QMS failure

pspdfppdfxhd · August 17, 2010, 07:59:28 AM

Just wondering if anyone else had run into this problem:

We're trying to calibrate our epson 7600 through the qms on Apogee x (an old version, 2.11 about 6 years old) and we're getting this error message after reading the strips. We ARE using a cheaper paper than the genuine AGFA paper so we're getting a roll of AGFA paper to see if this makes a difference. The epson was a used unit and I'm cleaning the heads 5x or more a day in case the heads are clogged. I mean how much can one clean the heads before elimating that as a factor. Our temperature and humidity are in range....the yellow color looks fine on the test strips. We can see banding in the black colors but only in the areas with screen values....maybe this is normal.

Any help appreciated.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Joe · August 17, 2010, 09:57:39 AM

Not familiar with that particular printer but to me if you still have banding after cleaning it that much it might be time for a new printhead.

DigitalCrapShoveler · August 17, 2010, 10:09:45 AM

Could be the print head, could be a clogged nozzle, could be a bad ink cartridge, could be a lot of things. Do everything on the list in order. Also, does the unit have a "power clean" or heavy duty cleaning you could try? It will be buried in the menu tree on the console of the printer. Best to have the manual. Do you have a manual?

DigiCorn · August 17, 2010, 10:21:07 AM

On the Epsons usually it has a "cleaning" icon that is usually a press-and-hold for a simple cleaning. Press-and-hold longer (or go through the electronic menu) for a power cleaning (you'll need plenty of ink and possibly a reserve maintenance tank, if it's got the replaceable option). There should also be an option for a nozzle check, which uses less ink and commonly unclogs the heads. I run this every morning and several times a day when making large quantities of proofs.

dledbetter · August 17, 2010, 10:22:34 AM

You don't state that your running the nozzle check to see what the yellow print pattern looks like, if it missing lines or printing solid. I always go by nozzle checks to determine if the print heads are performing or not. The banding is not right I know it says (QMS) that your having problems with yellow and it's the black that is banding, but banding is never going to read properly on your xrite you use to read the strips.

-Dan

pspdfppdfxhd · August 18, 2010, 09:48:43 AM

Just an update on our dilema:

We eventually blew out the ink that was causing the banding. First problem solved. Still didn't work on the calibration however.

Then we got some AGFA paper and tried it again and it WORKED. We were not using AGFA paper for a couple of years.

Many people thought the paper was not the problem but looks like it was actually.

I don't know how to read these numbers but there seems to be a HUGE difference from the last reading.

We'll carry on to the next step.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

dledbetter · August 18, 2010, 04:17:52 PM

I ran into an issue similar to this but not the ink table ink issue that you first stated it was just a failed calibration.

We fingerprinted to Agfa stock as we had to.Then I went on the search for some stock that was as close to Agfa's as I could find, as Agfa stock was $265 a roll and that's just robbery in my book. I found some stock from Xpedx almost a perfect match and I ran it for 2+yrs then the supplier went out of business. I tried looking for different paper but everything else had a blue tint to it (Agfa stock is a yellow tint) I tried a few different rolls of samples but could never get it to calibrate I had to go back to Agfa's stock and 1 yr later we toss out Grand Sherpa and bought the Epson 9900 we now have.

-Dan

pspdfppdfxhd · August 18, 2010, 05:35:26 PM

Yeah, maybe the next time it won't calibrate. I did have to run 2 of the last strips multiple times through the x-rite (they kept being rejected) but eventually they did work and did update the ink tables.

I THINK this is a "stop-gap" solution until we can decide on the whole new "system" we've going to move on to but who knows if that will ever happen in these unsure economic times.

frailer · August 18, 2010, 05:36:23 PM

If you're planning to keep the 7600 for a while; it'd be worth a decent tech looking at it. Assuming you can find one; not always easy. We've had the heads replaced on ours. Going just fine, though I don't think another head replacement is on the agenda. We'll need to move to the newer/better Epson with the new fangled inks, in about a year, I would think.
Also, if you're having to clean too often, they get 'gunk' build-up...there's a little scraper-thingy that gets clagged.

BTW, your Power Clean is located...right/downx4/then right/right>Enter. If 3 sec cleans aren't doing it for you, you would need to do the 'Power', methinks. As dig@sig says, make sure you have a spare maint. tank, depending on how full your current one is.

....we've had ours since Jan '04. We are short run; a lot of oversized A4 with a lot of muddy stage shots with far too much ink. We do a lot of proofing. It's been pretty damn reliable. TG for ProDigitaGear, in Salem CT...we have HALVED our ink bill. And a delight to deal with. And I now have a MyUS(dot)com ID; it gets shipped to Florida 1st, then here. Which also means I could bid on guitars on eBay in the US. But I don't. Too much domestic pain to be had if I did.

pspdfppdfxhd · August 18, 2010, 05:43:54 PM

Yeah Frailer we had a really good tech look at it. (from the company that's trying to sell us our CTP and new proofer). I could tell right away this guy knew his business.....this machine was using different epson inks (chomatic or something?) than what we were using and he told us that it would take awhile for the old inks to clear out of the tubes. We replaced those inks with the AGFA inks we were using on our Sherpa 24 so the whole system would come into sync. Also, they had to take some of the hardware out of the back of the Sherpa and install it on the 7600 so the rip would believe we still had the Sherpa.

What a week!

frailer · August 18, 2010, 05:50:56 PM

Quote from: pspdfppdfx on August 18, 2010, 05:43:54 PMAlso, they had to take some of the hardware out of the back of the Sherpa and install it on the 7600 so the rip would believe we still had the Sherpa.

OK, if he did that successfully, he knows what he's doing. :shocked: I assume that wouldn't have got in the way of Epson maintenance routines...presumably on ROM, in there? :undecided:

Sounds like a fun week....not!

Isn't the Sherpa a re-badge? I'd ask ProDigitalGear about AGFA inks...see if they have, or whether they're under another name. The Epson inks I get from them clock in as gen-u-ine Epson.

ProDigitalGear

pspdfppdfxhd · August 18, 2010, 05:54:44 PM

Hey Frailer, that sounds like a problem for another day to worry about! YEAH MAYBE!

Anyway, it's approaching 8:00 pm here in Toronto and my eyes are getting blurry quick. Thanks for the input and GOD BLESS US ALL!

(sorry but that's the only thing I could think of saying!)

pspdfppdfxhd · August 18, 2010, 06:00:15 PM

Frailer, also: We were told that the AGFA inks are NOT epson as they have their own special formula. (that from sereral trusted sources).
We have always used the AGFA inks with no complaints from management so I wouldn't even suggest switching at this delicate time.

One thing that's weird:

When we print the AGFA inks on AGFA paper...the ink is not waterproof. I mean that if the ink gets wet it smears. When we print the AGFA inks on the Cheaper paper we've used for years...it's waterproof!! This is significant because when we have to print posters (more and more these days) WE HAVE to use the cheaper pager or it will run in wetness.

FYI only.

News:

QMS failure