Digital BW, The Print

Greetings,

When I run OPM to print (on my 2200) images with a black background, 
my prints have faint lines in the background, as if less than the 
full amount of black ink was laid down at particular spots across 
the entire page.

I ran several head cleanings, printed again from OPM, but still had 
the bands.  So I then performed a print head alignment, printed 
again from OPM, but still had the bands.

I then ran the same exact image through the epson driver via 
photoshop, and there were no bands at all.

I read in the archives of other folks having the same exact issues 
and symptoms (msg# 28716, 28760, etc.) but I couldn't find a post 
describing the resolution.

Images with a varied light background seem to print fine via OPM and 
I really like the results, but I need it to go down to a background 
of absolute 0 without the banding for most of my work.

Has anyone been able to resolve this issue?

Thank you,
Eric.

Sounds like the problem QTR has - it is in the Gimp code that both QTR and
IJC/OPM use.  No real fix except adding noise to the image in the solid
black areas.

(Interesting that both apps use Gimp for the actual print code and yet one
costs 5x the other.)

> From: selenium_toner <ekmail123@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 21:37:19 -0000
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [Digital BW] Banding with IJC/OPM but not Epson Driver (help!)
> 
> 
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> When I run OPM to print (on my 2200) images with a black background,
> my prints have faint lines in the background, as if less than the
> full amount of black ink was laid down at particular spots across
> the entire page.
> 
> I ran several head cleanings, printed again from OPM, but still had
> the bands.  So I then performed a print head alignment, printed
> again from OPM, but still had the bands.
> 
> I then ran the same exact image through the epson driver via
> photoshop, and there were no bands at all.
> 
> I read in the archives of other folks having the same exact issues
> and symptoms (msg# 28716, 28760, etc.) but I couldn't find a post
> describing the resolution.
> 
> Images with a varied light background seem to print fine via OPM and
> I really like the results, but I need it to go down to a background
> of absolute 0 without the banding for most of my work.
> 
> Has anyone been able to resolve this issue?
> 
> Thank you,
> Eric.

If that printer has a manual head height adjustment, you could raise 
the heads. You might see slightly less detailed edges (softer) but it 
should fix the problem. This could also be caused by an inkflow 
problem. Maybe take the carts out and get them a shake or two.

> When I run OPM to print (on my 2200) images with a black background, 
> my prints have faint lines in the background, as if less than the 
> full amount of black ink was laid down at particular spots across 
> the entire page.
> Images with a varied light background seem to print fine via OPM and 
> I really like the results, but I need it to go down to a background 
> of absolute 0 without the banding for most of my work.
> Eric.

I've seen this before. I was printing a drum scanned image to a 5x7 inch print and noticed 
banding and a pattern in the print. I down sampled to 480 and all problems were gone.

There's a good chance if you change the file resoultion the banding will go away. What's 
the file resoultion? Are you resizing in Print with Preview? 

Try to sample file to 360 or 480 and do not change size in Print with Preview. Tell us the 
results!

Are the faint lines evenly spaced, about 2-3cm apart, and running
perpendicular to the direction of the print head?

> 
> 
>> When I run OPM to print (on my 2200) images with a black background,
>> my prints have faint lines in the background, as if less than the
>> full amount of black ink was laid down at particular spots across
>> the entire page.
>> Images with a varied light background seem to print fine via OPM and
>> I really like the results, but I need it to go down to a background
>> of absolute 0 without the banding for most of my work.
>> Eric.
>

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Steve Kale 
<stevekale@b...> wrote:
> Are the faint lines evenly spaced, about 2-3cm apart, and running
> perpendicular to the direction of the print head?
> 

They do run perpendicular to the direction of the print head but 
they are not all equidistant.  One is about half way in the image 
and two others are about at the 1/4 and 3/4 areas, making them about 
1.5 inches apart almost equidistant, but another band is very close 
to the 1/4 band.  

They do not align with the rollers on the printer.  I initially 
thought it was the rollers and cleaned them 3 times until the pad 
showed no deposits, but when I watched the next print being produced 
I could see that two of the bands were in between, and not close to 
being beneath, the rollers.

I appreciate the help.

[Part of original post]
> >> When I run OPM to print (on my 2200) images with a black 
background,
> >> my prints have faint lines in the background, as if less than 
the
> >> full amount of black ink was laid down at particular spots 
across
> >> the entire page.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "John Vitollo" 
<jvlist@c...> wrote:
> 
> > When I run OPM to print (on my 2200) images with a black 
background, 
> > my prints have faint lines in the background, as if less than 
the 
> > full amount of black ink was laid down at particular spots 
across 
> > the entire page.
> > Images with a varied light background seem to print fine via OPM 
and 
> > I really like the results, but I need it to go down to a 
background 
> > of absolute 0 without the banding for most of my work.
> > Eric.
> 
> I've seen this before. I was printing a drum scanned image to a 
5x7 inch print and noticed 
> banding and a pattern in the print. I down sampled to 480 and all 
problems were gone.
> 
> There's a good chance if you change the file resoultion the 
banding will go away. What's the file resoultion? 

6x9 inches at 300ppi

> Are you resizing in Print with Preview? 

When I bring up OPM, I import the image (with a black background), 
center it, and print it at 100% which yields a 6x9 at 300ppi.  
Images of varied backgrounds print very, very well with no banding.

> Try to sample file to 360 or 480 and do not change size in Print 
with Preview. Tell us the results!

I can try that but I do need support for 300ppi, some of my older 
images don't have enough resolution to make 12x18 prints at more 
than 300ppi.

I appreciate the help.

Print a page of pure black.  When it is have way through turn the printer so
that it spits the paper out.  Check the dither with a loupe.  I'll bet you
will see the other lines also and you will see how the dither breaks down.

> From: selenium_toner <ekmail123@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 14:30:22 -0000
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Banding with IJC/OPM but not Epson Driver (help!)
> 
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Steve Kale
> <stevekale@b...> wrote:
>> Are the faint lines evenly spaced, about 2-3cm apart, and running
>> perpendicular to the direction of the print head?
>> 
> 
> They do run perpendicular to the direction of the print head but
> they are not all equidistant.  One is about half way in the image
> and two others are about at the 1/4 and 3/4 areas, making them about
> 1.5 inches apart almost equidistant, but another band is very close
> to the 1/4 band. 
> 
> They do not align with the rollers on the printer.  I initially
> thought it was the rollers and cleaned them 3 times until the pad
> showed no deposits, but when I watched the next print being produced
> I could see that two of the bands were in between, and not close to
> being beneath, the rollers.
> 
> I appreciate the help.
>

As Steve mentioned in a previous post, this is an inherent weakness 
in the gimp engine and usually only shows up when using 100K inks.  I 
have found that a profile using K plus a little of another ink solves 
this for me (at least so far).  The other solution is to add 1% to 3% 
noise to the deep shadow areas of the print.  

Lou

-- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Steve Kale 
<stevekale@b...> wrote:
> Print a page of pure black.  When it is have way through turn the 
printer so
> that it spits the paper out.  Check the dither with a loupe.  I'll 
bet you
> will see the other lines also and you will see how the dither 
breaks down.
> 
> 
> > From: selenium_toner <ekmail123@h...>
> > Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> > Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 14:30:22 -0000
> > To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Banding with IJC/OPM but not Epson 
Driver (help!)
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Steve Kale
> > <stevekale@b...> wrote:
> >> Are the faint lines evenly spaced, about 2-3cm apart, and running
> >> perpendicular to the direction of the print head?
> >> 
> > 
> > They do run perpendicular to the direction of the print head but
> > they are not all equidistant.  One is about half way in the image
> > and two others are about at the 1/4 and 3/4 areas, making them 
about
> > 1.5 inches apart almost equidistant, but another band is very 
close
> > to the 1/4 band. 
> > 
> > They do not align with the rollers on the printer.  I initially
> > thought it was the rollers and cleaned them 3 times until the pad
> > showed no deposits, but when I watched the next print being 
produced
> > I could see that two of the bands were in between, and not close 
to

> > being beneath, the rollers.
> > 
> > I appreciate the help.
> >