Priniting issues with Epson SureColor SC-P700

[jimshovlin]

Evening all - I've recently acquired a second-hand SC-P700. I've encountered some unusual print artefacts while printing out images, particularly on matte paper (images attached) in the centre of the page. These seem to be single hairlines from each print head. I've tried cleaning (and power cleaning) and multiple printhead realignments. Anyone else have this and have any potential resolutions? Thanks, J.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

You are reporting quite an unusual problem - what is the orientation of the lines - vertical ? Is it printing always with the same color ? does it change if you select different paper types e.g. normal paper, matte paper, inkjet paper - just always print on copy paper. Or does the line pattern change when you change the image you are printing ? Is there any irregularity visible in the nozzle check print ? Please scan it and post it here . What do you get if you just print a black box of a small to middle size ? Did you do any repair attempt like taking out the printhead for a cleaning action ? Please check that those lines are not part of the image file you are printing. How is the printer connected to the computer ? Which operating system are you running ? Since when do you observe the effect ?

 

[jimshovlin]

You are reporting quite an unusual problem - what is the orientation of the lines - vertical ? Is it printing always with the same color ? does it change if you select different paper types e.g. normal paper, matte paper, inkjet paper - just always print on copy paper. Or does the line pattern change when you change the image you are printing ? Is there any irregularity visible in the nozzle check print ? Please scan it and post it here . What do you get if you just print a black box of a small to middle size ? Did you do any repair attempt like taking out the printhead for a cleaning action ? Please check that those lines are not part of the image file you are printing. How is the printer connected to the computer ? Which operating system are you running ? Since when do you observe the effect ?

Thanks for your reply. The lines are vertical - this effect only appears with coloured images rather than black. It happens most frequently on any enhanced Matte paper setting and to a lesser extent on enhanced Gloss settings regardless of printig speed/quality (it doesn't seem to happen when set to Plain Paper). Nozzle check is clean. No attempt to clean print head outside of the unit. Lines are not on the image - this occurs with all images printed this way. Printer is operated via wifi from a MacBook running OS Ventura.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I must admit that I'm not clear yet about the problem you are reporting, so I have a few more questions - are the lines always at the same location regardless of the image you are printing ? Did you try to connect the printer via USB - just for a test , or even to another computer - even a Windows computer ? I'm trying to find out if the effect is originating in the printer or caused by some effect outside of the printer . How old is the printer - still under warranty ?

 

[jimshovlin]

I must admit that I'm not clear yet about the problem you are reporting, so I have a few more questions - are the lines always at the same location regardless of the image you are printing ? Did you try to connect the printer via USB - just for a test , or even to another computer - even a Windows computer ? I'm trying to find out if the effect is originating in the printer or caused by some effect outside of the printer . How old is the printer - still under warranty ?

The lines are always central - if I print a smaller image to the edge of the page they don't show (attached an image for reference). I've tried with USB cinnection and with a Windows tablet - still the same effect with the lines. The printer is about a year old - the warranty is likely belongs to the previous owner. Thanks for your help.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I'm getting the impression that the problem is caused by the printer, and not by exernal factors - software - connection. I don't think there is anything you can do really in this situation. Epson is installing under windows from the CD not just the driver, but as well a software updater which checks as well the printer firmware status. You may check if you have the latest version, the firmware update only works reliably with the USB connection.

The Epson warranty is linked to the product, and you may check the status as shown here

 

[nertog]

This might be an issue with the printhead ribbon cable. I have seen this in other printers when the contacts are wet or corroded. If you are a brave man, you can remove the dampers and printhead, unplug the ribbon cable, make sure all contacts are clean and dry, and reassemble the whole thing.

 

[Tony4597]

Just a few suggestions that may be of interest:
Vertical Banding
Turn off the High Speed setting in the printer driver.
Align the print head.

For vertical banding or paper is smeared, have you tried to clean the paper path?
https://files.support.epson.com/doc...ns/tasks/pm525/cleaning_paper_path_pm525.html

Have you played with the Epson Media Installer for the 700/900? I have zero experience of this application but if the issue is related to settings then Platen Gap or Paper suction may be worth investigating

The Epson Media Installer (EMI) allows users to specify exactly which settings they'd like to use for each media type with options for Platen Gap, Paper Suction, Top and Bottom Margins, Paper Feed Offset, and more.