Digital BW, The Print

I've got a banding problem that showed up recently (after a nasty
clog, actually). Looking back at an old step wedge it's evident that
the problem is new.

This forum doesn't work for showing pictures so I've got on one my
darkroom blog, where I compare banding in the 50% area of a step wedge
on three different paper types.

I've gone through the head alignment effort as well as plenty of
windex cleaning cycles. Any hints, or should I just do some more?

http://www.pmb.net/darkroom/2005/02/banding.html

-Pieris
digital darkroom blog: www.pmb.net/darkroom

I found that the Epson nozzle check for the 1280 is not 100% reliable
and sometimes I could get perfect nozzle checks but still banding when
printing a purge pattern. In those cases, I went back to Epson or
aftermarket DYE ink carts to clean up the nozzles perfectly. The dye
ink seemed to restore the nozzles to no banding. Only then did I
reinsert the UT2 carts and got perfect nozzles in both the traditional
nozzle check and printing a purge pattern. 

If you're running a CFS, and the banding returns, it tells you the
problem is foam in the carts not any problems with the nozzles. In
that case see the MIS site for foam removal. 

Bob Michaels

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Pieris
Berreitter" <pieris@y...> wrote:

> 
> I've got a banding problem that showed up recently (after a nasty
> clog, actually). Looking back at an old step wedge it's evident that
> the problem is new.
> 
> This forum doesn't work for showing pictures so I've got on one my
> darkroom blog, where I compare banding in the 50% area of a step wedge
> on three different paper types.
> 
> I've gone through the head alignment effort as well as plenty of
> windex cleaning cycles. Any hints, or should I just do some more?
> 
> http://www.pmb.net/darkroom/2005/02/banding.html
> 
> -Pieris
> digital darkroom blog: www.pmb.net/darkroom

It's quite likely the black cart.. Put an Epson 007 cart in,
clean/nozzle check, then print the 5-6 purge pages (you can just print
the black one if you are sure it's the black). You should see banding
first and then clear up. Put the MIS cart back in, clean/nozzle check
and do a few more purges.

Michael

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Pieris
Berreitter" <pieris@y...> wrote:

> 
> I've got a banding problem that showed up recently (after a nasty
> clog, actually). Looking back at an old step wedge it's evident that
> the problem is new.

That was a total catastrophe when I tried it. People here are now
advising against that procedure because the Eboni and OEM blacks don't
like each other and form gunk on the head pads.

What I will do is check for banding in all the cartridges.

-Pieris
digital darkroom blog: http://www.pmb.net/darkroom

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Michael Hung"
<mhkhung@y...> wrote:
> 
> It's quite likely the black cart.. Put an Epson 007 cart in,
> clean/nozzle check, then print the 5-6 purge pages (you can just
print
> the black one if you are sure it's the black). You should see
banding
> first and then clear up. Put the MIS cart back in, clean/nozzle
check
> and do a few more purges.
> 
> Michael
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Pieris
> Berreitter" <pieris@y...> wrote:
> > 
> > I've got a banding problem that showed up recently (after a nasty
> > clog, actually). Looking back at an old step wedge it's evident
that
> > the problem is new.

Switching to dye ink is the recommendation of Bob Zeiss who is owner
of MIS. I asked about the possiblity of problems switching from Eboni
to dye K and back. He suggested cleaning the parking pad solves any
possible problems. His method has always worked for me. 

Bob Michaels

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Pieris
Berreitter" <pieris@y...> wrote:

> 
> That was a total catastrophe when I tried it. People here are now
> advising against that procedure because the Eboni and OEM blacks don't
> like each other and form gunk on the head pads.
> 
> What I will do is check for banding in all the cartridges.
> 
> -Pieris
> digital darkroom blog: http://www.pmb.net/darkroom
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Michael Hung"
> <mhkhung@y...> wrote:
> > 
> > It's quite likely the black cart.. Put an Epson 007 cart in,
> > clean/nozzle check, then print the 5-6 purge pages (you can just
> print
> > the black one if you are sure it's the black). You should see
> banding
> > first and then clear up. Put the MIS cart back in, clean/nozzle
> check
> > and do a few more purges.
> > 
> > Michael
> > 
> > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Pieris
> > Berreitter" <pieris@y...> wrote:
> > > 
> > > I've got a banding problem that showed up recently (after a nasty
> > > clog, actually). Looking back at an old step wedge it's evident
> that
> > > the problem is new.

I'll try another ammonia cleaning cycle but if that fails, I'll give
the ink swapping another try. This time I will scrub the pad with
ammonia between inks.

-Pieris
digital darkroom blog: http://www.pmb.net/darkroom

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Bob Michaels"
<bob@b...> wrote:

> 
> Switching to dye ink is the recommendation of Bob Zeiss who is owner
> of MIS. I asked about the possiblity of problems switching from Eboni
> to dye K and back. He suggested cleaning the parking pad solves any
> possible problems. His method has always worked for me. 
> 
> Bob Michaels