. a blown pixel will leave a contant line through your jobs.we have one, i had to measure and set up a template in composer so i can lay out our labels when we print them so they don't land in that are. fortunately we don't print any big size jobs on our gerber anymore so it works out ok.

Good to know, thanks!

 

[Billct2]

Yea, it's the vinyl. I've seen it more than a few times.