SOLJET Pro III XJ-640 64" Eco-Solvent Inkjet Printer

Title

How to troubleshoot white banding (or density drop, streaking, ink starvation)

Summary

How to troubleshoot white banding (or density drop, streaking, ink starvation)

Details

Symptom
White banding (or density drop, streaking, ink starvation).

Cause
Please refer to the list of possible reasons for banding.

Solution

Most of the white banding is caused by uneven media tension that can be caused by the following factors:

a. Media roll too heavy.

b. Media not loaded straight

c. Not using all pinch rollers

d. Not using the media breaks

e. Not using the media flanges

f. Media flange is not installed straight

g. Media stoppers (collars) are set too tight against the media flanges, impeding the media to be fed smoothly

h. Media roll is bowed or deformed causing uneven tension as it turns

i. Incorrect feed calibration (may require dealer level adjustment of Default Calibration)

j. Extremely dry environment

k. Media stored at cold location and not acclimated in the room

l. Sticky media or media prone to accumulate static electricity

m. Dirt (residue of ink or adhesive) on the platen

n. Dirt (residue of ink or adhesive) underneath the media clamps

o. Media too soft and not able to be fed smoothly (decreasing the vacuum force may help)

p. [Density Curve Only] mode may contribute to white banding since you may be using a single color to produce pure color

q. Media shafts are bowed

The most common steps to troubleshoot white banding are:

a. Make sure you have the correct profile for the media. On Pro II v printers, media that has the v2 prefix are specifically created to minimize the white. banding

b. Set PRFEED to ON

c. Use lower print temperature

d. Use higher resolution mode or W-PASS mode if available

e. Make sure the media is loaded straight using media flanges, media break is engaged, and media stoppers (collars) are used properly

f. Platen and media clamps are free of dirt

g. Use lower vacuum settings in case the vacuum is causing a drag

Modified

May 13, 2020