# Printing issues (banding?)



## Hattr (Mar 24, 2014)

I have a Epson WF-7110 with Cobra Ink, printed an 8x10 aluminum sheet. This is the results, almost like a color isn't cooperating or something. Nozzle check looks good and it's new ink. Is there a setting I'm missing? Using Photoshop cs5.5 and Cobra color profile setup per their instructions, using texprint so hr paper. Any help is much appreciated.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

Head issue is my guess.


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## Hattr (Mar 24, 2014)

That's a printer that I got in just a couple weeks ago that I ordered from Epson through Amazon do I just call Epson and talk to them about it?


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## STPG Press (Jul 6, 2015)

Hattr said:


> That's a printer that I got in just a couple weeks ago that I ordered from Epson through Amazon do I just call Epson and talk to them about it?


Absolutely.


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## Hattr (Mar 24, 2014)

Should I perform a head alignment first? And will they tell me it's not their issue cause I'm not using their ink?


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## STPG Press (Jul 6, 2015)

I would go through the troubleshooting section in the manual. When you have exhausted those options, go to their tech support.

Yea, they're probably going to squabble as soon as they find that out. Might be best to not exactly offer up that fact early on. Of course, as soon as they ask, you'll pretty much be in the spot to tell them.

Do you have the ability to pop in different cartridges and see if the problem goes away?


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

Hattr said:


> Should I perform a head alignment first? And will they tell me it's not their issue cause I'm not using their ink?


Before one buys a printer, one should read every thread in this forum about the issues of printers. Always understand the sellers rules on these type of issues BEFORE you buy,not after. 

Frankly before you buy a printer you should first outsource the transfers for a few jobs then you will have a MUCH better understanding of Dye subbing.
The printer is the only hard part of making a nice profit in dye sublimation. Designing dye sub art, heat pressing and selling it is the easy part that almost any one can do.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

STPG Press said:


> Absolutely.


NO NO NO!!!!

Epson offering warranty and support for 3rd party anything especially sublimation?

Are you kidding me? 

Nothing personal but bad advice. They could reject his warranty if they know he altered the design of the printer if he has to send in the printer under warranty.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Hattr said:


> That's a printer that I got in just a couple weeks ago that I ordered from Epson through Amazon do I just call Epson and talk to them about it?



*NO NO NO don't call Epson about your desktop sublimation issues NO NO NO!!*

You are putting inks and a ink delivery system in there that it wasn't designed for then ask Epson what is wrong?  

Do you have refillable carts or CIS?

Do you still have your OEM carts?

ONLY if you put those carts in and you cannot get a clean nozzle check with the printer in it's *original condition* then you know you have a_ printer_ problem and could contact Epson. BUT DO NOT TELL THEM YOU REDESIGNED YOUR PRINTER WITH 3RD PARTY STUFF EVER!!!!

99.999 percent chance you no issues with your _almost brand new printer_ almost certain you have a prime or other installation issues with your carts/CIS.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

stpg press said:


> i would go through the troubleshooting section in the manual. When you have exhausted those options, go to their tech support.
> 
> *yea, they're probably going to squabble as soon as they find that out. Might be best to not exactly offer up that fact early on. Of course, as soon as they ask, you'll pretty much be in the spot to tell them.*
> 
> do you have the ability to pop in different cartridges and see if the problem goes away?



*no no no no no no*


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## Hattr (Mar 24, 2014)

I have refillable carts the nozzle check looks perfect.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Hattr said:


> I have refillable carts the nozzle check looks perfect.


Then why would you call Epson?

1. Have you removed the back set of plugs in the carts?
2. Did you fill those yourself or buy those prefilled?
3. Did you prime the carts?
4. Has this ever given you clean printouts?


Cobra has videos on their website for priming the carts. You would need the correct syringe for this.

Nozzle checks won't show up prime issues typically. It only takes a tiny amount of ink to print a nozzle check. If air is in your system it typically will show once you actually start laying down a decent amount of ink.

Use the 4 color purge file that is attached as a supplement to nozzle checking.

You can isolate which color(s) has issues.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

Good advice Mike.

Once you change the carts, remember they have batteries too. 

Also, when the carts run low, or think they're low, with non oem carts, they give you that look of clogged heads. 

Prime the carts as Mike says. You might have to run the head clean a few times after you change and/or prime the carts.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

selanac said:


> Good advice Mike.
> 
> Once you change the carts, remember they have batteries too.
> 
> ...



Thanks. And yes good point, prime issues mimic clogged heads.

I'm using the same Cobra carts and no batteries. I think the model before (WF7010) had batteries though.


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## headfirst (Jun 29, 2011)

What settings are you using? did the transfer look good before you pressed it? Can you see those lines on the used transfer after you pressed it?


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## STPG Press (Jul 6, 2015)

I stand corrected... Thanks everybody for pointing that out.  Cheers.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

One he said he printed on an Aluminum Sheet, Two he said he has Cobra ink, but doesn't say if it's CIS or refillable carts. 

How does it print on Paper?


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## Hattr (Mar 24, 2014)

They are refillable carts and it printed the same on the paper. However I did print solid blue text using the same color profile and pressed it on some shirts and they had no noticable lines in them.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

I'd call cobra on Monday.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Hattr said:


> They are refillable carts and it printed the same on the paper. However I did print solid blue text using the same color profile and pressed it on some shirts and they had no noticable lines in them.


The 4 color tiff file in the zip file I attached in the previous post will pinpoint what color(s) out of the 4 carts you have issues with. Your profile is not causing your banding.

Each color bar in the 4 color bar tiff file represents a head and a cart.

If you have banding in purple for example then either the cyan could be banding and/or the magenta, since the 2 combinations make purple.

Your 4 color carts are the fundamental colors needed to make 16.7 million colors.

You need to determine where your ink interruption issues is first (which carts) to solve it. Using a random general graphic or photo it harder in some cases since the color are mostly mixtures.


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## Hattr (Mar 24, 2014)

Purge looks good, ran alignment, apparently vertical was way off, still seems to be a bit even after several attempts, horizontal is spot on now though.


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## mags1892 (Mar 31, 2012)

Print a test using colours which are a mixture of inks ie red blue green etc see if it bands then alter print resolution to see if it improves. Head aligment is also woth it. Epson will not replace the printer maybe your ink supplier can help i certainly do for my clients.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

mags1892 said:


> Print a test using colours which are a mixture of inks ie red blue green etc see if it bands then alter print resolution to see if it improves. Head aligment is also woth it. Epson will not replace the printer maybe your ink supplier can help i certainly do for my clients.


Printing a mix of colors makes it harder to isolate where the color problem is.  We don't have green, red, and blue printheads.

If the lower printing resolutions are used it can cause banding. The OP did mention "Using Photoshop cs5.5 and Cobra color profile setup per their instructions". But it doesn't hurt to double check that.

Having said that ... print resolution should be fixed and would depend on the substrate used per the profile setup settings. 

One should set the resolution based on the profile setup instructions, if there is still a problem then changing resolution means you are not addressing the _root cause_ of the problem since it is supposed to work at the settings the ink vendor advised per the profile.

In other words you don't bend your car axles to correct a wheel alignment problem. You address the wheel alignment problem directly.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Hattr said:


> View attachment 169281
> 
> View attachment 169289
> 
> ...


The head alignment process sucks on this printer, I can never get those squares perfect, but even with less than perfect alignment I can print without banding.

I'm working with another individual with this setup, he is also using the Beaver TexPrint HR. I'm not 100% sure and need to verify, but I believe these profiles were done using "DyeTrans" general purpose paper. Not saying this is your problem but this needs to be checked out. I'll update when Cobra is open on Mon.

The other party was getting lines from the ink rollers as too much ink was being laid down and the ink could not dry fast enough as the paper advances.


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## mags1892 (Mar 31, 2012)

Printing colours shows if its a colour order banding issue i know theres no rgb inks I'm a qualified epson engineer and reseller


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

mags1892 said:


> Printing colours shows if its a colour order banding issue i know theres no rgb inks I'm a qualified epson engineer and reseller


Printing a mixed color does not show where are problem is as well as a "pure" color does.

*If you are setup correctly for sublimation using an ICC profile then you shouldn't have "color order" issues. *

We use precise printer settings based on a ICC sublimation profile and use basically fixed settings.

We don't have ""color order" issues per se if we set per the ink/profile supplier, we can have clogged heads or ink interruption due to 3rd party equipment setup.

I have been sublimating since before inkjets were around and been using ink jets for sublimation since you first could.

I will state 2 things as fact.

1. If you are setup correctly you should not have "color order" issues. We don't use arbitrary setups, our setups are determined in advance by our ICC profile ink supplier(s).

2. If you have a clogged head or ink interruption you must isolate the channel if normal head cleaning isn't resolving it. Using a purge file will help isolate that. Air bubbles in a CIS or refillable cart cart won't be resolved by "color order", we don't bend our car axle to fix a wheel alignment problem.


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## mags1892 (Mar 31, 2012)

Ok so icc prodikes are boxed evey printer is slightly different i am offering you help as an engineer who has been involved in inkjet BEFORE epson made printer. 

Colour order banding is down to the layout of colours on yhe printer and henerlaly show in ONE direction changing res and the passrate to unidirectuonal can cure this. Ill stop offering advice as youre so much an expert i dont know why you asked. 
Good day.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

mags1892 said:


> Ok so icc prodikes are boxed evey printer is slightly different i am offering you help as an engineer who has been involved in inkjet BEFORE epson made printer.
> 
> Colour order banding is down to the layout of colours on yhe printer and henerlaly show in ONE direction changing res and the passrate to unidirectuonal can cure this. Ill stop offering advice as youre so much an expert i dont know why you asked.
> Good day.


We set our product according to the ink suppliers documentation. Deviating from this can result in unpredictable results.

We don't "tweak" away from this generally. 

I don't see how this is difficult to understand. Every supplier for sublimation desktop printer inks that offer ICC profiles dictate how to setup the printer and the graphic application. 

If we assume that the user setup per the suppliers documentation correctly then If you have to change your resolution away from their recommendation to cure banding then you have a physical printer problem.

Subtle differences in a given printer SKU (production variation) should not be a factor in banding and what you set your printer resolution to.

For those worried about "every printer is slightly different" ... for the slight production color variations in production printers (same SKU) one can have a custom ICC made for_ their_ printer. This will have some improvement in the color accuracy theoretically,_ but will not have anything to do with banding or not banding._


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

I really don't want to continue to rant on this subject but I get a bit riffed when people that don't actually sublimate try and solve these problems.

What would be be obvious to someone that is experienced in sublimation product, and not obvious to someone that _fixes_ printers or provides tech support and isn't familiar with sublimation, it is that the printing resolution AND your production speed is very important.

If I solve a banding problem by reducing the printers resolution in the print driver setting then I reduce the quality of my finished product. 

If I solve a banding problem by increasing the printers resolution in the print driver setting then it's takes at least twice as long to print.

Both issues effect my bottom line so such a "solution" is not acceptable IMHO.

The settings documented in the sublimation ink vendors documents should allow for a banding free experience and a quality image product.

Sorry but I want my cake and should be able to eat it too.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Just updating about the paper. Per Cobra thru another sublimator, all the poly cloth profiles are done using TexPrintHR.


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