# Little black ink spots



## 2dolla2holla (Sep 8, 2011)

i have checked my substrate (used two different brands iphone 4 blanks) checked the paper to make sure there was nothing on the paper, but once it prints there are little black spots appearing that become more visible once i press.


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## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

That can happen when you oversaturate the paper with ink, and it doesn't dry quickly enough. The underside of the print head picks up the ink, and then splatters it down again at random spots.

There are some manual maintenance routines you can do to help clean the wiper, cap station, and other parts internal to your printer, but the best way to avoid this is to cut back on your ink. You might also try a different paper. 

Also, be sure to keep your papers sealed up in bags. If it's really humid, you can sprinkle in some new white rice (helps to dry the air in the bag). Take out the paper only when you need it, and re-zip the bag when you're done. This keeps the paper from taking up too much moisture.


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## 2dolla2holla (Sep 8, 2011)

Which cleaning methods do u suggest I do to fix this problem?


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

2dolla2holla said:


> Which cleaning methods do u suggest I do to fix this problem?


The type of paper selected has a big effect on the ink volume laid down on the printer.

Can you post what settings you used for that photo?

Also, how long have you had your printer? It may be time to clean your capping station. I will find a video for you in that case.


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## NevinGraphics (Dec 27, 2012)

what printer are you using? an inkjet / laser or copier laser type?
if inkjet Holla and Mg may be right it could be a type for a good cleaning. If a laser it could be the tranfer belt or drum and if a cpier type depending on how far in fromthe lead edge it would or could be a black drum unit. do you get them only on occation or on every print?


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

NevinGraphics said:


> what printer are you using? an inkjet / laser or copier laser type?
> if inkjet Holla and Mg may be right it could be a type for a good cleaning. If a laser it could be the tranfer belt or drum and if a cpier type depending on how far in fromthe lead edge it would or could be a black drum unit. do you get them only on occation or on every print?


From another post the OP mentioned using an inkjet.


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## NevinGraphics (Dec 27, 2012)

sorry my bad.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

NevinGraphics said:


> sorry my bad.


No apologies needed, unless one was following the other thread no way to know, so your question was fine.

Folks posting should always provide appropriate context in each unique thread, saves guess work.


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## 2dolla2holla (Sep 8, 2011)

The thing is that the printer is only two week old and I have printed at least 3-4 full colorful images every day to prevent clogging. The nozzle checks look great too. My setting are matte paper, best photo, no high speed.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

2dolla2holla said:


> The thing is that the printer is only two week old and I have printed at least 3-4 full colorful images every day to prevent clogging. The nozzle checks look great too. My setting are matte paper, best photo, no high speed.


You capping station should be OK then. Is your paper good and flat? Seems like the paper is getting the spots from bumping up against the printhead bottom during feeding. Make sure your paper exit tray in front is extended and also have some additional paper in the feed tray so that the paper get's loaded and handled properly going through the printer.


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## 2dolla2holla (Sep 8, 2011)

I'm using image right premium from coastal and there is additional paper in and tray fully out. I'm wondering if its the c88+


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

2dolla2holla said:


> I'm using image right premium from coastal and there is additional paper in and tray fully out. I'm wondering if its the c88+


It could be your printer, if you try other paper settings and quality settings and it doesn't go away could be the printer. Suggest to also try regular paper just to see if it handles that OK or not. That sub paper may be a little thicker, although the printer is designed to handle thicker papers.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

2dolla2holla said:


> I'm using image right premium from coastal and there is additional paper in and tray fully out. I'm wondering if its the c88+


Also, did you buy your carts prefilled? If you got refillables did you prime them during the initial filling?

Or CISS?

If there is nothing you can set to in the settings to correct the problem suggest to install the OEM Epson carts and see if the problem persists.


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## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

Image Right is about 30-35 lb paper, which is the same thickness as DyeTrans, and maybe a little thinner than TexPrint. I use this paper all the time, and unless I'm *pouring* on the ink, it dries fast.

Some ideas:

1. If it's humid where you are, you might try pre-drying the sheets under your heat press. Don't cook them, just get them a little warm. 

2. On the opposite humidity scale, don't stack paper into the feed trays. Load one at a time. This avoids static when the top sheet of paper is drawn through. Static is created when paper slides against paper.

3. Be sure there's little or no curl in the paper. If the printhead strikes the edge of the paper, it can splatter ink.

4. Don't pre-cut your paper to smaller size. Feel free to waste a little. The less your printhead passed over the edges of the paper the better. (Obviously it has to pass over the top and bottom; I'm talking about the sides here.)

5. Cleaning your printer as noted in the videos (pretty easy to find on YouTube) may help. Though you might not find videos explicitly for the C88, many of Epson's desktop printers are about the same when it comes to this part.

When you say "photo" quality, I assume you're using a Plain paper setting, on Photo (or Best Photo). Avoid setting it as Photo paper. That puts down tons of ink.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

GordonM said:


> Image Right is about 30-35 lb paper, which is the same thickness as DyeTrans, and maybe a little thinner than TexPrint. I use this paper all the time, and unless I'm *pouring* on the ink, it dries fast.
> 
> Some ideas:
> 
> ...


Gordon, the C88 and C88+ were not as good handling paper as the newer models, I had several of them before, it is picky with paper and how it feeds. Some papers won't be grabbed well without other paper in the feed tray others curl and can jam if you single feed. Best to eliminate all the variables and find what does work, paper is a variable too.

I'll look for a good video for cleaning the printer, as you mention the concept is universal, if the printer is only 2 weeks old not likely to be capping station, but anything is possible.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

2dolla2holla said:


> I'm using image right premium from coastal and there is additional paper in and tray fully out. I'm wondering if its the c88+


If the previous paper that left the white spots didn't have ink drop problems then the question is what has changed. The new paper is not leaving white dots but now is showing ink drops. Good chance the paper setting and print quality and how it feeds has to be different using the Coastal sub paper sucessfully than your "Royal" paper was set to.

Here is a link to a complete cleaning video. Note: do not think about injecting fluid into your printhead and I would not use the towel under the printhead and do "wiping" under the printhead, those are last resort items.

How to maintain small format Epson printers

The part in the video where they "puddle" the capping station and maybe just putting a paper towel under the printhead would be OK. Wiping across the printheads has to be done very delicate and as a last resort, I don't see a new printer being at that point yet, usually just placing a soaked towel underneath the printer for some period of time can get most "gunk". For the capping station and soaked towel you can use half Simple Green general purpose cleaner (from Walmart) and half distilled water instead of the fluid that is mentioned in the video. You need either an eyedropper or syringe without the needle to "puddle" the capping station with half Simple Green and half distilled water.

Freeing the printhead movement is done the same way, press the ink change button then unplug the printer for access to the capping station.

The video is for reference, at some point you will need to do such maintanance, but your printer is new I am skeptical for cleaning this way fixing your problem as the old paper didn't do this but the new paper does, finding the right settings for this new paper is probably where the solution lies. 

_Exhaust everything else first before you think about this cleaning._


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## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

Is it possible to have a two-week old C88? I thought these were a much older vintage. Even if it were new in the box, there is a non-sticky hygroscopic fluid in the waste pads (and I think the capping station), which could dry out over time. I don't know what this material is, if it needs to be replenished. But if the pads are dry, I can easily see how that could be a problem.

Anyway, I know it's not the paper per se. I can print on this stuff with the heaviest ink with Plain modes and it won't cockle or streak. I WILL get splotches if I try to use a Matte setting, and there are areas of solid black -- doesn't have to be big areas. I have some Jetcol 95% release paper that cannot go through my printers without leaving roller track marks over any black areas.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

GordonM said:


> Is it possible to have a two-week old C88? I thought these were a much older vintage. Even if it were new in the box, there is a non-sticky hygroscopic fluid in the waste pads (and I think the capping station), which could dry out over time. I don't know what this material is, if it needs to be replenished. But if the pads are dry, I can easily see how that could be a problem.


 
Good question. I have seen refurbs on Epson site a while back, been a while since I saw a new for sale, but they could exist somewhere, question is the shelf life. 

Being dry won't gunk up the bottom of the head unless that stuff from the factory dried and got crusty and wouldn't allow ink to pass thru very well. Also possible that if a lot of head cleans were done here initially the capping got gunked up quicker, or paper was jammed and gunked up the bottom of the printhead.

Kinda reinforces why we believe that all Epson desktop printers should be tested with OEM inks before adding sublimation.


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## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

A thing I've noticed is that doing even a couple of borderless prints is very bad for the internal cleanliness of these Epsons. I tried just a few, and noticed a 1/8" band in the waste pads along the bottom of the printer on either side of where the paper was. Touching this band will mark up your finger with quite a bit of ink. The backside of sub paper is usually uncoated, and could easily wick up the ink, on the back and also onto the sides. It wouldn't take much for the head to then spread that across the top of the paper.

So maybe this isn't the OP's problem, but it's one of those things to be on the lookout for when using these printers. Now, I just print on larger paper, and cut to size to remove the borders. I do 11x17s, and I've needed to do these borderless. Fortunately, numerous paper suppliers offer 12x18. It's no more expensive, though it adds a bit of time for the cutting.


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## 2dolla2holla (Sep 8, 2011)

Thanks guys for the support, and you bring up an interesting point about the c88+ being new, i purchased it from a big box retailer in the box off the shelve, but who knows the shelf life especially since its discontinued right? I did some research on the forums and found a few threads of people have the same issue with the C88+. I guess there was an overspray issue with the c8x models, even using their OEM ink. So i think i'm going to purchase a newer version. What are some affordable, yet good epson sublimation printers that you guys would suggest?


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

2dolla2holla said:


> Thanks guys for the support, and you bring up an interesting point about the c88+ being new, i purchased it from a big box retailer in the box off the shelve, but who knows the shelf life especially since its discontinued right? I did some research on the forums and found a few threads of people have the same issue with the C88+. I guess there was an overspray issue with the c8x models, even using their OEM ink. So i think i'm going to purchase a newer version. What are some affordable, yet good epson sublimation printers that you guys would suggest?


I'm using a WF1100 which is no longer available. The WF7010 replaced that but I have no experience with it, Gordon has one of the 7XXX models.


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## 2dolla2holla (Sep 8, 2011)

parrish you are the most helpful person i have encourtered here (gordon aswell). Thanks for the help, i'm going with the WF 7010.


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## 2dolla2holla (Sep 8, 2011)

Also i know its a wide format printer, i wont have a problem printing my regular iphone cover images right


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## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

The 7010 is a good printer for its price, though there are some issues you have to get used to. One, which apparently only a few people have (or notice), is that on Plain paper settings you can't reliably print to the ends of the page without the printer prematurely ejecting the paper before the last passes of the print head. I had hoped the recent firmware update would fix the problem, but it didn't. It causes a banding at the end at the last 1/2" of the print. The problem doesn't occur if you don't print near to the edges of the paper.

I have two 7010s, and it behaves the same with both. 

One is a pigment printer, the other sub. Both are CISS. I'm thinking I might convert the sub 7010 to cartridges, so I can go back and forth. Right now I'm doing more pigment printing (also laser on synthetic paper). I have a Workforce 30 for the gruntwork sub printing I do. It's only letter size, but most of what I do at the moment fits.

Another issue is that the 7010 has a tendency to "forget" its head alignment settings when you do a cartridge reset. It doesn't always happen, but after resetting, run a quick test print to make sure there aren't any banding issues. This MAY have something to do with the particular reset chips that Cobra sells, or it could be a printer issue. The recent firmware update was supposed to fix something related to head alignment, and maybe this was it.


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## 2dolla2holla (Sep 8, 2011)

Hey gordon where did you get your CISS for the sub one? I was looking online and found a few different options. I'm trying to understand the reset feature aswell.


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