Pizza wheels, and "noise" on an Epson 1280

[JeffD]

I have been working my way through Mark Nelson's Precision Digital Negative workflow, and printed my first Color Density negative last night.

Mark mentions to watch out for certain patches containing "noise", and not choose them as your color density.

When I did the print on my negative substrate, I noticed quite a few patches with "noise", even though I have done a pretty careful head calibration and get flawless nozzle check printouts. Some squares with noise are isolated- i.e. neighbor squares have no "noise".

Does anyone know what causes this, or, if there is a solution?

Also, I noticed some tiny indentations on the negative, which I am pretty sure are the dreaded "pizza wheels" on the Epson 1280. Has anyone removed them on a 1280? Difficult?

Thanks for any comments.

[sanking]

When I did the print on my negative substrate, I noticed quite a few patches with "noise", even though I have done a pretty careful head calibration and get flawless nozzle check printouts. Some squares with noise are isolated- i.e. neighbor squares have no "noise".

Does anyone know what causes this, or, if there is a solution?

Also, I noticed some tiny indentations on the negative, which I am pretty sure are the dreaded "pizza wheels" on the Epson 1280. Has anyone removed them on a 1280? Difficult?

Thanks for any comments.

What is your negative substrate?

Sandy

[JeffD]

What is your negative substrate?

Sandy

Sandy,

I am using Pictorico OHP.

-Jeff

[sanking]

Sandy,

I am using Pictorico OHP.

-Jeff

Pictorico is generally believed to be the best OHP material so I doubt that the problem is the substrate, unless there is a tensioning issue.

Maybe Don will comment on noise with the 1280. I use the 2200 and have no experience with the 1280.

Have you tried to print the negative? It happens that many thinbgs that we see on visual examination of a negative, especially with some type of magnificatin, will not show up in printing.

Sandy

[JeffD]

Yes, I'm waiting for it to "cure". Will print tonight or this weekend. I actually could observe the noise and pizza traces without magnification, just holding up to the light. This concerned me, because the pallate prints fairly small, yet I was able to observe the noise without any magnification. Still, the pallate should work fine for picking the right color density- obviously I am more concerned if tonal areas on my final negatives will suffer....

[donbga]

I have been working my way through Mark Nelson's Precision Digital Negative workflow, and printed my first Color Density negative last night.

Mark mentions to watch out for certain patches containing "noise", and not choose them as your color density.

When I did the print on my negative substrate, I noticed quite a few patches with "noise", even though I have done a pretty careful head calibration and get flawless nozzle check printouts. Some squares with noise are isolated- i.e. neighbor squares have no "noise".

Does anyone know what causes this, or, if there is a solution?

Also, I noticed some tiny indentations on the negative, which I am pretty sure are the dreaded "pizza wheels" on the Epson 1280. Has anyone removed them on a 1280? Difficult?

Thanks for any comments.

Jeff,

I have observed the noisy patches you've mentioned in the 0 to 50 steps of the CDRP in most of the colors. I don't know why they occur but it isn't due to clogged nozzles or mis-alignments. Instead I think it is produced by the dithering algorithm used for this printer, that's purely a guess though. For now I wouldn't sweat it, just continue your testing. I will say I see none of this from the 2200.

AS for the pizza wheel problem, I installed a small washer on one side of the pizza wheel rack. That seemed to eliminate the problem. You didn't mention which media setting you are using so changing that may reduce the amount of ink layed down. The OHP should work pretty good regardless of the media setting or the Print Quality setting.

In the long term Epson will introduce new and improved printers so the future for ink jet printing looks bright. A wide bodied version of the R300 has been introduced in Japan and I wouldn't be surprised to see it introduced in N. America after the first of the year. And FWIW, Epson will probably quit producing the 1280 in the near future which will give value to a used 1280 in good condition in case you want to sell it.


Don

P.S. I just received Mark's 31 step, step tablet and it is a major improvement over the little 21 step unit. I begin testing AZO and Kallitype this weekend using OHP and UCF.

[donbga]

Jeff,

Jay,

Sorry I meant to write Jay not Jeff.

Don

[donbga]

Jay,

Sorry I meant to write Jay not Jeff.

Don

Jeff,

Ahh, never mind.

Don

[Johnny V]

To fix the Pizza Wheel problem go to the below page. This is for the 2200. Don't know if it will work for the 1280.

http://inksupply.info/index.php?_a=k...ndetails&_i=75

[donbga]

To fix the Pizza Wheel problem go to the below page. This is for the 2200. Don't know if it will work for the 1280.

http://inksupply.info/index.php?_a=k...ndetails&_i=75

Johnny,

The page that you reference gives instructions for lifting the exit rollers out of the path of the substrate and does not address the problem created by pizza wheel tracking. However, it is a useful fix for the 2200. The pizza wheel problem can be corrected by placing a spring on the metal bracket that holds the pizza wheels. No dis-assembly of the printer is required to do this BTW.

That is not the case with the 1280. The cover of the 1280 is very easy to remove (even I can accomplish that) and the left hand screw that holds the pizza wheel bracket is then removed and a thin washer is place underneath the bracket where the screw is then put back in. This lifts the P. rollers just enough not to be a problem. The cover is then put back in place and you are ready to go. Just remember to take care not to loose the washer inside of the printer. That's the most difficult step.

Don