Mutoh ValueJet 1624 hazy, misty printing

[lbpalm]

I have a 1624 which has overall been a reliable machine.
Lately however, I cannot get a good print out of it to save my life.
- Seems that there is a lot of hazy printing/misting going on, as shown in the logo print shot where the blue haze/misting is printing into the white areas where it does not belong.

Also, the graininess in the palette print is pretty bad too.

I've tried numerous print profiles with only minor changes in results.

Anyone know what might be going on?
Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[GAC05]

Run a nozzle check and post up a photo. If it looks ok then maybe a careful cleaning of the encoder strip and encoder disk. If the head is 3 or 4 years old with moderate to heavy use it might be time for a new one. Nozzle check should point you in the right direction.

 

[lbpalm]

Thanks for responding!
So,
- Printer head is new
- nozzle chk is OK
- Cleaned encoder disk ((thanks. good call))

No luck.
It only seems to happen when printing a "Graphics" profile.

Is graphics 1 just too high of a tolerance for the 1624?
Graphics 1 is fine on paper, but I suspect the paper may be absorbing the mist.

By the way, it only seems to be happening with blue ink.

 

[lbpalm]

Run a nozzle check and post up a photo. If it looks ok then maybe a careful cleaning of the encoder strip and encoder disk. If the head is 3 or 4 years old with moderate to heavy use it might be time for a new one. Nozzle check should point you in the right direction.

So, cleaned the encoder disk & strip.
Still looks like this attached.
- Maybe a bad damper on the blue?

 

[lbpalm]

So, cleaned the encoder disk & strip.
Still looks like this attached.
- Maybe a bad damper on the blue?

Couple more pics that show the problem better.
Could it be a misaligned maintenance station??

 

[GAC05]

I do not think it is the maintenance station - if it was off enough to cause an issue the nozzle check would not be good.
I have seen that effect before but it was near the end of the head's service life. Looks like static or some electrical issue with the head. Did you install the new head or have a tech do it?
Maybe pull the ribbon cables off - clean the contacts and reseat to make sure you have a good connection.
Cables don't cost much to replace - could be worth a try to change them out.
Should be some real Mutoh techs in here by tomorrow that may have a better idea of what to do.

 

[Umca]

Do you use OEM ink? Where is filled up? Single-use cartridges?
Check the distance from head to media. It looks your printer head too high.

 

[lbpalm]

You are correct.
It was the head height.
I put a new printer head in the machine a few weeks ago and did not get the head height right.
Prints are near perfect now.
I have one very fine adjustment left to perform on the black/magenta lines in the alignment setup.
In all other respects the machine is printing perfectly.
Many thanks for all the response.

I must also add that the tech support team at Fellers was invaluable in pointing me in the right direction.

 

[lbpalm]

Do you use OEM ink? Where is filled up? Single-use cartridges?
Check the distance from head to media. It looks your printer head too high.

Yeah, it also occurred to me to replace the head cables but they seem not to be involved with the issue.
- I did replace the encoder strip just in case.
lol... generic encoder strip to save some bucks...
I sweated a few other that thing but it went OK in the end.
Thanks for responding!

 

[Jeff South Florida]

What brand of ink is in the machine?