Digital BW, The Print

I've read the recent discussion about 1280s printing horizontal lines. I 
noted the suggestions that it's a repair that may be more costly than 
replacement.

I'm not entirely sure I've got the same problem, but would like to get 
feedback.

My 1280 printer is about four years old and has seen moderate use. I'm using 
UT2 inks and the original continuous feed system with carts that I got from 
MIS with the UT2 inks. The printer had been virtually trouble-free.

Yesterday, on one occasion, the printer began printing horizontal black 
lines along with the print. These lines were spaced about 1/32" apart ran 
off the left edge (as viewed in the printer while printing) of the paper. I 
turned the printer off and back on and made a couple of prints without any 
problems.

Today, with my first print, as the image started to print, the printer laid 
down a solid black horizontal line about \ufffd" below the top edge of the print. 
This line is about 1/16" wide and began appearing at the same time as the 
top edge of the image was printing. As the image continued printing without 
apparent problems, the printer began laying down thin horizontal black lines 
below the initial black line and continued until I stopped the print. These 
lines were spaced about 1/32" apart. The image was continuing to print 
normally under these black lines as far as I could tell. I turned the 
printer off and back on and tried again. This time, instead of the black 
lines, the printer was leaking black ink at the left edge of the print with 
each (I think) pass. There was enough ink leaking that it dripped from the 
head halfway back across to the right edge of the paper on many passes.

I stopped the print and did a nozzle check and only four of the black 
nozzles fired. A cleaning fixed that. Then I printed a 21-step grayscale 
file and it looks great. I printed a couple of purge patterns and they look 
fine, too. I printed these using cool, neutral and sepia curves and all look 
fine.

Now, I notice there's little ink in the tubing from the Eboni bottle. I'm 
not sure what, if anything this would have to do with the problem I had, but 
the carts all appear to be full and the bottles all have at least an inch of 
ink in them.

I've now made four 5 x 7 prints without problems of any kind.

Did I just have a hiccup that's corrected itself or does it sound to you 
experts like I've got a problem that needs to be addressed? For now, I seem 
to be back in business.

Tom Keesling
Intelligent Design