What might cause this striping?

[Gene@mpls]

I have been getting the striping in some colors for a while- seems like I have
seen it before when I was trying to get Wasatch to work and I switched to
Vworks and it cured the problem. Pertinent info: VP540 with Triangle bulk
ink system, VersaWorks 4.?, just replaced all of the dampers- might have
helped 5-10%... not sure. The stripes are alternating passes- almost like the
gloss of the ink is slightly different in each direction. Darker colors tend to show it worse- lamination helps, evens out the gloss. Hi quality and uni-directional is less obvious but still slightly discernible. I changed the dampers thinking perhaps ink starvation. Any ideas... please... thanks Gene.

 

[joeshaul]

I always chalked it up to a lower print quality/incorrect profile generating the banding. Some of my stranger medias I've used the w/PASS option to help as well.

 

[Robert M]

stripes

try adjusting the media feed rate

 

[Graphics2u]

Are the stripes pretty much in line with each pass? If so try boosting the platen temp that has help me with that. I notice that with certain weather conditions.

 

[ddubia]

I have found that similar striping from my printer (HP8000) has been caused by media advance problems. Light stripes or banding, means the media is advancing too far between passes leaving to much space between over laps thus less laying down less ink and dark stripes or banding, means the media is advancing too little between passes causing ink to be heavier due to the shorter overlaps. I noticed you mentioned both.

On occasion I've had this similar problem that has gone away on it's own while printing the file. Other times I've had it for nearly a whole day on different jobs no matter what I do, but then the next day and thereafter no problem.

You mentioned ink starvation also. My head pauses for a set amount of time every so many passes just to combat such a thing, (I assume). I have set the number of times before pausing to a lower number and the duration of the pause a bit longer. Both adjustments helped a great deal. But sometimes I still get a similar striping, banding, and nothing I do seems to help.

I can change my advance on the fly but it takes quite a few passes to see a difference. There have been times I've gone too far and changed a light striping, banding to a dark one and have had to adjust back. It depends on the job whether or not it gets trashed because of this. (For instance, a road sign viewed from a greater distance it's not even noticeable but a close viewing distance must be free of this sort of thing.)

In the end I still think it boils down to a media advance issue. However, why it would be too much one time and too little another time is beyond me. I could see a mechanical issue causing the media to stick and not advance far enough each pass, (like loading it wrong causing it to hang up). But for the life of me I can't see why it would advance too much. I'm sure the RIP is guiding this process through the profile for a certain media so the issue could be from there as well. I just don't understand enough about these here new fangled printin' things yet.

I hope something I said helped. This I'm sure of: Your problem is either this that or the other or maybe even something else and you can take that to the bank!