Roland SP-540V Not Printing Gradients Correctly

[Signs4Realtors]

My Roland SP-540V has always printed everything including gradient backgrounds just fine until recently and I need help identifying the problem (see attached prints). The Roland tech was here a week ago replacing the black/cyan head and servicing the machine but now it is still printing gradients incorrectly (e.g., it appears that between the 16"-20" section of the print that the ink is being choked out and printing lighter just in this section of my prints - it prints a few feet perfectly then starts misprinting the next few feet only on gradient backgrounds). Of course I just called and left a voicemail for the Roland tech along with texting the attached photos. Any ideas on what might be causing this to misprint apparently just in this 16"-20" section of my prints (e.g., are the ink lines kinking when they are pulled across this section of the print)?

My print files are Adobe Illustrator .eps files with vector gradient backgrounds in them. Should I save these files as .pdf or .jpg and print from these files in Versaworks versus printing from the .eps? Would that change anything?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

[oksigns]

so without even worrying about the printer yet, I would save this as a raster image just to test this; making sure it is saved as CMYK. Print a "slice" of the file to see if you can reproduce this.

 

[Northern Design]

Material

Try a different material

 

[greysquirrel]

Try printing a tiff

 

[player]

Did he put new dampers on? They can partially clog and starve the ink to the head causing issues.

If new dampers are not installed with a new head it voids the 3 month head warranty.

Why did you need a new head?

Test print is perfect?

 

[player]

Print some large solid blocks (18" - 24" x 50") of C Y M K. See which colour or head is the issue.