Digital BW, The Print

Hi,
I just did a print on my 2100 (UC/QTR) and noticed lines in the sky (going in the direction of the print head's movement along the printer's width). So I looked closer with my 5x loupe.  The lines were not blocked nozzles, but misaligned heads - all the ink was there, but was in darker and lighter rows. Actually, with the 15x loupe, they couldn't be seen.

So I did a head alignment and couldn't rectify the problem, despite spending ages printing and realigning. (When doing the horizontal alignment pages which have seven test strips down the vertical page, I couldn't get rid of the lines, no matter how many times I selected the least lined strip, realigned the heads and reprinted the page.) This problem happened a month or so ago, but it seems was resolved, using the same method that time.

When I reprinted a test strip of the sky, it looked worse, not better.

What can be done? Is it time to ditch the printer or try and track down a new print head?

Another exhibition to start printing in a week or so ... so this is rather a problem

Thanks to you all for greatly improving my printing in the last six years!

Richard

--
www.richardsmallfield.com 

   "The important thing is not to stop questioning.  Curiosity has its 
   own reason for existing."
   --Albert Einstein

> I just did a print on my 2100 (UC/QTR) and noticed lines in the 
sky 
(going in the direction of the print head's movement along the 
printer's width). So I looked closer with my 5x loupe.  The lines 
were 
not blocked nozzles, but misaligned heads - all the ink was there, 
but 
was in darker and lighter rows. Actually, with the 15x loupe, they 
couldn't be seen.


Just an idea. Do you get the lines with both High speed on and off. 
If 
the lines appear only with high speed on (when printer lays down 
print 
in bi-drectional movement as opposed to one direction only), then 
the 
bi-drectional printing aligment is off. 

This alignment (and many others) can only be peformed with Epson 
factory service programme. (Note - this is not the same as the free 
Eson SSC utility that is mainly used to reset wast tank and do power 
cleaning).  I bought it from here

http://www.2manuals.com/product_info.php?products_id=543

The accompanying Epson Stylus Photo 2100 service manual can be 
purchased for download at other sites much cheaper (do a google 
search).

I really do not know if it will be of any help with your problem 
(perhaps the flaw is permanent and cannot be aligned "away"), but 
the 
the factory service utility and the service manual has been of 
tremendous value for me. 

I bought my Epson 2100 second hand, so I do not know what the 
previous 
owner had done with it. But I had some printing quality problems. 
When 
I checked the printer with the above utility, I was surprised how 
much 
out of whack the printer was (again I do not know if this was as 
from 
factory of infliced bu the previous owner). Also the service manual 
is 
very informative read - IMO some sections e.g. explaining how the 
printer behaves in different resolutions should have been included 
in 
the regular users manual

Best

Didzis