Posted by John Reed on November 9, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Lately my 3800 has begun a maddening behavior for which I can get NO answer from either Epson nor an Epson authorized repair center here in Florida. All either says is run clean cycles which I've done until blue in the face.
It will print fine for several prints and then beging blopping 1/2 inch long lines of ink along one edge of the print, perpendicular to the edge. Always the right edge of the print as you are looking at the front of the printer. Never the leading edge, trailing edge or left edge. Happens both on landscape and portrait orientation and no matter which, always on the right edge as viewed from the front.
Sometimes there will be one blop, sometimes a few, sometimes one every inch or so. Then the next print will be fine. Then the next several will have the blops. Some days it prints fine with no problem. Next time, can't get a print out without these ink deposits.
It's the inconsistency that makes it so hard to figure. All printing is on the same size, same brand, same type paper. If it was a head issue why would it come and go? If it was a clog issue, again, why would it come and go? The driver hasn't been updated by Epson since 2007 but I even deleted and reinstalled a new download in case it had become corrupted.
Anybody ever experience anything like this or have any ideas? I'm going nuts, not to mention wasting tons of ink and paper.
Thanks,
John
Posted by Keith Bauer on November 9, 2012 at 7:35 PM
Try running the automatic nozzle check. I had this problem at one point with my 3880 (at least the ink blop problem). Running a manual nozzle check did not reveal the problem. Running an automatic nozzle check forced the printer to do enough to clear the very small clogs that were causing the ink blops.
Posted by Lisa Cuchara on November 10, 2012 at 2:53 AM
I have the same problem with mine, started suddenly but coincided when I upgraded from XP to Windows 7.
Posted by Barry Vangrov on November 10, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Not sure if you are describing the same thing as I've had in the past with 3880 but try changing the Platen Gap setting under Paper Config from Auto to Wide, especially if you are using a thick paper.
Posted by Joel DeYoung on November 11, 2012 at 10:37 AM
John,
On the lines of what Barry just said, try adjusting the platen gap. What you describe sounds to me like a head strike. Where the print head will hit the edge of the paper. This can be intermittent and can eventually damage the printer. If you can, post a shot of what it looks like as a head strike will be very obvious, but from the sounds of it, a head strike is what seems to be the issue.
I was thinking the same thing: head strike. John, it would be instructive if you could post a shot of one of the bad prints so that we can see what's happening.
I hope you get the issue sorted out.
--P
Posted by John Reed on November 19, 2012 at 6:37 AM
Thanks to all for your answers. A nozzle check afterward when the excess deposit occurred revealed clogged black. So whether other problems or not, a cleaning was in order. It finally hit me (yes, I'm slow sometimes) that if the black nozzles kept clogging, duh, there must be something wrong with the ink. Since I had almost used up the cartridge anyway with all the cleanings, I changed it out and so far (knock, knock) it's been OK. Print sales are off so much that the machine is not getting used like it was & even though I "exercise" it regularly, perhaps the pigment settles out. Or maybe it was just a crappy cartridge. If it comes back, I'll try the platen suggestions but I honestly don't think that's it. Nevertheless, as I said, thanks to all for taking the time to help. JR
This reminds me--I need to fire up my R2400 just for drill. I hate doing head cleaning 'cause it uses a ton of ink.
--P
Posted by John Reed on January 25, 2013 at 7:12 PM
I'm baaaaaack! Need an Epson geek.
At a cost of about $350 all ink tanks replaced, several cleanings, problem still exists with photo black and glossy paper but not with matte black and matte paper???? Changing platen gap to wide solves the blop problem with glossy but if platen gap was issue, it should be issue with both blacks shouldn't it? Standard platen gap works fine with matte.
What's worse now is that the printer will only print one print before needing a cleaning. If I make a print, it will clearly be lacking in yellow. I do a nozzle check and sure enough, there are gaps in both yellow and photo black. I do a cleaning, do a nozzle test print, all good. Do the photo print, all good. Do a second print, low yellow again. Print nozzle check and now there are no gaps in the yellow but instead of yellow diagonal lines, the lines are black in the yellow section!!!???? Clean, test print, all good. Print one photo, all good. Print second photo same thing all over again.
What's maddening yet again is that none of this happens with matte black. Yellow prints fine over and over and over. Test prints show yellow where yellow should be.
Do you think this printhead is shot? The nearest Epson repair shop is in Orlando Florida, 3 hours away. In fact two in Orlando, one near Tampa and nothing here...HELLO EPSON!! Reluctant to ship due to cost and risk of more damage if not packed properly (and Epson tech support cannot tell me proper way to pack) so I hope you can see why I'm trying to exhaust home remedies before driving 6 hours to deliver it. I'm assuming they can properly ship it back.
I've used Epson since day 1 but this experience and lack of Epson help has me ready to leap to Canon.
Discussion
8 repliesIt will print fine for several prints and then beging blopping 1/2 inch long lines of ink along one edge of the print, perpendicular to the edge. Always the right edge of the print as you are looking at the front of the printer. Never the leading edge, trailing edge or left edge. Happens both on landscape and portrait orientation and no matter which, always on the right edge as viewed from the front.
Sometimes there will be one blop, sometimes a few, sometimes one every inch or so. Then the next print will be fine. Then the next several will have the blops. Some days it prints fine with no problem. Next time, can't get a print out without these ink deposits.
It's the inconsistency that makes it so hard to figure. All printing is on the same size, same brand, same type paper. If it was a head issue why would it come and go? If it was a clog issue, again, why would it come and go? The driver hasn't been updated by Epson since 2007 but I even deleted and reinstalled a new download in case it had become corrupted.
Anybody ever experience anything like this or have any ideas? I'm going nuts, not to mention wasting tons of ink and paper.
Thanks,
John
On the lines of what Barry just said, try adjusting the platen gap. What you describe sounds to me like a head strike. Where the print head will hit the edge of the paper. This can be intermittent and can eventually damage the printer. If you can, post a shot of what it looks like as a head strike will be very obvious, but from the sounds of it, a head strike is what seems to be the issue.
Joel
I hope you get the issue sorted out.
--P
This reminds me--I need to fire up my R2400 just for drill. I hate doing head cleaning 'cause it uses a ton of ink.
--P
At a cost of about $350 all ink tanks replaced, several cleanings, problem still exists with photo black and glossy paper but not with matte black and matte paper???? Changing platen gap to wide solves the blop problem with glossy but if platen gap was issue, it should be issue with both blacks shouldn't it? Standard platen gap works fine with matte.
What's worse now is that the printer will only print one print before needing a cleaning. If I make a print, it will clearly be lacking in yellow. I do a nozzle check and sure enough, there are gaps in both yellow and photo black. I do a cleaning, do a nozzle test print, all good. Do the photo print, all good. Do a second print, low yellow again. Print nozzle check and now there are no gaps in the yellow but instead of yellow diagonal lines, the lines are black in the yellow section!!!???? Clean, test print, all good. Print one photo, all good. Print second photo same thing all over again.
What's maddening yet again is that none of this happens with matte black. Yellow prints fine over and over and over. Test prints show yellow where yellow should be.
Do you think this printhead is shot? The nearest Epson repair shop is in Orlando Florida, 3 hours away. In fact two in Orlando, one near Tampa and nothing here...HELLO EPSON!! Reluctant to ship due to cost and risk of more damage if not packed properly (and Epson tech support cannot tell me proper way to pack) so I hope you can see why I'm trying to exhaust home remedies before driving 6 hours to deliver it. I'm assuming they can properly ship it back.
I've used Epson since day 1 but this experience and lack of Epson help has me ready to leap to Canon.