QTR-Quadtone RIP

I've just started using Hahnemuhle Photo Rag, and I'm getting vertical 
banding on large (13x19) prints on Epson 2200 (UC inks)--doesn't show 
up on letter and smaller. I've used both the sheet feed as well as the 
manual feed, with same problem. Printing on Enhanced Matt is fine 
(Windows XP).  

Also, after downloading the latest update, I get a fatal Windows error 
in the Image to Raster (shuts things down, but keeps printing, 
luckily).

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Mason,

with HPR in 308 gsm form the banding may be caused by the thickness 
of the paper and it's proximity to the printing head.  I found that 
this can lead to two problems, both of which can manifest as 
banding.  The first is the physical distance as the paper is closer 
to the head.  I found I obtained better results by lifting the head 
away from the paper by using the adjuster provided for the purpose.  
On the 2100/2200 this is a lever at the back on the right side as 
you look from the front.  I moved this to the envelopes setting when 
I used HPR and obtained smoother prints, especially in high density 
areas.  Secondly, I found that prolonged use of HPR led to paper 
fibre deposits on the heads themselves and consequent blocking and 
banding.  I cleaned the undersides of the head by parking the head 
on a windex soaked tissue to soak, a technique regularly expounded 
on here and elsewhere on the net, followed by a (usually minor) head 
clean through the Epson driver.  Can't help with the error message 
I'm afraid.  Good luck,

Gary.

--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "Mason_Reid" <mason_reid@...> 
wrote:
>
> I've just started using Hahnemuhle Photo Rag, and I'm getting 
vertical 
> banding on large (13x19) prints on Epson 2200 (UC inks)--doesn't 
show 
> up on letter and smaller. I've used both the sheet feed as well as 
the 
> manual feed, with same problem. Printing on Enhanced Matt is fine 
> (Windows XP).  
> 
> Also, after downloading the latest update, I get a fatal Windows 
error 

> in the Image to Raster (shuts things down, but keeps printing, 
> luckily).
> 
> Any help will be greatly appreciated.
>

Thanks Gary--I am using the 308gsm, and I have the adjuster on the 
envelope setting (1 notch down).  If I try the second notch (not 
labeled), I get the "page feed" light.  I saw some mention of 
changing the dithering setting to deal with banding.  I'll search 
some more.

Oh yeah, I haven't printed much with the HPR, so I shouldn't have 
much buildup, but I'll check.

--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "garybrook176" <gmbrgb@...> 
wrote:
>
> Mason,
> 
> with HPR in 308 gsm form the banding may be caused by the 
thickness 
> of the paper and it's proximity to the printing head.  I found 
that 
> this can lead to two problems, both of which can manifest as 
> banding.  The first is the physical distance as the paper is 
closer 
> to the head.  I found I obtained better results by lifting the 
head 
> away from the paper by using the adjuster provided for the 
purpose.  
> On the 2100/2200 this is a lever at the back on the right side as 
> you look from the front.  I moved this to the envelopes setting 
when 
> I used HPR and obtained smoother prints, especially in high 
density 
> areas.  Secondly, I found that prolonged use of HPR led to paper 
> fibre deposits on the heads themselves and consequent blocking and 
> banding.  I cleaned the undersides of the head by parking the head 
> on a windex soaked tissue to soak, a technique regularly expounded 
> on here and elsewhere on the net, followed by a (usually minor) 
head 

> clean through the Epson driver.  Can't help with the error message 
> I'm afraid.  Good luck,
> 
> Gary.
> 
>

OK, I cleaned my heads, tried all the available dithering patterns, 
and still get mild vertical banding on H Photo Rag.  I've used an HPR 
profile, and also the standard EEM.  Both show the banding. (I also 
spent a lot of time reading up on the banding issues via search--maybe 
not enough, but a lot anyway).

Help would be appreciated.

Mason_Reid wrote:
> OK, I cleaned my heads, tried all the available dithering patterns,
> and still get mild vertical banding on H Photo Rag.  I've used an HPR
> profile, and also the standard EEM.  Both show the banding. (I also
> spent a lot of time reading up on the banding issues via search--maybe
> not enough, but a lot anyway).
> 
> Help would be appreciated.
> 
Is the banding evenly spread across the page & how far apart are the bands?

You could try setting the resolution to 2880dpi although that is 
normally a fix for horizontal not vertical banding.

Howard

The banding is about 1/2 inch, regularly spaced, and pretty subtle. 
They occur primarily on the first half of the print in (blue)sky 
areas. I changed to 2880, dropped the ink limit, raised the gamma, 
and I got a good print.  2880 prints are considerably darker than 
1440.  And the banding is only noticeable on larger (9x19in) prints, 
which is what I'm selling.  Smaller proofs don't show the banding.

Thanks.

--- In QuadtoneRIP@...m, Howard Shaw <glassman@...> wrote:
>

> > 
> Is the banding evenly spread across the page & how far apart are 
the bands?

> 
> You could try setting the resolution to 2880dpi although that is 
> normally a fix for horizontal not vertical banding.
> 
> Howard
>

Mason_Reid wrote:
> The banding is about 1/2 inch, regularly spaced, and pretty subtle.
> They occur primarily on the first half of the print in (blue)sky
> areas. I changed to 2880, dropped the ink limit, raised the gamma,
> and I got a good print.  2880 prints are considerably darker than
> 1440.  And the banding is only noticeable on larger (9x19in) prints,
> which is what I'm selling.  Smaller proofs don't show the banding.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
More ink is deposited at 2880dpi so you'll need to reduce the ink limit 
by 40-50%. You shouldn't need to change the gamma. Preferably you should 
make new curves.

Does the banding actually disappear at 2880dpi? I had a similar problem 
but with horizontal banding and never managed to fix it so now I 
restrict myself to 2880dpi.

Howard

I dropped the ink limit down max (-50).  I increased the gamma a bit 
to try to keep the midtones a little darker, based on some tests I 
had made.  I've just started monkeying around with the ink limit and 
gammas, so I may have it all wrong.  I spent most of Saturday trying 
to make my own curve, and got pretty frustrated (tried to modify a H 
Photo Rag curve off a website), and gave up after seeing that 1440 
gave me a closer print to the monitor.  Then when printing bigger 
prints I find that the 1440 gave me banding.  Lots of ink, lots of 
paper, lots of frustration.  But at least now I have a decent large 
print, and a slightly better understanding.  I'll continue to work 
on the curve.  If anyone has a modified curve for 2880 and HPR or 
EEM, I'd be grateful.  All the stock curves in QTR print really dark 
for me (2200).

Thanks for the help.


--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, Howard Shaw <glassman@...> wrote:
>
> Mason_Reid wrote:
> > The banding is about 1/2 inch, regularly spaced, and pretty 
subtle.
> > They occur primarily on the first half of the print in (blue)sky
> > areas. I changed to 2880, dropped the ink limit, raised the 
gamma,
> > and I got a good print.  2880 prints are considerably darker than
> > 1440.  And the banding is only noticeable on larger (9x19in) 
prints,
> > which is what I'm selling.  Smaller proofs don't show the 
banding.
> > 
> > Thanks.
> > 
> More ink is deposited at 2880dpi so you'll need to reduce the ink 
limit 
> by 40-50%. You shouldn't need to change the gamma. Preferably you 
should 
> make new curves.
> 
> Does the banding actually disappear at 2880dpi? I had a similar 
problem 

> but with horizontal banding and never managed to fix it so now I 
> restrict myself to 2880dpi.
> 
> Howard
>