Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., Todd Flashner <tflash@e...> 
wrote:
> Thanks Martin,
> 
> Now are all these "artifacts" for lack of a better word common to 
both the
> Epson driver and Piezo? Can the Piezo driver also give the corduroy 
effect?

Sit down with the last print exchange, a loupe and see what you find. 
I have read reports of dark banding with piezo. Not as common as 
light banding. Since the Epson driver uses "Microweave" and Piezo 
apparently does not I would expect some differences.

> 
> I've got something between micro and sub-micro banding. I don't see 
it at
> 24" but I see it at 6". It just gives a coarseness that looks sorta 
like
> grain, but it does have a more mechanical feel to it. I guess there 
just
> isn't enough overlap of the dots as the paper feeds through the 
printer. The
> advance must not be finely tuned. Is there some way to lube that?

Well 6" isn't a normal viewing distance. I don't see any lubrication 
on the feed mechanism gears so applying lube might not be a good idea.
> 
> I also get the corduroy effect (sometimes!) which runs 
perpendicular to the
> head travel. What the heck could cause that?

Theoretically that should be what the head alignment fixes. How old 
is your printer and how many sheets have you put through it? There 
has got to be some point where they reach end of life.

> 
> I wonder if it's worth swapping with Epson. Sounds like I could do 
worse.

Well just exchange it again if it is worse. Other people have posted 
that this worked out well for them eventually. A real pain though.

Martin
> 
(snip)