i950 weird single band at end of print

[Ah Pek]

My i950 has developed a single band about 2cm a the end of a print. It is the same width no matter what size paper I use. It's a band that has a different shade of colour compared with the rest of the print. I read that it could be a problem with the double encoder? I understand that the print speed is slower at the end of the paper. Could it be clogged nozzles? Would a new print head solve this problem?

 

[ghwellsjr]

Do you have a scanner? It would be really helpful for you to upload (use the link at the top of this page) an image of the problem.

I don't think the problem is clogged nozzles and I doubt you need a new print head.

 

[Ah Pek]

Unfortunately I don't have a scanner although I'll try and take a picture of it to upload. In photography terms, the band is like a one stop underexposure compared to the rest of the image.

 

[Ah Pek]

Here is a pic of an A4 print. As you can see there is also significant banding besides that weird band at the end. Whether it is A4 or 4x6, there is that 2cm band at the end. I'm trying to read up on other posts to get rid of the other banding problem as well! I've had my i950 for 4 years and this is the first time I'm having problems with it.

 

[Grandad35]

What does the nozzle check pattern look like?

What happens if you add a "Post-It" at the bottom of the paper on the right edge (this tricks the printer into thinking that the paper is longer than it actually is)?

 

[Ah Pek]

The nozzle check pattern is similar to

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2285

except that it's blue rather than cyan. I think a new print head should solve this issue but I'm not sure about the band at the end of the print. Cheers.

 

[Grandad35]

If a nozzle check is similar to the top-right pattern shown in the link, the problem is usually electrical. It is likely to be the print head, but it COULD be a problem in the cable or mother board. There is no easy way to find out without replacing the print head.

When this many nozzles are missing, it is common to get a band at the end of the print. Try the "Post-It" trick - this changes how the ink is randomized at the end of the print and usually eliminates the heavy band (but not the lighter bands all across the print). This problem will go away ifn the nozzle check returns to normal.

Read at least the first 4 posts on this thread.

 

[on30trainman]

If possible I would like an explanation of how a Post_It note on the end of a sheet of paper tricks the printer into believing the paper is longer. I had a similar problem with the end of print banding problem (on my ip6000D) and tried the Post_It note trick and it didn't work - tried in on both left and right edge of paper and both edges. What I did to solve my problem was to switch my paper size to Legal (8.5X14) instead of Letter (8.5X11). Immediately took care of the problem. I use QImage for all my photo printing and it is very easy to set the margins to print only the 8.5X11 part of the paper. My belief is that it has to do with the print driver (use my ip6000D for photos). As the printer approaches the end of a sheet (paper set to Letter) the print speed seems to change - change in printer noise. When set to Legal I don't hear this speed change.
These are just my feelings. It works for me where the Post-It trick didn't. I remember a thread a few months ago where a fellow also had the banding problem that Post_It didn't fix. My trick worked for him, but wasn't useful - he wanted to print borderless and that only works for a subset of paper sizes.

Steve W.

 

[Ah Pek]

Thank you all for your advice. The Post-It solution doesn't work for me. I've ordered a new print head. Fingers crossed that it will solve my problems. Cheers.