strange color problemb

[wpfleet]

i own a roland sp-540v it cuts fine the test print gives a nice set of magenta cyan yellowand black. but when i try to perform a print i get no blue or variations of blue on my prints. i have done head soaks, all the cleaning modes and i have drawn ink from the cartridge through the line that clips onto the ink buffer. while doing or attempting to do a print i have noticed that the cyan ink is depleting faster than all the other colors, yet i see no blue or variations of blue and there are no pools or puddles of cyan ink in or around my printer.
Any suggestions?

 

[Terry01]

Have you done a test print using the test print in Versaworks.? also a photo of the two lines from the captops to the pump would help us. Are you losing cyan to the waste bottle?

 

[damonCA21]

It is likely it is leaking around the ink cartridge dock area. Take off the black metal cover at the back that covers them and see if there is signs of leaking ink in there. A clean will often draw enough ink into the head for a test print, but not enough to do actual printing. It sounds like air is getting into the line somewhere, so you need to check the ink line from the cartridge dock to the damper and look for any signs of leaks. The ink must be going somewhere inside the machine if its being used but not coming out of the head!

 

[wpfleet]

here are pics of the possible ink/air leak areas. let me know if i need to get better pics. this has me confused i started with 1000ml of each color and i have used approximately 50% of magenta, yellow, and black. and i have used approximately 70% to 75% of the cyan but have not seen any blue/ blue-variations on the prints. i will post a test print versus an attempted print for more clarity.
Could this be a software or firmware issue? i use coreldraw ver. 24.2.1.446 and versaworks 5.0.0. since there are no ink leaks or could there be an air leak without loss of ink? either way where is my cyan ink going?
I have noticed that the MYK buffers are 50%ish full but the Cyan buffer is 98%ish full, are the levels in the buffers pertinent to proper operation of the printer?

 

[Bensen]

If you’re not seeing any blue but your cyan ink is depleting quickly, it might be an internal leak or air getting into the line. I’d suggest checking the ink lines thoroughly for any leaks or signs of air bubbles. Also, make sure the cartridge is properly seated. Sometimes a small misalignment can cause these issues. It might also be worth trying a different cyan cartridge if you have one on hand, just to rule out any cartridge-specific problems.

 

[wpfleet]

If you’re not seeing any blue but your cyan ink is depleting quickly, it might be an internal leak or air getting into the line. I’d suggest checking the ink lines thoroughly for any leaks or signs of air bubbles. Also, make sure the cartridge is properly seated. Sometimes a small misalignment can cause these issues. It might also be worth trying a different cyan cartridge if you have one on hand, just to rule out any cartridge-specific problems.

I will give that a shot, i think i have a old cyan cartridge i can try.

 

[damonCA21]

On the pic of the cartridge dock there is cyan ink at the base of the cyan dock and also looks like some ink under it, so that seems to be where your leak is ( unless its an old one ). The ink can often end up under the plate the docks sit on, so I would remove the dock and check under there too

 

[wpfleet]

Have you done a test print using the test print in Versaworks.? also a photo of the two lines from the captops to the pump would help us. Are you losing cyan to the waste bottle?

I think i have been using the test print feature on the roland sp-540v, i will check and do both as well as make another attempt to produce a print and post the photos here. i have posted pics of all the areas i know to check for possible leakage here in this thread. im new to all the forums so excuse my poor terminology. i get a good flow of ink when i pull from the ink resivoir/tank lines, and good flow through the cap. i assume the flow is good they all pull the same, just as the two captop lines both pull the same.

 

[wpfleet]

On the pic of the cartridge dock there is cyan ink at the base of the cyan dock and also looks like some ink under it, so that seems to be where your leak is ( unless its an old one ). The ink can often end up under the plate the docks sit on, so I would remove the dock and check under there too

i saw that also and i visually checked under the cartridge and saw no cyan ink there i couldnt get a decent pic to post, and a cleaning swab came out clean from under the cartridges along the edge of the dock plate. i will attempt to remove the dock to check there also. is the dock removal hard or complicated? im asking due to recent shoulder reconstruction surgery on my dominant arm and i just started physical therapy.

 

[damonCA21]

It looks like it could be the first joint is leaking, and the ink is running back along the pipe and then dripping down onto the bottom of the dock. If this is leaking it would also stop the cyan printing as it would be getting air into it. I would take that joint apart, clean it and put it back together, then clean all the ink around the dock. Draw ink through the line from the damper and see if there is any sign of leaking

 

[weyandsign]

What happens when you do a pattern fill test print in service mode?

 

[Joe House]

Can you post a picture of the nozzle test print? Also, I didn't see it mentioned above, but it's not unusual for the manifold to break on these heads. This would allow an air leak that would prevent ink from flowing into the head. The picture of your cyan dampers doesn't look normal. They are usually mostly parallel to each other. I'd be looking there, especially if you've replaced the dampers lately.

Good luck

 

[coltonwanderson]

Something that can help diagnose is to print a test print immediately after you are running the job that's not printing properly.
If you have a cracked manifold like Joe said or even just a bad damper, the nozzle won't start dropping out until you do some printing, so if you run a nozzle check test print directly after seeing the issue in print quality you should be able to see what colors are dropping out.

 

[wpfleet]

It looks like it could be the first joint is leaking, and the ink is running back along the pipe and then dripping down onto the bottom of the dock. If this is leaking it would also stop the cyan printing as it would be getting air into it. I would take that joint apart, clean it and put it back together, then clean all the ink around the dock. Draw ink through the line from the damper and see if there is any sign of leaking

I saw that and i didnt think to look for a leak there i did run my fingers over the ink lines but forgot that the ink could have dried after leaking. can i just replace the o ring or do i have to get new fittings?

Can you post a picture of the nozzle test print? Also, I didn't see it mentioned above, but it's not unusual for the manifold to break on these heads. This would allow an air leak that would prevent ink from flowing into the head. The picture of your cyan dampers doesn't look normal. They are usually mostly parallel to each other. I'd be looking there, especially if you've replaced the dampers lately.

Good luck

I gently moved them apart to get a better pic of the cyan damper jusst in case it was the problem, then i put them back where they were. if it is the manifold can it be replaced without replacing the complete head?

 

[wpfleet]

What happens when you do a pattern fill test print in service mode?

i dont think i have tried that one. ill be busy tomorrow going through all these checks and test prints that everyone has pointed out. ill hopefully have a solution or more pics to post when i get done thank you for all your assistance and ideas.

 

[wpfleet]

i will post pics of the tests and print i have attempted in the morning. while i complete the tasks everyone was kind enough to share.

 

[damonCA21]

I saw that and i didnt think to look for a leak there i did run my fingers over the ink lines but forgot that the ink could have dried after leaking. can i just replace the o ring or do i have to get new fittings?

I gently moved them apart to get a better pic of the cyan damper jusst in case it was the problem, then i put them back where they were. if it is the manifold can it be replaced without replacing the complete head?

Replacing the o ring should be fine. Unless the fitting has come loose then that is where they tend to leak

 

[coltonwanderson]

I saw that and i didnt think to look for a leak there i did run my fingers over the ink lines but forgot that the ink could have dried after leaking. can i just replace the o ring or do i have to get new fittings?

I gently moved them apart to get a better pic of the cyan damper jusst in case it was the problem, then i put them back where they were. if it is the manifold can it be replaced without replacing the complete head?

Yes! You can replace the manifold without replacing the head, but you will want to run the head alignments since you have to remove the head to replace the manifold.