Help with Epson R3000 - ink marks on prints

Hello,

I am having a problem with my Epson R3000, the attached pic explains what is happening better than I can describe. This problem has happened off and on, I used the head cleaning feature which takes an incredible amount of ink, ran blank sheets of paper using the printer's maintenance feature and changed the platen setting to wide as suggested in a thread I found elsewhere. No go. still getting the same results. I would really appreciate any feedback or possible solutions. I have not tried the Epson support as I read that it is not very efficient. THANK YOU.

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Sante

If your print head has surplus ink on you will only make it worse with a nozzle flush.

There are masses of instructions about head cleaning on the internet.

I'll start you off with a couple of videos:-

http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.362672/it.I/id.222/.f

and this suite of videos is great:-

http://www.specialistinks.com/printer-cleaning-videos.php

Have fun and tell us how you get on.

Tony

Thank you Toni, I will review and let you know. I was wondering if this has been a common problem with this particular model?

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Sante

Classic example of puddled ink inder the print head.

Causes:

You either ran a cleaning cycle just prior.

You purge unit did not evacuate all the excess ink.

Your carts are leaking.

Head strikes.

Turn off your printer.

Turn it back on so the wiper can wipe the bottom of the print head clean, then print again.

Do you use OEM carts or Refillables?

Joe

Joe,

Thank you for your suggestions, I use OEM cartridges. I turned off and on twice, and the first print came out without any of those ink marks but with the second print the ink marks came back. So, I guess it could be one of the other problems. I kept the cover open when it was printing just to see how the streak was formed and sure enough in certain areas of the print the print head would let out what looked like extra ink on the paper. Frustrating, it's over a year so no warranty left.

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Sante

I am sending in for repair my 3880 for the same reasons.  I have black ink smudges on the front and the back of the prints.  The machine may need a good cleaning, more likely than not.  Good luck.

Canon Person

Hi Canon Person,

I was wondering where you are sending in yours and if it's under warranty, if not; fees for cleaning etc.

Thanks,

Santelia

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Sante

If it is not due to random head strikes or the tanks are leaking which since they are OEM is unlikely, you need to then look at the purge pad as the head is moving back and forth and look for excesive link wetness on it. the purge pump is suppposed to suck ink away and out of the purge pad and into the maintenace tank. If it is excesively et on the purge pad, the head will pick up ink and smear it onto your prints as you are seeing.

Occasionally, I have this issue with one of my Epson R800 printers and I have found it is not hard to correct.  I have never had the other mentioned cause so can't be helpful for those conditions.

What I do is while the printer has the Print Head in the Park position (either with or without power on).  Look at the left side and you will probably see an excessive buildup of "excess" ink on the pad (or pads) at the left end of the carriage movement area.  I use a normal Kleenex to "blot up" to remove the excess ink.  It may require more than one "blotting" with a new Kleenex to get all the excess ink off.

The build up has happened mostly with my one R800 that is somewhat "picky" and requires more attention than my other 3 Epson Printers -- one of which is another R800.  It seems that side does not have the same method of "sucking" the excess inks that is deposited usually during cleaning cycles as compared to the other side.  I use external waste ink unit for this printer.

Then, suggest you print a page of almost anything that has colors.  I use a file that prints strips of each of the colors for that printer. This is more to wipe off any ink that may be in the paper path during printing when you get the ink strips.

I really don't consider this a major issue and is very easy to correct.

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Vernon...e

Vernon, that is the case on the Rxxxx series printers but the PRO3800 / PRO3880 that is not the case. It remains perfectly clean on the far left. That FOAM area that one can blot off is not there.

So that's not the case here.

Joe, thanks for your comments.  I have never had this issue with my 3880.  Also, not with my 2200 that I have had for around 9 years and (of course) it is the older design.

The head has to be picking up "pooled ink" from somewhere and as mentioned, it may not be "sucking up" any excess ink at the right end -- parking/wiper area.

Sometimes I think it is amazing how these printers work so well even though there are occasional issues (some minor and some major).

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Vernon...

I agree.  I find that the pad where the print head parks may sometimes contain MUCH more ink than expected.  At some point the excess stops being drawn out and I need to soak it up with a paper towel.

If you try this be careful not to dislodge the pad.  I do this by unplugging the printer, slide the print head to the left, and lightly press a paper towel, folded multiple times, to the pad until no more ink is sucked up.

If the problem goes away for a time that should narrow down the source of probelms.

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One day long ago, a sorcerer and a warrior did battle, as such things were commonplace in that age. Sometimes the sorcerer won, and the sum value of human abilities was improved some trifling amount. Sometimes the warrior won, and again the human race improved by some insignificant amount, for a sorcerer who can't defeat one miserable warrior is a poor sorcerer indeed.

Well, here is an update to the ink marks:

So I chose 2 different photos to print 8.5 x 11 which is similar in size to the one on my initial post; NO INK MARKS on those. I went back to the picture I initially posted and the ink marks were back. I switched to 5 x 7's and different photos and no ink marks; 7 prints total, on one particular 5 x 7 I kept getting one small ink mark, I changed to draft mode printing (using LR 4) and the ink mark on that photo was gone. I then printed the photo on my initial post 5 x 7 and no ink mark. I don't know what if anything these settings or size may have to do with the ink marks. At least I finished a project with the 5 x 7's but obviously I have to get this corrected.

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Sante

Santelia,

Are you sure your printer driver is up to date and the one that is installed?

I had some odd results when mine became uninstalled and my R2400 was running off a Microsoft USB general printer driver.

Tony

I seriously believe that the problem is mechanical in nature. This is almost always indicative of excess ink under the print head cause by some of the reasons I already stated.

The OP needs to check the left side of the printer platen area for excess ink, if the R3000 is like the other Rxxxx models. As well as the purge Pad. The Purge pad should not be shinny with ink while it is printing.

The reference made by Vernon earlier, is a probable reason as long as we are toaliing about an Rxxxx series printer so yes, Vernon, you are quite correct. I have to clean that area up about once a month on all my Rxxxx as part of their routine maintenance.

Joe

The attached pics are oof but I think they showed the area on the pad where the ink is collecting.

In reference to what Joe and Vernon suggest; I lifted the cover and yes there was ink not just on the pad but also in what looks like a plastic piece running in the middle of the pad; but just in one specific area towards the center of the pad. On the pad itself there was ink that you could see on the left and right of the pad and around the plastic towards the center. I used a paper towel to dry up as much as I could but it did not prevent the ink marks from continuing, as I stated earlier, when it was printing I lifted the cover and I could see on one pass of the print head, how excess ink was placed in parts of the print.



Right of the printer, oof but it shows the black ink compared to the rest of the pad

Left area

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Sante

You need to blot off all of this ink in the foam sections and other areas. You should not be building up this much ink during normal use.

You also need to look at the purge pad. Where the print head sits on the far right side.

With the printer off, turn it on and as soon as the head moves to the left, pull the plug.

Now you should be able to see the purge pad and docking station. That's were most of the waste ink collects and should be drained away by the purge pump.

An extremely learned friend asked me to ask you is you are printing on a different paper size than what you are entering in the printer drive.

Have you got the capping pad clean, Sante?

I've learnt a lot about these machines over the last two weeks after failing miserably to get a set of refillables to work on an R2400.

When do a flush it is caused by the capping pad sucking ink from the print head - not a pushing motion from the top. As I see it if the capping pad cannot get rid of that ink it will sit there and contaminate your head. I think it can then, by capilliary action, draw ink down through the head and from the cartridge.

I may be wrong but it seems that OEM cartridges, as they are a different design from many inexpensive Chinese refillables, resist this withdrawal.

I could be talking total 'cobblers' but I reckon that if you don't have a pristine capping pad you are in for trouble. The gurus around here clean their's every couple of months, I gather.

Tony

Actually I flush an clean all mine ( 15 ) every month and even more often if needed.

http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.362672/it.I/id.222/.f

You can use Windex with Ammonia in place of the PiezoFlush.

As Joe stated about cleaning, I do this once a month with my R3000.

To move the head, open the printer cover, as soon as you push the power on button and the print head moves to the left, pull th power plug, you will then be able to slide the print head manually.

I have seen those ink splatters one or two times and cleaning the printer and parking pads eliminates it for me.

Good luck!

Bob P.