Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "gianni"
<studiofahrenheit@l...> wrote:
>
> Hi. I am a fine-art black and white printer in Milan where I have a
> lab where I want to start printing with an ink jet printer with carbon
> inks for my clients (fashion, architecture, reportage, art
photograpers). 
> 
> My problem is micro-banding. This is what I use: Epson Stylus Pro 7000
> plotter; Mis Ultratone inks; samples of different papers (Epson
> Enhanced Matte, Arches, Hanhemuhle Photo Rag). I have followed the
> instructions in the Mis web site for the cleaning procedure with the
> Mis cleaning cartridge set, I have installed the ink cartridges and
> started the Epson purging procedure. After four tests, when I printed
> the purging test pattern, I have micro-banding only on the full black
> part. I have done the Epson software procedure for re-alignement and
> nozzle cleaning and the problem remains. Now, I have no more ink and,
> in order not to waste to much money in tests, I am thinking about
> buying continuous flow inks. I am a bit disappointed. Before buying
> these inks, I would like to ask you where the problem can be. In the
> paper? In the inks? In the plotter hardware? 
> 
> Thanks a lot for your help. 

Are you using QTR or a Paul Roark curves style workflow?

There's a bug in QTR that causes microbanding, it's firing one nozzel
off, i.e. it might lay down black with 79 black nozzels and one light
black nozzel, instead of all 80 black. I don't know if it happens with
all printers, but it's definitely visible with the Epson 2200 in
2880DPI mode.