Digital negatives for carbon transfer printing:Agfa Copyjet / QTR / Epson 2100 (2200)

PVia · Aug 25, 2009

So, Tom...with all due respect, run the cycle and print another check, before you start thinking about cleaning cartridges and the like.

Occasionally, almost everyone gets a bit of banding now and then for myriad reasons. The first thing you do is run a check, run a cleaning cycle, print another check. If that doesn't do it, you run a deep clean, and print another check.

At that point, if the results are still faulty, you can run another deep clean, and print a check - or - look at cleaning cartridges - or - look for another printer.

sanking · Aug 25, 2009

PVia said:
So, Tom...with all due respect, run the cycle and print another check, before you start thinking about cleaning cartridges and the like.

Occasionally, almost everyone gets a bit of banding now and then for myriad reasons. The first thing you do is run a check, run a cleaning cycle, print another check. If that doesn't do it, you run a deep clean, and print another check.

At that point, if the results are still faulty, you can run another deep clean, and print a check - or - look at cleaning cartridges - or - look for another printer.

I always run a nozzle check before printing a digital negative any time the printer has been idle for more than two or three days. If the nozzle check shows a problem, I run a cleaning cycle. Then I run another nozzle check, and another cleaning cycle if necessary. If the 2200 has been idle for more than two or three weeks it is probable that it needs a cleaning cycle.

Sandy

donbga · Aug 25, 2009

PVia said:
At that point, if the results are still faulty, you can run another deep clean, and print a check - or - look at cleaning cartridges - or - look for another printer.

At that point replace the old ink cart with a fresh new OEM cart!

Tom has a few nozzles clogged and I can point to more than one occasion over the years where replacing the ink cart with a new one corrects the problem. But you need to let the printer rest after doing 3 back to back cleaning cycles.

Anyway take a look at this link:

http://inksupply.helpserve.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=view&parentcategoryid=1

Don

PVia · Aug 26, 2009

Don, that's a great troubleshooting link...thanks for that!

Tom Kershaw · Aug 26, 2009

Update: I've now run the head cleaning function on the Epson 2100 twice and printed further digital negatives to check on the effect of bi-directional v. uni-directional, and ordered v. adaptive hybrid dithering. As an example of a negative made at the point which the 2100 is producing the correct nozzle check pattern see below:

donbga · Aug 26, 2009

Tom Kershaw said:
Update: I've now run the head cleaning function on the Epson 2100 twice and printed further digital negatives to check on the effect of bi-directional v. uni-directional, and ordered v. adaptive hybrid dithering. As an example of a negative made at the point which the 2100 is producing the correct nozzle check pattern see below:

Looks good to me Tom. Now take Phill's suggestion and do the alignment test. You will sacrifice a few sheets of OHP but in the end it will be worth the effort and minor expense. Most OHP brands have almost zero dot gain and the alignment patterns are easier to read than if you use paper.

You are almost through with this part. As Sandy suggested do a nozzle check before printing digital negatives. For that I just use cheap bond paper. and flip the ends and use both sides to get 4 checks from a sheet of paper! You can actually get more if you want to trim the ends after printing on each end front and back.

Don

pschwart · Aug 26, 2009

Don Bryant said:
Looks good to me Tom. Now take Phill's suggestion and do the alignment test. You will sacrifice a few sheets of OHP but in the end it will be worth the effort and minor expense. Most OHP brands have almost zero dot gain and the alignment patterns are easier to read than if you use paper.

You are almost through with this part. As Sandy suggested do a nozzle check before printing digital negatives. For that I just use cheap bond paper. and flip the ends and use both sides to get 4 checks from a sheet of paper! You can actually get more if you want to trim the ends after printing on each end front and back.

Don

As Don suggests, doing the alignment test on OHP is a Good Idea, another reason being that the thickness of the printed material matters, so you want to do the alignment on the material you will actually be using.

Tom Kershaw · Sep 8, 2009

Update on the alignment: I printed two OHP sheets with the alignment pattern and the head seems to be aligned. The banding was not particularly visible on a cyanotype print, but I imagine carbon is far more unforgiving.

EDIT: I have just checked the cyanotype print and some banding is visible on more continuous tone areas of the print.

Tom.

PVia · Sep 8, 2009

Tom...I'm so sorry you're having so many problems with this. It may be time for a new printer...

wogster · Sep 8, 2009

Tom Kershaw said:
Update on the alignment: I printed two OHP sheets with the alignment pattern and the head seems to be aligned. The banding was not particularly visible on a cyanotype print, but I imagine carbon is far more unforgiving.

EDIT: I have just checked the cyanotype print and some banding is visible on more continuous tone areas of the print.

Tom.

You may need to replace the head, sometimes if a printer sits for a while, you will get this, the ink partly plugs the nozzles, but not enough to fail a nozzle check. Photos being much more demanding of the printer, are quality affected.

wobsy · Oct 3, 2009

I have just found and tried Ike's script for a DigiNeg but after printing the Step wedge , exposing onto paper and then scanning it, I keep getting a "Script Alert" stating " Unexpected ErrorTypeError: Undefined is not an object) on line 70"
Can anyone explain where I might have gone wrong. Thanks.

jd callow · Oct 3, 2009

what is on line 70 and what calls or references the item on line 70?

wobsy · Oct 3, 2009

I don't know, all I get is a window stating the quotes. I don't know where I might find "line 70"

wobsy · Oct 3, 2009

I've just had rummage around the script and found what "line 70" might be. This could be it but I have no idea what it means.
"if (ref.colorSamplers.length == 0)"

?? Help would be appreciated

Ike · Oct 5, 2009

My guess is you don't have CS3 or CS4? As I remember CS2 or earlier doesn't support the color sampler in the java API. Let me know if this isn't the case.

I'll will have to see if I can check the Photoshop version from the script so I can trap this error.
Ike

wobsy · Oct 5, 2009

You've guessed correct; I'm on CS2. As you have probably also guessed, I'm not particularly computer literate but I have gone through the Adobe files and in the Script Guide there is a Java Script folder but nothing in there suggests anything like Java API. Beyond that I'm unable to give any further information.

Colin

Ike · Oct 5, 2009

Sorry CS2 won't work as it doesn't have the correct features to automate the process.

The best way forward would be to follow Ron Reeder's instructions in his PDF. I have an excel spreadsheet I could send you but honestly it would pay to follow Ron's instructions to come to grips with what's happening. Its not difficult but can be very confusing.
Ike

Ike · Jan 7, 2010

QTR Curve builder photoshop script

fyi,

I've updated my website and the script and some info can be found here

http://www.davideisenlord.com/?p=229

sanking · Jun 10, 2010

ike said:
fyi,

I've updated my website and the script and some info can be found here

http://www.davideisenlord.com/?p=229

I know how to insert a correction curve in a QTR profile by typing the input/output values in as gray curve. But how does one just insert the .acv curve directly? My work is with MAC if that makes any difference.

Sandy King

Loris Medici · Jun 10, 2010

Sandy, see the manual pages 17-18. It says you put the filename (with full path) next to the GRAY_CURVE = entry... (If I understand it correctly.)

Ron-san · Jun 10, 2010

Sandy-- Loris is right but I would describe it this way: Generate the table of Input/Output values to describe the Gray curve in the way you normally would. Then, open the Curves window, make sure the curve is reading in Ink% (0-100%) not Photo shop values (0-255) and type in the number pairs to describe you Gray curve. Save this .acv curve in some convenient place. Next, open the QTR profile in question, delete everything following GRAY_CURVE=. Now, drag the gray curve .acv icon and drop it in front of the = sign. The program will magically insert the address for the .acv file and things will work as long as you always keep the .acv file in the same place. If you move it the QTR program will not be able to find it.
Let me know if there are still problems.

The good thing about this method is that you can always open the .acv (gray curve) and look at it and manually smooth it or tweak it if needed.

Cheers, Ron Reeder

Digital negatives for carbon transfer printing:Agfa Copyjet / QTR / Epson 2100 (2200)

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