--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "scrber"
<stephen.bate@m...> wrote:
> OK, Sorry I joined this thread late but I hope I can help. I had
> EXACTLY the same thing last week. And, I fixed it.
>
> I had the microbanding, very fine, but visible to my eye, all nozzles
> firing. I tried everything and then did a microbanding Google search
> and put everything I found into action!
>
> Firstly, I don't know what printer you are using, but with hextone
> inks in my 1290, I found head alignment extremely difficult to
> judge. I have done it many times before but I do now know that they
> were not right in the past.
>
> If you have a CIS, are the cartridges located with little felt pads?
> If so, fold up a bit of card and push it between the two cartridges,
> not enough to jam in, but tight enough that it stops movement, I
> found that any knock or wiggle would throw the aligment out by miles,
> and it would also drift over time.
>
> Secondly raise your ink bottle by an inch and then run through
> the 'windex towel' cleaning method (I assume you know this). Leave
> for ten minutes.
>
> Set the height arm to one height that you will use, shifting up and
> down also threw my head alignment out. I chose '-' and it works fine
> for all my papaers (up to 210gm anyway...).
>
> Next re-do you head alignment, now this is critical, it took me
> HOURS. Pick GOOD paper, and take a loupe (+lightbox if you have one)
> to screutinise the results. I went through at least three 'realign'
> processes for both the colour and B&W alignments. The 'colour' boxes
> were what I found hardest to interpret, having now spent so much time
> on it I know what aligned heads look like, it is an almost continuous
> tone box and is NOT easy to get spot on.
>
> After all this, my prints are perfect and the banding is gone.
>
> If this doesn't work, you may have a feed problem, in which case
> there is another quicker solution. Turn the high speed on. This
> does affect the sharpness of you prints a little because the heads
> might not be perfectly aligned, but it does instantly (on mine
> anyway) get rid of the microbanding. If all else fails, this will
> let you carry on printing, if not with perfect results though...
>
>
> Hope this solves your woes, it did fix mine, let us know!
>
> Steve.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > > Hey, all you helpful folks!
> > > I'm into my first day with the new Piezotones (installed last
> night).
> > > I'm getting very fine white banding in a regular visible
> pattern. I
> > > now get consistently good nozzle checks and have done several
> > > alignments and gotten that looking pretty good. However, the
> numbers
> > > on the alignment checks have fine white "dropped out" lines
> through
> > > them one or sometimes two lines width. The scattered dots I was
> > > getting beside the alignment check lines are fewer and closer now.
> > > Whazzup? I think I may have been getting some of this banding
> before
> > > the CIS change, but the alignment check numbers didn't have the
> white
> > > lines through them with the old CIS (I found some old alignment
> check
> > > sheets). Any help much appreciated.
> > > Chris
> >
> > >
> > I hope someone can help Chris with this printing question,
> certainly one of
> > the purposes of the forum. But forgive me, Chris, for using this as
> an
> > opportunity to suggest to the members of the forum an alternate
> source of
> > help: the makers of our hardware, software and media.
> >
> > When we go to the source (Epson, Inkjet Mall, etc.), they have a
> better idea
> > of how extensive these problems are and where they need to make
> changes.
> > Every call to their tech support is a "vote" for improvement.
> >
> > When I go directly to the source, I usually get a helpful answer.
> Sometimes
> > I get a replacement.
> >
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Jim Klebau
well, thanks to Steve and Jim for responses. I will do some more
tinkering using Steve's ideas. Epson was singularly unhelpful-only
canned answers. InkjetMall somewhat better but still not conclusive.
I think I'm going to take the machine to a service center soon.
Chris