QTR-Quadtone RIP

I have been reading this group for a while, this is my first post.

I am using QTR with an R1900 printer and Epson inks. I have had fair success creating my own QIDF files and prints, but there is one thing I can't seem to fix. When printing full pages the leading and trailing 1/2 inch of the print is slightly lighter and slightly streaked compared to the rest of the print. Watching the paper move, it seems to move more slowly at the ends of the paper that when I print the same image from Photoshop (where I don't see this effect). I am positioning the print 0.5 inches from the edge of the paper in both QTR and PS. If I center the print (5 x 7 on an 8.5 x 11 sheet, for example) this does not happen, but that wastes a lot of paper. Print Head Cleaning doesn't help, and the Print Head Check looks fine. Has anyone else seen this? Suggestions? Cheers!

What you are describing is most likely microbanding. It is a QTR artifact. To avoid, you must have about 1 in. on each end of your print that is blank.

Or use a lead sheet.

http://www.cyberhalides.com/piezography-printing/microbanding-and-gloss-printing-issues-with-qtr/

Thank you for the information. I'll give the lead sheet a try.