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Test Print means what?
- Thread starter Colin
- Start date
Mike Paul
Super Active Member
Gentle, sure I'd try it.
Didn't you recently purchase this printer? Heads should be covered for a year.
cdiesel
New Member
I know that's what Roland will tell you not to do.. I'm telling you how I would fix it.. We've run the **** out of our Rolands for years. 12 heads between the two of them, average about 24 liters of ink a month right now (moved a lot of printing over to the latex machines), and have replaced a total of five heads since 2004.
You have a small amount of deflection. I'm not sure that this is what's causing your banding though. The deflection is so slight it may not even be the problem, but it's a good place to start. Without being there and seeing exactly what's going on it's almost impossible to diagnose. I'd start with wiping the heads as I described above and replacing the wipers, and possibly cleaning the wiper scraper.
You have a small amount of deflection. I'm not sure that this is what's causing your banding though. The deflection is so slight it may not even be the problem, but it's a good place to start. Without being there and seeing exactly what's going on it's almost impossible to diagnose. I'd start with wiping the heads as I described above and replacing the wipers, and possibly cleaning the wiper scraper.
JoshLoring
New Member
Chris is right.. I do the same with my Roland. One new swab per wipe though
CentralSigns
New Member
My Roland Tec advised me to use a clean swab and be very gentle and only one time per. He said as long as I follow that I should be OK. So it's up to you man, but remember again very gentle.
Colin
New Member
Thanks for the replies. I think I will wait until my Rep comes by within the next couple weeks. He will try a few other things I'm sure, and get into the service level that is only available to techs. In the mean time he's suggested that I try the old trick of soaking a lint-free piece of cloth, placing it over the caps, and then parking the heads on it for 1/2 hour or so. He's also conferring with Roland.
MikePro
New Member
you can have picture-perfect nozzle checks, but still get banding in prints if your alignment and/or media compensation are off.
bad media compensation, however, will reveal banding across the entire print and i'm more inclined to believe that it is just a head or two that are misaligned. Even if its just the slightest bit.
your mechanical alignment looks good too, nice an parallel with the other colors. alignment procedures within the printer maintenance menu should be enough to correct.
most likely only need to correct alignment on just the yellow, if you're seeing the issue mostly in light greens. Yellow is also the biggest pita to align... need a decent loop with a light to get it right. I bought mine for $8 from the local hardware store. Cheapo travel reading light/magnifying glass combo, but it works perfect!
bad media compensation, however, will reveal banding across the entire print and i'm more inclined to believe that it is just a head or two that are misaligned. Even if its just the slightest bit.
your mechanical alignment looks good too, nice an parallel with the other colors. alignment procedures within the printer maintenance menu should be enough to correct.
most likely only need to correct alignment on just the yellow, if you're seeing the issue mostly in light greens. Yellow is also the biggest pita to align... need a decent loop with a light to get it right. I bought mine for $8 from the local hardware store. Cheapo travel reading light/magnifying glass combo, but it works perfect!
Colin
New Member
All of those settings are bang-on.
CheapVehicleWrap
New Member
Make sure the swab is thoroughly wet and with the lightest touch front to back and you won't screw up the nozzles.
Colin
New Member
So, if my test print shows all nozzles firing, what would this wet, gentle wipe with a swab actually be doing to remedy the problem? It seems like it's shooting in the dark unless one knows precisely what it's solving/fixing/doing to "what" abnormality or problem on the head surface.
MikePro
New Member
i've done this too. I call it "licking the printhead".
just once, with a clean & wet swab. essentially the same thing your wiper does, just better, AND it absorbs "gunk" like a swiffer
edited in response to colin's last post: true, his nozzles look good. I'm not completely familiar with this machine, but maybe a dirty encoder strip could be the issue? or maybe dropout of an ink channel during the print?