I wonder if the printer isn’t recognizing the PK cart, or if you may be dealing with normal switching between MK and PK carts. Have you tried manually resetting the PK cartridge chip?
I included information about switching between MK and PK in a desktop printer, such as the R2880:
Desktop printer models such as the 2880 require you install a cart that is at least 1/2 full to change black carts/inks. So, if your using MK and want to switch to PK, but the PK cart chip reads less than 1/2 full, the printer will not allow you to install the partially used PK cart until you first install a PK with over 1/2 ink remaining. I actually have new Epson MK + PK carts for this exact thing- just to trick the printer to do the black ink change, then I am able to install my less than full ConeColor refillable cart and continue printing. It’s a good idea to keep this in mind when removing a cart- check the status monitor ink level first and if it’s less than 1/2 you may want to make some more prints or use it up so it reads empty, then remove + reinsert to reset to full, then you can remove it and use it later when you want to switch back. A manual chip resetter can also be used in this case to reset the new black cart to full (as long as it is filled with ink before installing), so the printer will allow the black ink change to happen. We have chip resetters for the R2880 here: http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.362672/it.A/id.5752/.f?sc=11&category=27717
Regarding your nozzle check pattern- which channel still isn’t printing perfectly?
Are you using Pictorico OHP film, or a different type of film?
Hi Dana, most of my problems regarding blocked heads should be easily resolvable now. It’s only the photo black channel I’m having very slight issue with. This shouldn’t matter though as it’s outside the inkset used for making digital negatives. 7 of 8 channels are printing perfectly and 5 of these are used in K6 digital negative.
It wasn’t worth buying any shades that were outside the digital negative set seeing as they’ve just been flushed away by the printer. I’m totally uninterested in soft proofing my work now. I just need to get a decent negative out. Is it possible to use a printer using only the 5 digital negative shades?
My big problem all along has been that I can’t get the front feed to work at on both of my printers. My first printer the front feed was broken, so understandable. The second printer I bought is functioning fine mechanically. The motor that runs the front feed is working and the rear rubber rollers are lifting up. It’s not taking up my A3 transparency film at all though! Any ideas how to get this to work? I shouldn’t have to resort to using front feed at all considering you’re claiming that the K6 digital negative system was designed for the R2880. So far I’ve tried regular sheet feed on two different R2880 printers and there is NO way of avoiding the pizza wheel marks. Albeit they are slightly better on the second printer. I noticed on another thread that someone else is having problems with pizza wheeling too. If I knew the issues I’d have using these inks on a desktop printer I would never have changed to them. I understand they would work fine on a large format printer where there are no pizza wheels due to a different feeding mechanism but I don’t have the money or space to keep one. These inks seem a lot more fragile than Epson inks. I’m not using pictorico. It’s generic colour transparency film. I had banding issues from time to time using Epson inks in ABW mode but never had pizza wheel marks at all. It’s only since using piezo inks I’ve had them. I’ve attached a platinum print I made using a 8x8" inkjet negative with the same printer, same transparency film and Epson ink with ABW mode. Absolutely no artefacts whatsoever.
I bought these inks in December, now I’m 4 months into the year, 2 printers used, £100 of ink wasted, many sheets of transparency film, 2 potential clients waiting on work and still unable to print a decent negative. Sorry to rant, but this is an excersise in frustration when I want to be getting on with making work.
Thanks for the additional information, this is all very helpful.
The Piezography Digital Negative system was developed and curves designed specifically for Pictorico OHP Film. We chose Pictorico film because the coating accepts ink well and dries quickly. Other films will work differently. Today, I carefully inspected a bunch of PZDN prints we made while developing the system, as well as silver prints made from the film prints. If I REALLY tried, I could see some slight pizza wheel marks in a few of the PZDN prints, but none of them were even slightly visible in the silver prints. I also installed Epson inks in our R2880 and made a test print on Pictorico film to compare to the Piezography PZDN prints, and see the same very slight pizza wheel marks in the print made with Epson inks, so I am getting the same results with Epson and Piezography inks. Have you tried making a platinum print from a PZDN print you’ve made? If so, what were your results?
Hi Dana, thanks for the reply. I printed the same image above on Pictorico today using piezo inks. It was a great deal better. I will have to try making a platinum print with it to compare with one above to fully asses. My problem is that I only have a limited amount of Pictorico in 8.5x11". It’s very difficult to source in the UK and a lot more expensive than the colour transparency film I have been previously using with perfect results. Do you think that Agfa Copyjet will also work as well as Pictorico?
Just tried another neg on Pictorico. It’s ok but there is still some faint pizza wheeling. I wouldn’t pass it as acceptable. It seems the first try was a bit of a fluke. If you could find a way to eliminate the pizza wheeling without having to resort to use front feed that’d be great.
Thanks for the update Jarvman. I’m glad to hear your results with Pictorico film are better, please do let me know how your platinum print looks (I expect the very slight marks will not translate to the print). I have no experience with Agfa Copyjet, so can’t give you any feedback on that film. This week I will investigate removing the pizza wheels, and test the printer function.
Another update, the second neg seems to be better upon drying. I could notice the marks when the neg was wet but they seem to have disappeared now. If you could find out a way of removing them that would be fantastic. Thanks, I appreciate your help investigating.
Glad to hear the second neg looks better after drying. I will let you know my results after I’ve had a chance to investigate removing the pizza wheels.
It’s strange because the first negs I printed on Pictorico were covered in pizza wheels. That was on the first printer though. It seems that the new printer I bought handles the film better.
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