Re: epson banding & systems

[Alan Duke <alanhduke@worldnet.att.net>]

Gordon:

The inkjet printer quality is very dependent on the paper.  Laser paper in
an inkjet is  a disaster.  Cheap inkjet paper is ok for text but images are
poor.  I use a 120 Photo Matte paper by Hahnemuhle as an adequate proofing
paper.  It is not terribly expensive, $15.00 for 50 sheets of 8.5 by 11.
Being a cheapskate, I often cut it into quarters in making test prints.

Alan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gordon J. Holtslander" <holtsg@duke.usask.ca>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2001 10:33 PM
Subject: Re: epson banding & systems


> Hi:
>
> It looks like the banding would be caused by a consistent pattern of
> uneven ink depostion across each pass rather than a problem with the paper
> advance.  I think the banding would be different if caused by the paper
> transport.  The uneveness is in the same axis that the printer head
> moves across the paper.  I think it would be the other way if the
> transport caused the uneveness.
>
> I'm printing on plain cheap 20 lb "multiuse paper". I think a thicker
> paper may solve the problem but I would prefer to use a thin paper if I'm
> going to make paper negs.  Do people have this problem with the various
> tranparency or velums?
>
> Time for some ascii art :)
>
> This will only look right if this is viewed with a fixed width font - ie
> courier on PC not sure what on a Mac
>
>  ---
> |   |
> |   |  paper is aligned in portrait mode
> |   |  image printed with upper edge pointing up ( ^ this way)
>  ---
>
> the printer head travels this way <->
> while the paper travels this way \/
>
> The banding pattern in like this:
>
>  | | | |
>  | | | |
>
> where each | represents a band of darker ink.
>
> There is a pattern of vertical bands of darker ink going  from
> the top edge to the bottom edge spaced about 3/4 of a inch apart.
>
> If the banding was caused by poor paper transport I would expect the
> banding to be in the axis 90 degree to the path of the paper, like this:
>
>  ___________
>
>  ___________
>
>  ___________
>
> If the paper transport was uneven then there would be blanks or overlaps
> in an axis 90 degrees to the paper transport.
>
> If this ins't clear I can make a better diagram or even scan the prints
> and put it on a web page.
>
> Gord
>
> On Fri, 10 Aug 2001, Nick Makris wrote:
>
> > Gordon,  Try some other paper; heavier, lighter, glossy, matte, etc.
That
> > kind of banding is usually associated with the paper advance mechanism.
> >
> > Nick
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Gordon J. Holtslander" <holtsg@duke.usask.ca>
> > >
> > > I did some very preliminary testing of printing with different systems
and
> > > drivers on my humble epson stylus photo 700 & PC.
> > >
> > > I printed the same image file on the same printer in color on plain
paper.
> > > Its a low resolution scan saved as a jpg of a cyanotype intended for a
web
> > > page (120dpi)
> > >
> > > I just wanted to see if there was a difference between prints made
using
> > > different systems and drivers on the same equipment.
> > >
> > > >From windows I used the standard windows epson driver and got
banding.
> > > It looks like the printer consistently put too much ink at the same
points
> > > on each pass of the printer head. Printing the image with the paper in
> > > portrait alignment the banding is vertical.  Printing with the paper
in
> > > landscape alignment produces horizontal banding.  The banda are along
an
> > > axis 90 degrees from the path of the printer head across the paper.
> > >
> > > I printed from both photoshop and netscape.
> > >
> > > Is this the typical kind of banding that people find with epsons?
> > >
> > > Using linux and the CUPS driver for this printer I got an image with
> > > absolutely no banding. The image is not as dense or as contrasty as
the
> > > windows image. I printed both in both landscape and portrait
alignments
> > > and used linux netscape and GIMP.  Again no banding what so ever.
> > >
> > > I'm almost out of black ink, I'll try Keith Gerlings suggestions about
> > > refilling and do this in black
> > >
> > > I'll try scanning something at a much higher resolution and see what
> > > results I get.
> > >
> > > Gord
> > >
> > > On Fri, 10 Aug 2001, Katharine Thayer wrote:
> > >
> > > > Keith Gerling wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > .  I would really appreciate seeing
> > > > > ANY comparisons of gum prints using:
> > > > >
> > > > > 1) Black vs. color demonstrating color is better
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I'm printing negatives today so tried to sneak in a black one for
> > > > comparison, but no matter what options I choose I get banding with
> > > > black, and am not interested in spending any more time with it. So I
> > > > won't be providing any data on the question one way or the other.
Keith
> > > > says his negatives printed with black ink print gum just as good as
the
> > > > negatives printed with color inks; I'll take his word for it but I
still
> > > > have to print in color anyway, darn. Those black cartridges are so
much
> > > > cheaper.
> > > >
> > > > Judy said a while back that when she tries to print in color she
gets
> > > > blue midtones or something. Different machines, different media; I
get a
> > > > nice neutral black throughout. If black works for you, all the
better.
> > > > Katharine
> > > >
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------------
> > > Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
> > > holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
> > > http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
> > > Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
> > > Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada  S7N 5E2
> > > ---------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> >
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
> holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
> http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
> Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
> Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada  S7N 5E2
> ---------------------------------------------------------
>