[alt-photo] Re: 3800 VERTICAL BANDING DIGI NEGS FOR ALT

Sat Sep 10 15:34:34 GMT 2011

DEAR CHRIS,

            Thanks for your reply.  The banding is alternating light and
dark varying between 1/4 and 1/2 inch wide.  It is barely visible while
holding the digineg up to room light, much more obvious on a light box, and
very disturbing in a print, especially in the midtones.    

            So, from all below it appears that I should:

1)    Set the paper thickness to 6 (I use Inkpress film instead of
Pictorico; will this make a difference?)

2)    Set platen gap to Standard

3)    Change the Paper Feed Adjustment by increments of -5 until the
vertical banding disappears  (you said your magic number was -30 for your
3800)

4)    E-mail that Epson Printer Guru whose name I can't seem to recall.  He
helped me solve the pizza wheel problem.perhaps he has some hints on this as
well.

*****Does anyone recall his name & e-mail address?

CHEERS!

            BOB

-----Original Message-----
From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org
[mailto:alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On Behalf Of
Christina Anderson
Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2011 11:20 AM
To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
Subject: [alt-photo] Re: 3800 VERTICAL BANDING DIGI NEGS FOR ALT

Bob,

Amy Holmes George and Mark Nelson can answer this better than I, but
question first: is it really minute lines about 1/8 inch apart, hard to see
with the eye unless the negative is on a light box? I have had that, and
have had to clean print heads multiple multiple times to finally get rid of
it and then be sure to print 2880 dpi.

 Or is it the dreaded Venetian Blind effect, below, in which case here is a
cut and paste of info I have saved that may help. I can't take credit for
the info...you'll see authors, below.

Please forgive no time to edit notes, in throes of writing :)

Chris

Here's a follow-up on my recent encounter with the "Venetian Blind Effect"
while making pt/pd prints from digital negatives on an Epson 3800. If you
happen to experience this strange vertical banding of
dark/light/dark/light-especially in high value areas of your prints-here's a
few things to consider:

1. Set the Paper Thickness to 6 (Pictorico Ultra Premium OHP Transparency
Film is 5.7 mil, but the default for Premium Photo Paper Glossy is 3 mil)

2. Set the Platen Gap to Standard (instead of Auto)

3. Change the Paper Feed Adjustment by increments of -5 until the vertical
banding disappears (for me, the magic number was -30)

Just found this this morning on the Epson4000 group

[Epson4000 at yahoogroups.com] posted by Jarvis Rant

http://www.redrivercatalog.com/infocenter/tips/inkjet-printer-paper-thicknes

s-platen-gap-adjustment.html

I literally just got off the phone with Epson now. Based on your previous
diagnosis of "venetian blinds", I called them to inquire further. Epson
confirmed that this effect is nearly always due to the way the substrate
(typically a secondary non-Epson paper) "feeds" through the printer. I was
told to change the Paper Feed Adjustment by increments of -5. Sounds like
that is also what you were thinking. Additionally, it was suggested that I
adjust the Platen Gap according to the actual thickness of my Pictorico film
(which is not "3"-the standard default for Epson Premium Photo Paper
Glossy-but thicker).

I will be sure to share my results when I apply these changes, and maybe
this information will also prove helpful to someone else someday. Amy

Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:39:21 -0600

From: ender100 at aol.com

To: alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org

Subject: [alt-photo] Re: Sky banding - 3800 Printer

No, it isn't the exposure unit or the settings you use in the driver, or the
Pictorico, or whether you use colorized negatives of one ink, black ink, all
inks, etc etc.  The cursed "Venetian Blind Effect", is a banding in the
direction of the printhead movement with a frequency about the width of the
print head.  It can be measured with a UV densitometer as a slight
fluctuation in ink density.  It can occur on any printer model.  Some models
are far less prone to it thought than others and some individual printers of
given models are more prone to it-some don't do it at all.  I had it with
the Epson 1280, 2200, 10000, and to a lesser extent the 2400.  I finally
resolved the problem by printing problematic negatives on an R1800.  When
the 3800 came out, it was a Godsend because I have rarely seen it happen
with that printer and I have prints that would definitely show it if there
were any hint of it and they don't.  There are a couple possible
causes-either paper feed being inconsistent or ink delivery system being
inconsistent.  I am not aware that anyone has truly diagnosed the problem.
It tends to show up in images with smooth tonal transitions in the upper
midtones and highlights.  I first saw it in a portfolio of Pt/Pd prints that
Dick Arentz printed with negatives from an Epson 4000.  If anyone has
experienced it and has a suggested cause rather than speculation, I would
love to hear it.Mark Nelson

If your print driver has this option, select unidirectional instead of
bidirectional printing. Printing will take longer but the banding may go
away. Francis sch.

Christina Z. Anderson

christinaZanderson.com

On Sep 10, 2011, at 8:58 AM, Paul Viapiano wrote:

> Yes, I'd try an alignment before looking further.

> 

> Then I'd try a different feed route...try to systematically eliminate one
variable at a time.

> 

> As you know, there have been instances of print head failure popping up
now and then,

> 

> Paul

> 

> 

> ----- Original Message ----- From: "BOB KISS" <bobkiss at caribsurf.com>

> To: "'The alternative photographic processes mailing list'"
<alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org>

> Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2011 7:53 AM

> Subject: [alt-photo] 3800 VERTICAL BANDING DIGI NEGS FOR ALT

> 

> 

>> DEAR LIST,

>> 

>>           As this applies to my Epson 3800 which I use to make enlarged

>> diginegs for alt printing, I hope you will agree that it is on topic.

>> 

>>           I have recently begun experiencing subtle vertical banding in
my

>> negs.  I know it is from the printer (not the original negs, scans, or

>> files) because, though they are most obvious in any smooth midtone areas
of

>> an image, they exist also in the D-max non-image area that is put around
the

>> image area on the digineg to create a white area surrounding the image on

>> the print.  They run the whole length of the image and appear to be
nearly

>> (or exactly) the same in the last 3 negs I have tried.

>> 

>>           I already tried cleaning the heads and get a perfect test

>> printout but the banding remains.  Might this be an alignment problem?

>> Should I try re-aligning the heads in the Epson Utilities program?

>> 

>>           Has anyone else had this problem and do you know of a fix?

>> 

>>                       CHEERS!

>> 

>>                                   BOB

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> Please check my website:  <http://www.bobkiss.com/>
http://www.bobkiss.com/

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> "Live as if you are going to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you are going to

>> live forever".  Mahatma Gandhi

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> _______________________________________________

>> Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/listinfo 

> 

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