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FJ52 Print file disappears on Clear-backed Perf, but not White-backed

SignPros

New Member
I've got an FJ-52 I picked up from Solvent Printer Conversions that works great, but for this one small glitch. I've got a sample of ClearChoice window perf that I was gonna use for my own window. It has a clear-backing on it, and the printer wouldn't see it until I changed the sheet type to clear. I sees the sheet now, and shows the correct width, but when I send a file to it, it doesn't actually print. The printer wakes up, lights blink like it's processing, it feeds out a couple inches of material like it's getting ready to print, then...nothing. I can print on Solvex perfectly fine, which has a white backing paper. and banner and 3651 and everything else. But this clear-back perf is driving me nuts. Any suggestions?
 

artbot

New Member
been a long time since if seen the screen. is it set to maximum width? when the printer is set to clear, it doesn't "look" for any media. so sensors shouldn't matter (at least my fj50 was like that).
 

SignPros

New Member
Did that already. Same thing. Unless there's more than one sensor. I only see the one.

I even tried changing the sheet type to clear with regular 3651 in it just to see if it was an issue with the setting somewhere. It's not. It printed the test file perfectly fine with sheet type set to clear and the 3651 in it. I switched to the ClearChoice, covered the sensor, set the margins manually to make sure the printer had the page size exactly as it actually is, and then tried the test print. No dice. Exactly the same thing as before.
 

sfr table hockey

New Member
There is also a censor in the rear of the printer about lined up where the front one is. It may be still reading the sheet and if it thinks there is no media to cover the back one it may not print.

I cover both of them just in case you ever have the media lift in the back a bit, I have had a print stop because light got at the censor and it took it as the media was about to run out. Also by covering them you can print right to the last inch before the media runs off the rollers. That is where you have to be careful as the printer will keep printing and not stop if your media runs out.
 

ddarlak

Go Bills!
another trick for you fj50-52-cj500 users:

i put a 1.5" tube from light cyan head to light magenta head and removed the ink carts.

CMYK all the way!
 

artbot

New Member
what if, the portion of the firmware that allows for clear media is corrupted. i remember that when you set to "clear", that's it. the machine is great for clear, a dream compared to other printers. set and print. no more "tricking" the machine.

so it does a test print, but not a rip. does it do that demo print thing that says "hi-fi/roland"?

resetting the firmware is so easy on that machine. i'd try that to start an officual process of elimination.
 

sfr table hockey

New Member
another trick for you fj50-52-cj500 users:

i put a 1.5" tube from light cyan head to light magenta head and removed the ink carts.

CMYK all the way!

Not sure on this... I know if you just remove dampers on the Lc and Lm you would have an air leak so thus you use a tube to keep the vaccume.

So what actually happens when you set the rip to print cmyk and still leave all the carts and heads as is? Does this not just print CMYK and leave the two LT colors out of the print process?

Also why would you want to just print CMYK and not use the Lt colors.
 

artbot

New Member
@sfr table hockey

it's a waste of ink. the printer can do fine and consume much less ink, getting the same colors with higher density CMYK, and not using lm lc.
 

ddarlak

Go Bills!
i have a fj-50 and cj-500 running with the tubes and no ink for over a year now

the lc,lm are a waste for 99.9% of my sign prints. did many tests of the same art using both color sets and there is no difference.

so why bother with it

less ink, less chance for a head to clog, less to worry about.
 

artbot

New Member
i really wish the sign making industry would abandon lm lc. thousands of installed printers with open channels that could benefit from orange and green or red and blue inks... the cost of development is already finished with so many ink sets out there. i ran roland hexachrome from the beginning. never even bothered with lm lc.

lm lc is a myth.
 
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