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Color problem

L

Lobo

New Member
Neverending story, this XC-540.

Now it decided to print a blue much lighter all of a sudden, in the middle of a print. It was fine all morning, but suddenly the color is very off and unusable.

I have restarted both the computer and the printer.
I have re-ripped the job.
I have tested other profiles.
I have checked all colors, and they aren't empty.
I have printed a fill test and all colors print.
I have printed other blue jobs and compared the output with the same job printed on my SP-540V, and they match.

What have I missed? :)

(Have to deliver 900 prints, 50x24" in less than two weeks).
 
G

genericname

New Member
Could be either ink starvation or a data issue. I'd try re-saving the file in a different format (maybe rasterizing it), THEN re-RIP it. Failing that. Check and replace your dampers as necessary.
 
L

Lobo

New Member
genericname said:
Could be either ink starvation or a data issue. I'd try re-saving the file in a different format (maybe rasterizing it), THEN re-RIP it. Failing that. Check and replace your dampers as necessary.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help! I opened the eps in Photoshop and saved it as a TIFF and that worked! :thankyou:
Why though? Why did it change in the middle of the print? Why does it print ok on the SP540-V? :)
 
L

Lobo

New Member
And now it won't work again.
The first TIFF prints ok, but I cannot make a new from page two of the original pdf.
I hate my job right now.
 
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genericname

New Member
We all have those moments. Are you importing the PDF into your RIP, or saving TIFFs from your PDF?

You should just be doing the latter, and throwing the resulting TIFFs at your RIP. What about it is not working?
 
L

Lobo

New Member
genericname said:
We all have those moments. Are you importing the PDF into your RIP, or saving TIFFs from your PDF?

You should just be doing the latter, and throwing the resulting TIFFs at your RIP. What about it is not working?
Click to expand...

I usually use only EPS files straight from Illustrator, since VersaWorks ripped a couple of pdf files wrong.

This time I saved a TIFF from importing the pdf into Photoshop.

What's strange is that the blue is different between the eps/pdf and the TIFF. What's even more strange is that the blue changed in the middle of a print. I restarted the print, and it was good again for a few inches, and then it changed again, and now it just won't go back.

I kind of works now, even though the blue isn't the same as before. I'll have to hope that the customer won't notice and the prints are never going to be seen side-by-side.
 
G

genericname

New Member
Sometimes you take the small wins. I'm kind of with wedosigns, in the "Print and move on" camp.

Sometimes the information in an EPS can just be too much for the printer to handle, or there's a communication issue going on that garbles that information. It's a punch you just have to roll with, really. Happens very seldomly here, but it's not unheard of.

That being said, I'd love to find out the exact workings of this issue. Even if we still have to do the Photoshop TIFF dance, it'd be nice to recognize trouble spots before they happen, and skip a couple steps and square feet of wasted material.
 
L

Lobo

New Member
Can't roll here. The customer has approved samples already and the final product has to comply with that..

Can't really understand why it would first work and then not, when using the same rip on the same machine. Stuff like that can never be avoided.
 
L

Lobo

New Member
Pat White said:
The first issue with the color difference between vector and raster is probably related to a profile issue (and I don't personally know the solution - I get just as confused/frustrated as you when I encounter these issues).

The color changing in the middle of the print sounds like an ink starvation issue however - are there any signs of banding or any other indications besides the color changing? How does it change exactly?

If the job is starting fine then changing I would think it is more of a mechanical issue with the printer rather than a file or profile issue.

I wish I could be more help - I have the same printer and have run into some very frustrating issues from time to time, although overall we have been very happy with it.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

It just changed gradually, over a few inches. No special banding or nothing.
 
L

Lobo

New Member
Pat White said:
One other thing....have you changed your captops recently or ever before?

I ran into a starvation issue before and our tech suggested we replace them (they were long overdue anyways) and it made a big difference.

Depending on how accessible parts are to you it may be worth a shot.
Click to expand...

I printed perhaps three hours after cap change before this happened.
The tech is coming on Monday to have a look. He "forgot" to check/solve an issue with spraying too.

Ha said it was air in the lines, and that could explain the spray. Maybe something else failed right there.
It is strange that a fill test print works fine though. All heads are printing perfectly.
 
G

genericname

New Member
If you can reproduce the problem, do you notice anything off about the information being displayed on your status screen?

When I have a similar issue with our JV3, the status screen flashes, and the ink is lighter not because of starvation or air, but because it actually switches the number of passes it uses half way through the print. That's why I figured it a data issue.
 
L

Lobo

New Member
genericname said:
If you can reproduce the problem, do you notice anything off about the information being displayed on your status screen?

When I have a similar issue with our JV3, the status screen flashes, and the ink is lighter not because of starvation or air, but because it actually switches the number of passes it uses half way through the print. That's why I figured it a data issue.
Click to expand...

It only appeared once after the first problem. Now all is printed with the lighter shade..
 
G

genericname

New Member
Oh, sorry, I thought you were referring to the original problem. I suppose it's not so bad if they're all consistent, even if they are lighter than wanted. Could that not just be a rendering intent issue, the RIP converting colours differently in a raster than otherwise?
 
L

Lobo

New Member
genericname said:
Oh, sorry, I thought you were referring to the original problem. I suppose it's not so bad if they're all consistent, even if they are lighter than wanted. Could that not just be a rendering intent issue, the RIP converting colours differently in a raster than otherwise?
Click to expand...

It probably is my language that is the problem, hehe.
The issue with the color changing in the middle of a print is what I can't reproduce any more. I Could do it only once.
This is the original problem; the XC-540 prints a lighter blue now, than at the beginning, and than what the SP-540V prints.
I "solved" it by making a TIFF per print (two prints), and that prints more towards the original blue than what the eps changed into.
This will do, but it would be interesting to solve the initial problem, instead of going around it. I'm always curious and I want to know what happened. :)
 
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genericname

New Member
Oh okay, we are on the same page here then. And no worries, your language isn't an issue at all.

Pat's right though; a picture is worth a thousand words. Any chance you could upload a close-up of the original problem? We might see something you haven't.
 
L

Lobo

New Member
genericname said:
Oh okay, we are on the same page here then. And no worries, your language isn't an issue at all.

Pat's right though; a picture is worth a thousand words. Any chance you could upload a close-up of the original problem? We might see something you haven't.
Click to expand...

I'll have a look for it, but it's probably in a bag already. The girl cutting the material is pretty efficient at times..
 
L

Lobo

New Member
It's gone. I started looking through a bag and came out with yellow paint everywhere. Got to teach her how to package that too. Again.
Bad start to the day.
 
L

Lobo

New Member
Found the missing material.
I think it's difficult to see anything from the pictures, but if you have an idea, please let me know.
 

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G

genericname

New Member
Hrmm... it's funny that the dot pattern doesn't seem affected at all. If it is the data issue I mentioned, you'd be able to tell right away, as the number of passes would change, and your print might actually be elongated.

If this still happened randomly with the TIFF, my best guess at this point is something in your ink feed, be it in the cartridge assembly, lines, dampers, or manifolds. Did the problem go away entirely with the TIFF though, and is only appearing in the EPS?
 
I

InkjetAuction

New Member
Lt. Cyan vs Cyan

If you are saying that it only prints lighter now, then you may have an ink contamination issue. Perhaps lt cyan in place of cyan.

Can you print & post a nozzle test?

You did not mention which ink brand you use... or if you use cartridges vs. bulk ink system.

If you use a bulk system, is it possible that someone mistakenly poured lt cyan ink into the reservoir in place of cyan?

Thinking outside the box here...

~E
 
Solventinkjet

Solventinkjet

DIY Printer Fixing Guide
That is classic starvation. Your magenta is dropping out which is causing the color change. It's going to be a damper/o-ring and/or cap top/pump issue.
 
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