Smudges

[kelly r]

I have been doing test prints to fix the banding on the magenta. Reds print sloppy. I printed a calibration test and the black ink seems to be smudging. I can’t even make out which setting to use. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[Gino]

Might help if you give the brand and model of the printer, the profiles you're using and which media you're showingj

 

[Boudica]

That first picture of a test print is not on "virgin vinyl". The smudges are likely fingerprints. What's that crap on the vinyl on the lower right corner? blood?

 

[kelly r]

Forgot Roland sp300i
Vinyl is off the roll each time so it is clean.
That is ink from my fingers after a manual clean but just on the edge.

 

[kelly r]

From a new roll.
I’ll print it on a different roll and post back.

 

[Boudica]

You don't need a new roll, You just need to forward it past where it's been touched by hands.

 

[kelly r]

The first pic is printed on oracal 3551 that I changed to and the second pic is the oracal 3641 which I always do test prints on as it’s cheaper.
I printed into the roll and in the centre of the vinyl and still has the smudges. I never get fingerprints anywhere on it other than maybe the edges.
Could the roll be defective? I’ve just been doing alot of cleans, etc. and been frustrated since fall never thinking it was the vinyl. Thoughts?
The calibration print is still hard to tell.

 

[IVIS702]

Boudica is 100% right. There are certain medias that love the oil on your hands. They will show up every time.

 

[Boudica]

The first pic is printed on oracal 3551 that I changed to and the second pic is the oracal 3641 which I always do test prints on as it’s cheaper.
I printed into the roll and in the centre of the vinyl and still has the smudges. I never get fingerprints anywhere on it other than maybe the edges.
Could the roll be defective? I’ve just been doing alot of cleans, etc. and been frustrated since fall never thinking it was the vinyl. Thoughts?
The calibration print is still hard to tell.

Are you still getting smudges? I don't see them in the new pics. Yes vinyl can plasticise and go bad. If it's an old roll, or if it's been through extreme temp changes... and sometime it's just a bad batch or roll.

 

[kelly r]

Are you still getting smudges? I don't see them in the new pics. Yes vinyl can plasticise and go bad. If it's an old roll, or if it's been through extreme temp changes... and sometime it's just a bad batch or roll.

Yes I am still getting smudges on that same roll. The different roll is fine but I’m not sure why the calibration print is printing like that..but no smudges.
Is the brand I use okay?

 

[Boudica]

Any brand can have a bad batch - even 3M. It could be that the one roll is just bad.

 

[kelly r]

Thanks everyone! Glad to figure that out!
My magenta is banding as the original picture shows. I don’t think it’s the printhead.