Hi all,

Sorry if this is post before.

I mostly print my works in B&W. However, I have a coming exhibition next month and this time it is in color.

I'm running a test of it now but I can't get satisfactory color....................it's a bit pale compare to what I print in color half a year ago.

I tired re calibrate my monitor, add saturation to the images, but still so.............just wonder if it is due to the color ink out of warranty issue.

I bought my Z3100 almost 2 yrs ago. the color ink haven't replaced yet.

Anyone who has his/her experience to share.

Thanks in advance.

John

Generally out of warranty inks aren't a problem. Have you installed new firmware or software? Have you recalibrated the paper? Have you generated a new profile for the paper? Have you done a test print to make sure every channel is performing properly?

I haven't installed new firmware, still TR12-TR_7.0.0.3. I get the same result even I had recalibrate the paper ( not generate new profile ) and I calibrated my monitor Dell 3007HC using coloreyes display pro and spyder 2 ( earlier version not upgrade to 1.5 owing to its troublesome activation policy ). I manipulated the images using the PS plug-in Topaz adjust.


Actually what I encountered is that only the skin tone in my images looked really pale especially. I tried with both cs3 AND CS4 for soft-proofing in xp x64 enviroment. I test printed by both CS4 and qimage.

john,
With you printer off, take the carts out and shake them thoroughly. The pigments in the cartridges may have settled from sitting idle for two years.

Right but also refresh the ink tubes content after that if the printer has been really powered off for months. Several profile targets on cheap paper without making a profile. There is about 13 ML of ink per tube (44"model) so if you check the ink use log you know where to stop.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

Thanks Randy for yr tips.




I don't quite get it. Do you mean the print head need to refresh as well ?

john

What he means is the multiple ink tubes may contain ink that has settled out as they say. After shaking your carts print several throw aways and that will use up all the ink that was laying in the tubes.

If you see differences between prints of 6 months ago and prints today and both were from the same printer (calibrated in both cases) then something changed in between. I'm not so sure that it is the ink as there are many ways to get inconsistency but if we single out the ink then shaking the carts only helps when the ink of the carts get to the head and there still is 13 ML of ink per tube between the cart and the nozzles before that happens. Better make sure the ink lines are refreshed by some waste prints or a repeat of the initial fill. After that you can calibrate the printer again and check whether that gives the old print color again.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

Thanks Ernst and Dan for the explanation.

john