New Printhead Showing Physical Defect After 11 Days – Is This Normal?

[Orlandoman]

I recently installed a new DX7 printhead in my Roland VS-300i and noticed something that has me concerned. For background, this printer is approximately 13 years old, and this is the fourth printhead I have personally installed. I'm very familiar with the installation process and proper startup procedures.

After installation, I performed a single powerful cleaning cycle. Every channel came in immediately and printed correctly. I did not need to pull ink through the cap top with a syringe, and the printer produced a good nozzle check right away.

A few days later, during a routine manual cleaning, I moved the carriage to the side and very lightly cleaned around the printhead with a swab and cleaning solution. While inspecting the head, I noticed what appears to be a physical defect on the surface. The mark is not ink, it is not cleaning solution, and it does not wipe off.

What concerns me is that this is only the second time I have seen this. The first printhead was purchased from Digiprint (COMPLTELY DEFECTIVE) and arrived in a black Coroplast-style container. That head had what appeared to be the exact same defect. This current head was purchased from SolventInkjet, also arrived in a black Coroplast-style container, and appears to have the same type of mark.

The printer is currently printing, and I'm not claiming the head has failed. However, seeing the same unusual defect on two different heads from two different suppliers has me concerned about long-term reliability. Since I have installed multiple printheads over the years and have only encountered this twice, I wanted to ask if anyone else has seen this before.

Is this a normal cosmetic imperfection on some DX7 heads, or could it indicate a manufacturing issue, a refurbished component, or something that may lead to premature failure? I've attached photos and would appreciate any opinions from those with experience working on Roland printers and DX7 printheads. Compared to the OEM head ( Picture posted ) you can see why I'm starting to question this.

 

[cornholio]

This looks like a mechanical dent to me.

 

[damonCA21]

It definitely looks like a dent like it has hit something. The black packaging is normal for the heads, they don't come retail boxed. There is also no such thing as a refurbished head - these are ones someone has just cleaned the outside and they never work properly! It could be the head has hit something like a clamp in use ( this is fairly common, and the nozzle plate is delicate so easily dented ). If the head is printing perfectly though I wouldn't worry too much about it, there isn't really any reason it would make the head fail prematurely unless it has damaged the nozzles

Solventinkjet is active on this site though, so reach out to them as they are very good.

 

[Orlandoman]

Thanks , I will keep an eye on it . As far as it hitting something I can verify that isnt the case as I am extremely careful with this stuff , I use specific gloves , towesl ect . I'm grateful that it's still printing good ! Thanks for the feedback .

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

When you get a head from any vendor, note that there is basically no return policy once the thing is installed. ALWAYS inspect the head in the package before installation. If there's any hope of a return/swap, that will be the time. Seen some heads tun ok for years with dents and basically no issues, others start delaminating in seconds once inked up. Fingers crossed, hope you got luck on your side.

 

[Orlandoman]

Lets hope so ! As far as the return policy I did return the ink head to digiprint ! They actually stood behind it after I told them I would file a claim with AMEX and I got a full refund. Either way I should have inspected it at the time of install , next time I will be more aware ! Thanks for the input .

 

[Solventinkjet]

Yeah, the coroplast packaging throws people off and I don't blame them. It is, however, how the OEM heads come unfortunately. It's extremely rare to get a damaged head out of the box since each one is QCed at the factory. It's more likely it hit something to cause that kind of dent. That doesn't mean you dented it during install but it might have been a random strike with the media clips during a print or something. DX7 heads are very easy to dent so it doesn't take much. I agree with SmokeJaguar, always inspect before installing so you can let us know before installing it. At the end of the day, if you're still getting a good nozzle test, it should be good to go. I'd suggest checking around anywhere the head travels for anything that may be able to hit the head surface though. Even a slightly warped spit sponge holder could cause strikes. Feel free to contact us if you need anything.

 

[Orlandoman]

Thanks ! We don't use media clips so thats out of the question. I got out my 5x magnafying glasses and I can't even see a dent ! I switched to a 10x lens and it's not a dent. It looks like a stain of some sort , Definatly not a dent for sure. Still working good whatever it is !

 

[Orlandoman]

I spoke too soon , I completely dopped a channel ! I did a normal cleaning, powerful cleaning and pulled through captop , lost black completely ! Dampers are 11 days old as well as captop , head and everything else .

Any ideas of what I should do next ?

 

[Orlandoman]

Just wanted to provide an update on the issue I'm troubleshooting.

I removed the ink line from the top of the damper and verified that I can successfully pull black ink directly through the line with no issues. That tells me ink delivery to the damper is working properly. I can also pull ink through the cap top without any problems, so the cap top and suction side appear to be functioning correctly as well.

As a precaution, I went ahead and replaced all four dampers, even though the previous set was only about 11 days old. After installing the new dampers, all four channels primed properly and appear to be receiving ink normally.

Unfortunately, after replacing the dampers and confirming ink flow in both directions, I'm still getting the exact same test print pattern as before. Nothing changed at all.

At this point, I have verified ink supply to the dampers, suction through the cap top, and installed a brand-new set of dampers, yet the issue remains unchanged. Any ideas on what I should check next?

 

[Orlandoman]

Just wanted to provide an update on where I'm at with this issue.

So far, I have not been able to resolve it. I've checked all of the dampers and verified they are functioning correctly. I've inspected all printer cables, pulled ink through the cap top multiple times, performed several powerful cleanings, and thoroughly examined the printhead using high-magnification glasses. At this point, I have not found any visible obstructions or anything that stands out as being obviously wrong.

I've considered performing a head soak, but I've read mixed opinions about it. Some users have reported that extended soaking can potentially cause delamination issues within the printhead, so I'm hesitant to go down that path without being more certain it's the right move.

On a separate note, I wanted to give credit where credit is due regarding DigiPrint. I know there have been quite a few negative stories posted about them over the years, but I feel it's only fair to share my experience. About 30 minutes ago, I received confirmation that DigiPrint issued me a full refund for the printhead I returned. What's particularly noteworthy is that their website clearly states there is no warranty on installed printheads. Despite that policy, they still honored the return and provided a complete refund.

Because of that, I can personally say that DigiPrint handled my situation professionally and stood behind their customer service. In my case, they proved to be a stand-up company, and I believe they deserve recognition for that.

For now, I'm going to keep troubleshooting and working through the issue. If anyone has any additional ideas or suggestions, I would greatly appreciate the input. At this point, I've exhausted most of the common troubleshooting steps, and unfortunately it's starting to look like I may need to purchase another printhead. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that, but right now that's the direction things seem to be heading.

 

[damonCA21]

Are you replacing the dampers with OEM Roland ones or chinese copies ( like Digiprint sell)? The DX7 head is very sensitive to dampers and the cheap ones often cause problems, even if they produce ink when you suck through them ( this uses a lot more suction force than when normally printing ). As an aside, don't suck ink through the captop as this can damage the head unless done extremely gently.
At this point you have nothing to lose from doing an overnight head soak. This won't damage the head. Then run one powerful clean and see if the test print improves.

 

[Orlandoman]

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I only use OEM dampers. I learned my lesson back around 2016 when I tried some of the cheaper aftermarket dampers and quickly found out they were not reliable. Since then, I have always used genuine OEM dampers.

At the moment, I actually have a new set of OEM dampers, and those are what are currently installed in the machine.

I also performed an overnight head soak, but unfortunately, as of this morning, the black channel is still completely missing.

To eliminate another possible cause, I went ahead and ordered anew printhead last night and paid for overnight shipping. It should be arriving later this afternoon. My plan is to install the new printhead and see if that resolves the issue. At the very least, it will help rule out the printhead as the source of the problem and narrow down the troubleshooting process.

 

[Orlandoman]

Just wanted to provide an update on this issue.

I finished installing a brand-new printhead today, and the results are completely different from the printhead I removed. All colors are now printing correctly, and the machine is performing as expected.

One major difference I noticed is that with the previous printhead (the one that had the blemish), any grayscale gradient print would have a noticeable pinkish/red tint. For example, a gradient transitioning from white to gray would not print neutral gray—it would always have a reddish cast. My printer is configured with all seven colors, so this was very noticeable.

After installing the new printhead, those same white-to-gray gradients are now printing perfectly neutral with no color shift whatsoever. Based on this, I can confidently say that the previous printhead was defective.

I also inspected the new printhead under 10x magnification before installation. Everything looked perfect, with no visible blemishes or defects. Interestingly, this new printhead arrived in a retail box rather than a core-class box like the previous one. I'm not sure if that means anything, but the packaging was completely different.

At this point, the evidence is pretty clear. The printhead I removed was not functioning properly, while the new printhead is performing exactly as it should. I'm still deciding whether to return the other printhead, but based on the print quality differences alone, I do not believe it was a fully functional head.

 

[damonCA21]

Can you show us the retail packaging as I have never seen this on a DX head?

 

[Orlandoman]

Sure .

 

[Ewan yu]

It may have hit something. I recommend checking the printer thoroughly before installing a new printhead.

 

[Orlandoman]

Thank you for the reply.

No, the printer never made contact with anything. Before removing and installing the new printhead, I thoroughly inspected the entire carriage path multiple times to ensure there were no obstructions or anything that could have damaged the head. Everything was completely clear and operating as it should.

I would also like to mention that I do not use media clips,or center pinch wheels. I only use the two outer pinch wheels, so there was nothing in the print area that could have come into contact with the printhead. As far as the head striking anything, that simply was not possible under my setup.

In addition, when the printer was out of service while I was replacing the FC cables, I took the opportunity to thoroughly clean the entire machine. The cap top area, printhead area, carriage path, and surrounding components were all cleaned extensively. The printer is exceptionally clean and, honestly, looks nearly brand new. I take very good care of my equipment and make every effort to keep it properly maintained.

Based on the condition of the printer, the absence of any obstructions, and the fact that the issues were present immediately after installation, I am confident that the printhead was defective from the beginning. I have checked and rechecked everything multiple times, and there is simply no scenario where the printhead could have made contact with anything inside the printer.