GMG/Epson Calibration Problem

[Username]

Hi All,

I've been running GMG Colorproof on 3 Epson Pro9800's for a couple years now. Calibration in GMG is done monday mornings and wednesdays at noon with DTP70. Our calibration readings have been consistently, over all this time, very close to our acceptable tolerances, meaning never more than "slightly out".

Awhile ago, we had trouble with Epson #2 and had a tech here working on it, replaced some parts, downloaded some stuff, this and that, etc. While he was here, he also "cleaned" both Epson #1 and Epson #2, watering down the pads, etc. and whatever else cleaning entails.

After he left, both Epson #1 and Epson #2 are now taking 4 or 5 calibration cycles to get back to our specs. The numbers we're seeing are so far out there it's ridiculous. Epson #3, the one not worked on, remains consistently close to, or right on for calibration and is printing just fine.

We had the tech back last week and he replaced more parts and worked on Epson #2 all day to no avail. Another tech is on the way with a main board, carriage, etc. to work on it. However, I still can't figure out what's wrong with Epson #1.

The only thing in common with Epson 1 and Epson 2 is the "cleaning" he did on them. Now they are both giving me mangled proofs and calibration. And Epson 3 is still fine.

I have tested and retested our systems here, GMG, DTP70, checked the MX3 and MX4, printer settings, paper, ink, etc. etc. and I'm 99% sure everything but the Epsons is fine.

Any thoughts?

 

[meddington]

Have you 1) confirmed the nozzle are clog free by printing a nozzle pattern and looking for gaps, and/or 2) performed any power cleaning cycles on the printer. Possibly might have gotten air in the ink lines. Can you describe the symptoms...any banding, streaking, weak color? Sometimes cleaning the printer introduces issues.

 

[Username]

Yes, they have both been power cleaned and have had nozzle checks and alignment performed. The tech has pretty much rebuilt the entire brains of Epson 2, certainly put more time and money into it than what a new machine would cost I think.

 

[Bobmorli]

We used to have a 9800. At one point we got problems with our registration and calibration. I think we must have had 4 or 5 visits of 3 different technicians but they never got it right again. In the end we ended up getting 2 new 9880's. We were going to get a second 9800 but could only buy new 9880 and were told the combination of 2 different types wasn't ideal.
After this story, my opinion is that the techs have a hard time getting the Epson machines into their old (good) configuration again. Or maybe it's just our local techs...
I'd keep getting a tech back untill they fix the problem or let them give you a worthy solution...

 

[tmiller_iluvprinting]

We have a 9800 that we run 24" and 36" paper in(same supplier and paper type.) We had a visit by an Epson Tech and our 9800 hasn't been the same since. I have actually had to create a gamut file for each size paper and a .mx3 for each, and I still can't get the calibration as tight on the 36" paper as I can on the 24" paper? Never had an issue until after the visit by the technician.
Best regards,
Todd

 

[Username]

Thanks for your input everybody. I have figured out part of the problem and have Epson #1 back on track now. We have a tech coming tomorrow with hardware for Epson #2, hopefully he can get it straightened out.

 

[Colin Gilham]

This sounds vaguely familiar, I'm sure we had something like this a while back. the engineer came in and did what he needed to do and fixed the problem but the GMG calibration procedure just wouldn't work.

In the end it came to the fact that although the work and printer recalibration had been carried out correctly, it was done so as if the printer was a standalone. It didn't take account of the RIP, which requires calibration to be crried out differently.

In the end our GMG specialist came in and if memory serves, he did a bi-directional and uni-directional calibration, and also a length feed adjustment (which needs to be done on EPSON DOUBLE-WEIGHT MATTE).

Thereafter all was back to where it should be.

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

Don't know if it helps. Not sure how GMG works, but with my AGFA system I had my inkSplitting tables, that are tweaked by closed loop workflow get corrupt. Deleting the inksplitting tables so that they start from factory settings helped find the right starting point.

 

[Username]

Thanks again for the input everybody. The techs were here last week and it looks like they have fixed it. It seems that a part on the print head would not adjust itself. I don't recall what it was, but there are some self-adjusters and one of them was not responding to commands at all. So, since they have left, calibration has been well below our defined parameters every time.

 

[ASM]

Epson proofers drifting in general

Epson proofers drifting in general

Sorry for late entry into this one but wanted to convey some general tips - I helped introduce Epson printers as proofers into the Australian market with around 2-300 installs. Our Rip/CM driver was Oris.
1) Epson tend to view their device as a printer whereas Oris, GMG, BlackMagic, Perfectproof etc etc treat them as proofers. A lot depends on the way the software controls the droplets and whether the proof Rip supplier is accessing original Epson printhead driver data or working with a 'handshake' version.
2) Change anything in proofing - ink, paper, humidity, mainboard, printheads etc and you will need to re-calibrate and profile all your proofers
3) A great tech once told me 'we find the worst printer in a group and profile them all to that one's parameters. They do vary - Epson's top 10% of printhead production is rumoured to be reserved for proofing applications. The voltages at the piezo printhead vary and a millivolt can make a difference. So by putting shiney new parts in an older proofer may in fact not be doing consistency any favours. I'd say go back to basics and treat the whole site as a greenfield proofing install and re-profile everything.

I agree with Colin's comment that first port o' call should be your proofing software supplier. Let him call the Epson tech in if needed. Having said that, we did have a couple of Epson printers that would not come into calibration no matter what we or Epson did. We swapped them out and the replacement printers proofed well and I still don't know why. Still, it's a very low fail rate and the machines do make great proofers - with the right software and profiling.

Cheers