Ricoh 7110 quality problems

[nemprint.dk]

I have a Ricoh 7110 that are around 3 month old now.
to begin the prints were the best i have seen. But now it looks like my old Xerox 700 or worse.
It´s especially the gradients that are a problem. It looks like the a monitor with only 256 colors.

I have calibrated the machine, os thats not the problem.

Have anyone else seen those kind of problems ?

 

[mwc]

What does your tech say about this? sounds like it needs service.

 

[nemprint.dk]

What does your tech say about this? sounds like it needs service.

He says everything os working in the machine, and maybe irs a RIP problem. I think hes right. But still, the printqualty just got worse and worse. If its the RIP. I would expect it to be a setting, that made the quality worse instantly, and not gradyally.

 

[mwc]

Have you run solid tint tests to confirm this? You say gradients are especially a problem...how bout re-running some sheets from 3mos ago when you said the prints were great to compare? Everything may be working on the machine, but drums...etc, may need a cleaning. (not familiar with the 7110, but I do run a 901+ and when we start to see banding or other artifacts in tints-->it's time for our tech to FIX it.

 

[nemprint.dk]

@ MWC
I have don that, and the quality went down. The problem is, that i didnt keep any of the old prints. So I dont have any "proof"

 

[mwc]

Since it's such a new machine, I'd think they would be very interested in quality issues as you describe. I would ask for some sample or sales prints from the manufacturer for this machine (along with the files so you can output the same on your machine)...if they show a higher quality that what you are getting, ask them WHY?

 

[nemprint.dk]

Since it's such a new machine, I'd think they would be very interested in quality issues as you describe. I would ask for some sample or sales prints from the manufacturer for this machine (along with the files so you can output the same on your machine)...if they show a higher quality that what you are getting, ask them WHY?

ohh. yeah.. thats a very good idea.. I never thought of that. I will do that first thing wext week.
Thanks for advice.

 

[arossetti]

You should create a quality test sheet that you run daily or weekly. Full 12x18 sheets with 30-40% screens of each channel and maybe a page with a few GATF test images.

This just sounds like developer to me.

 

[nemprint.dk]

I very much doubt its developer. Graphics and clear colors are good. Problem is with gradients and small details.

 

[thebluesdude]

We have just had ours installed dude and the tech insisted on producing full test prints that must be kept with the machine so that at any point in the life of the machine it has to conform to these original prints, more importantly the reason I am telling you is he told us that is standard Ricoh practice, good luck hope you get sorted.

 

[Graeme NZ]

My $0.10 is more from a prepress point of view rather than mechanical.

A little tip for when your gradients are looking average: check the file to see if the gradient is a vector object with a gradient fill. If so, your RIP is deciding on the gradient steps (i.e. how many steps, how big etc) and that can affect the output quality, especially if you haven't calibrated well/recently.

Try rasterising the object in question in Photoshop so that the shape becomes a grid of pixels. I've found that it can smooth up the gradients as the RIP doesn't need to figure out the colour breakdowns and the number of steps - it just does what it's told.

It makes for a slightly larger file so there might slightly longer process time and it isn't a silver bullet to fixing all gradients but it's a handy trick to try.

Gradients that progress from a colour to white are often the worst - try putting 1% of C, M, Y or K at the end to soften the end point of the gradient.

Also try test prints after you have calibrated for 34 sorted patches and 34 randomised patches. I find (using Fiery) calibrating on 34 sorted patches for jobs that lots of soft tones and gradients gets smoother results.