Re: 1280 going berserkers

Hi:

>From your email it looks like you are using a Mac. Don't know if it will
help but you could try using the GIMP-Print drivers, instead of an epson
driver. There is a stable version and a newer beta version with some
significant changes. The epson 2200 is supposed to be fully supported by
these drivers.

http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php3

It could at least give you an idea of whether the problem is in the
hardware or the software.

Gord

On Fri, 8 Apr 2005, Clay wrote:

> Thanks Dan et Etienne,
>
> I will try running the alignment utility a few more times as well as
> the head cleaning routines. I have been working on creating some curves
> for the 2200. It might be time for the 2200 to become the primary
> negative printer. I have already worked out which combination of colors
> gives the highest UV density on that printer. So it is just a matter of
> some calibration exercises from here.
>
> Clay
> On Apr 8, 2005, at 8:47 AM, Etienne Garbaux wrote:
>
> > Clay wrote:
> >
> >> In the last few weeks, my heretofore dependable epson 1280 is creating
> >> striping on my diginegs.
> >>
> >> My question is this: Has anyone experienced or heard of printers
> >> developing this problem as they age?
> >>
> >> My printer is now about 3 years old. And before you ask - yes, I ran
> >> multiple cleaning cycles - yes, I changed the ink cartridge, and yes,
> >> i
> >> ran the alignment utility.
> >
> > Having moved to Canon printers several generations ago because of
> > persistent Epson banding problems, I'm not familiar with the 1280, but
> > I
> > suspect it has a "permanent" print head (separate ink cartridges, print
> > head is part of the printer rather than part of the cartridge). Try
> > many,
> > many more cleaning cycles (several dozen or more), testing
> > periodically.
> > If you still have the problem after 50 cleaning cycles, it's time for
> > either a new print head or a new printer. My guess is that the
> > economics
> > favor buying a new printer and selling the 1280 on one of the auction
> > sites
> > (with full disclosure of the banding, of course!).
> >
> > If you are handy with tools, willing to write off the printer if your
> > surgery fails, and have an ultrasonic cleaner, you might try pulling
> > out
> > the print head and giving it a bath in the ultrasonic tank. Last time
> > I
> > did this with an Epson, I had a devil of a time getting the head
> > aligned
> > mechanically within the rather narrow operating range of the electronic
> > alignment adjustors.
> >
> > Having said all that, I vote for making negatives the old fashioned
> > way.
> > I have yet to see a digineg made with a home printer (as opposed to
> > high-resolution linescanner diginegs on film) that would not betray its
> > heritage when printed on a high-resolution medium (gelatin silver,
> > albumen,
> > or carbon). I can almost always tell prints from home-printer diginegs
> > even on lower-resolution Pt/kalli/salt/cyano prints, and prefer the
> > look of
> > an all-analog printing chain. One day, we will have the digital output
> > tools we need, although I doubt that home-printer diginegs will ever
> > get
> > there -- but someone will make an affordable linescanner or
> > equivalent, and
> > we will all be admitted to digital heaven. But that day is not here
> > yet!
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > etienne
> >
>

---------------------------------------------------------
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
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Received on Fri Apr 8 08:41:50 2005