Epson R3000 ink splatter

[plnelson]

I have a 2 year old Epson R3000 that I've used very lightly - maybe 20 prints since I bought it. The problem I'm having is that where I print anything really black I get teeny tiny droplets of spatter. I've seen posts about smearing or streaking on the paper but this doesn't seem to be related. Instead this looks like either some droplets are shooting from the print head at funny angles _OR_ when they hit an already black area on the paper where it's still wet, they're splashing.

Here's a shot taken with a macro lens showing the effect :http://pnart.com/temp/splatter.jpg Note that the paper is Epson Enhanced Matte and the black ink is the stock Epson Matte Black.

Here's a small sample of the original test image:

http://pnart.com/temp/orig_sample.jpg

How do I diagnose/fix this? Thanks in advance.

 

[lolopr1]

You probably need to clean your capping station. Here is a video of the Epson pro 3800 cleaning process which is similar to your printer. Credits to jtoolman for creating the video http://youtu.be/iKzxAm9QtWo

 

[mikling]

Looks like you are getting delayed ejection for some reason.
To test this, print a rectangle that is appox 1-2 inches away from the edges of the page. Do not fill this box.

If there is delayed ejection the first print there will be spatter to the left and right of the lines.

If there is random ejection, you will also get dots above and below the horizontal lines

 

[mikling]

If it is delayed ejection, I have seen this in aged ink before. The 2 year printer with 20 prints fits right in there. First thing is to remove all cartridges and shake them vigorouslly for a minute. Thereafter, replace them but let them settle for an hour before using the printer.
Do two swaps of printing from PK to MK. Print lots and see if it subsides.

 

[PeterBJ]

If old ink is the cause of the problems, could the old ink then have lost some water/other solvent from evaporation? I guess the Epson R3000 is a pigment printer, but could the same problem also affect dye ink?