Need Help Off alignment of blue and pink printhead SOLJET PRO XC-540

[Signturesigns]

I have done multiple bi directional alignments on my Roland SolJet Printer and the detailed print out looks correct. however when I go to print there is always a stroke of blue or pink outlining my images and texts. How do I get the alignment sharp? I did just recently replace my blue printhead and everything installed successfully but I noticed the stroke of blue outlining my prints after the installation.

Attached photos show a sample print and my printhead alignment detailed print.

 

[Signturesigns]

Also I just cleaned the encoder strip... it did not improve the print much

 

[ProPDF]

Also I just cleaned the encoder strip... it did not improve the print much

your print heads are out of alignment. You need to actually print the proper head alignment test, get a screw driver and adjust heads in small increments to the black head until the heads are physically aligned right then run the test you posted photos of afterwards. Your black head is going bad too fyi.

 

[Signturesigns]

your print heads are out of alignment. You need to actually print the proper head alignment test, get a screw driver and adjust heads in small increments to the black head until the heads are physically aligned right then run the test you posted photos of afterwards. Your black head is going bad too fyi.

Thank you very much. Ok I am going to try this manually moving the blue and magenta heads until my prints align. Do you know of a video showing someone doing this? Im not familiar with how to take a screwdriver in and move the head manually... I will say my husband installed the blue printhead recently so that must be why it's off aligned... Have you done this before? Can you give me steps?

 

[FrankW]

Depending on the direction of the offset, no screwdriver is needed. I would suggest to search on the Internet for a service manual, adjusting heads is nothing to be explained in two or three sentences.

 

[Solventinkjet]

It looks like you didn't do the bias or vertical alignments. You did the bi-directional but the heads are still out of line vertically and diagonally.

 

[Signturesigns]

It looks like you didn't do the bias or vertical alignments. You did the bi-directional but the heads are still out of line vertically and diagonally.

ohh I didnt know there was a vertical setting. yes, i only did the bi directional... what is the name of the other setting I should be adjusting?

 

[Signturesigns]

Ok wonderful,

Depending on the direction of the offset, no screwdriver is needed. I would suggest to search on the Internet for a service manual, adjusting heads is nothing to be explained in two or three sentences.

I do have my service manual - I will look in there

 

[Solventinkjet]

ohh I didnt know there was a vertical setting. yes, i only did the bi directional... what is the name of the other setting I should be adjusting?

The order of alignments should be:

Physical alignment (Requires a screw driver and #1 allen key)

Bias (Making sure each of the heads are straight and not crooked)
Vertical (Making sure all heads are on the same vertical plane)

Non-Physical Alignments

Horizontal (Changes the timing of the head firing so that each channel fires exactly the same distance away from each other.)
Bi-directional default (Sets the 0 point for the user bi-directional adjustment)
Bi-directional User Mode (Actually aligns the bi-directional alignment and uses the bi-directional default as a basis)

 

[Signturesigns]

The order of alignments should be:

Physical alignment (Requires a screw driver and #1 allen key)

Bias (Making sure each of the heads are straight and not crooked)
Vertical (Making sure all heads are on the same vertical plane)

Non-Physical Alignments

Horizontal (Changes the timing of the head firing so that each channel fires exactly the same distance away from each other.)
Bi-directional default (Sets the 0 point for the user bi-directional adjustment)
Bi-directional User Mode (Actually aligns the bi-directional alignment and uses the bi-directional default as a basis)

ohh ok thanks! so non physical alignments means the printer can perform the alignment by iteself and physical means I need to go in and manual do it. OK so Im trying this now... first time going in can you in your best words tell me how to perform this adjustment I am removing the printhead with the screw driver and going to adjust or shift the blue and pink inkst in the direction it needs to go so that the blue and or pink doesnt pertrude out anymore. But what is the allen wrench used for? sorry Im trying to get this right for an order I need to get out and my husband is out of town.

 

[ProPDF]

ohh ok thanks! so non physical alignments means the printer can perform the alignment by iteself and physical means I need to go in and manual do it. OK so Im trying this now... first time going in can you in your best words tell me how to perform this adjustment I am removing the printhead with the screw driver and going to adjust or shift the blue and pink inkst in the direction it needs to go so that the blue and or pink doesnt pertrude out anymore. But what is the allen wrench used for? sorry Im trying to get this right for an order I need to get out and my husband is out of town.

I will be completely honest with you if you haven't done this before you need to call a tech and have them come out asap. First off you need a service code if I remember correctly to get into the service menu to run the actual test you need done at the start to see where the heads are at currently, someone correct me if I am wrong. I don't have my notes on me for the whole process for the soljets right now. I do have a pic of the correct aligned test pattern attached. You need to print this test after the new head is installed and before any manual alignment is done and keep adjusting and printing this pattern until they are lined up. Once the head is in you are not physically moving it out of the machine again like you are stating you are about to do in this response.... instead you are making small physical MANUAL non menu adjustments then test print over and over and over to line everything up to the black head which is the black bar test pattern in the photo between each head nozzle print. Once you get the heads physically in their place and obtain a test print similar to this attached then you can get into all the test listed by others here that are inside the actual printer menu.

If the head is placed in the machine and prints but is not correctly aligned you could also not get a proper seal at the capping station leaving your head/s exposed, if someone for example goes gets dinner and doesn't work on the machine again for an extended period of time maybe next day it can cause problems. Not trying to scare you but you should consider getting a tech.

That is CYAN and MAGENTA not blue and pink

 

[Signturesigns]

I will be completely honest with you if you haven't done this before you need to call a tech and have them come out asap. First off you need a service code if I remember correctly to get into the service menu to run the actual test you need done at the start to see where the heads are at currently, someone correct me if I am wrong. I don't have my notes on me for the whole process for the soljets right now. I do have a pic of the correct aligned test pattern attached. You need to print this test after the new head is installed and before any manual alignment is done and keep adjusting and printing this pattern until they are lined up. Once the head is in you are not physically moving it out of the machine again like you are stating you are about to do in this response.... instead you are making small physical MANUAL non menu adjustments then test print over and over and over to line everything up to the black head which is the black bar test pattern in the photo between each head nozzle print. Once you get the heads physically in their place and obtain a test print similar to this attached then you can get into all the test listed by others here that are inside the actual printer menu.

If the head is placed in the machine and prints but is not correctly aligned you could also not get a proper seal at the capping station leaving your head/s exposed, if someone for example goes gets dinner and doesn't work on the machine again for an extended period of time maybe next day it can cause problems. Not trying to scare you but you should consider getting a tech.

That is CYAN and MAGENTA not blue and pink

You're awesome!! ok I owe you one!

 

[Signturesigns]

we did it! my husband came and just manually adjusted the printhead and now all colors print aligned. i no longer see the stroke of cyan or magenta LOL TYHANK YOU! I will also still go in service mode and do the propoer alignment you mentioned just to be sure were all set!

 

[Signturesigns]

It looks like you didn't do the bias or vertical alignments. You did the bi-directional but the heads are still out of line vertically and diagonally.[/QUOTE

I will be completely honest with you if you haven't done this before you need to call a tech and have them come out asap. First off you need a service code if I remember correctly to get into the service menu to run the actual test you need done at the start to see where the heads are at currently, someone correct me if I am wrong. I don't have my notes on me for the whole process for the soljets right now. I do have a pic of the correct aligned test pattern attached. You need to print this test after the new head is installed and before any manual alignment is done and keep adjusting and printing this pattern until they are lined up. Once the head is in you are not physically moving it out of the machine again like you are stating you are about to do in this response.... instead you are making small physical MANUAL non menu adjustments then test print over and over and over to line everything up to the black head which is the black bar test pattern in the photo between each head nozzle print. Once you get the heads physically in their place and obtain a test print similar to this attached then you can get into all the test listed by others here that are inside the actual printer menu.

If the head is placed in the machine and prints but is not correctly aligned you could also not get a proper seal at the capping station leaving your head/s exposed, if someone for example goes gets dinner and doesn't work on the machine again for an extended period of time maybe next day it can cause problems. Not trying to scare you but you should consider getting a tech.

That is CYAN and MAGENTA not blue and pink

Hi there, ok so now im having a major clog issue on the cyan... cyan was printing full on my test print at one point but then it just COMPLETLY WIPED OUT! and now each time I do a cleaning cycle it gets worse and worse and NOW I have no blue coming down in one of the columns. I keep doing cleaning cycles on normal and medium and am now forced to do powerful which still hasn'thelped. I also took swabs to the heads manually to clean the heads.. still no luck. I just replaced this cyan printhead 2 months ago what do you think is causing the issue?

 

[Signturesigns]

Here are the photos of the test prints getting worse and worse and now NO cyan in one column

 

[crny1]

Possibly a bad dampner or dampner oring on the Cyan head. Replace the dampners, pull some ink through the head with a syringe and try it again. If I were to bet I would say it was working fine and then quit. Meaning the ink in the dampner ran out and didnt refill as it was going due to being bad. Had it happen on my xc540 also.

 

[Signturesigns]

Possibly a bad dampner or dampner oring on the Cyan head. Replace the dampners, pull some ink through the head with a syringe and try it again. If I were to bet I would say it was working fine and then quit. Meaning the ink in the dampner ran out and didnt refill as it was going due to being bad. Had it happen on my xc540 also.

ok so we looked inside and can see the dampner is not refilling. We tried to sunction the tube but it still is not pulling the ink to refill. What causes dampners to go bad? Where should I buy them from as Ive never had to replace.

 

[crny1]

Where are you trying to pull ink from? From the dampner input? Or the tube that goes to the pump down below. If you are trying to pull from the pump at bottom its possible you have a bad cap on the capping station and its not sealing properly to the head for the pump to pull ink and fill the dampner.
Dampners and caps go bad often. I always keep atleast 4 spares here. I buy them off ebay.