Hello Dana,
Yesterday I printed several images to test the differences between 2880 UNI-D and 2880 BI-D and between 2880 UNI-D and 1440 Super UNI-D.
Today I went to print a similar test with another image and encounter a major problem. I have attached three images to show you. TEST 1 was printed yesterday and is what I would consider close to a normal print. TEST 2 was printed today after doing one nozzle check and is obviously very dark and solarized. TEST 3 was printed moments later after closing Print Tools, opening it again, and resetting the printer and profile. It is still way to dark and solarized but much lighter that TEST 3.
All three prints are done from the same original 16bit tif file using the Quad9800-K7 printer setting and supplied K7 photo rag profile. I use Mac OSX 10.9.2 with the most recent versions of Print Tools and the Quadtone RIP. I had seen a similar problem weeks ago printing a 20 stop linearization target. One had printed very dark but after experimenting with the the printer and profile settings then setting them back to the Quad9800-K7 and K7 photo rag profile, the target printed normally again. I assumed then I had somehow mixed up the printer and profile settings.
The only hint that something was odd today before printing was in the nozzle check pattern. The flushing fluid portion of the nozzle check pattern had 3-4 lines of grey on top that faded to magenta.
What is going on? How is it possible that a print can all of a sudden go from normal to dark and solarized then lighter? Can ink from one position back flow into an adjacent cart, or could the printer possibly over ink that much? Are the printer and profile settings in Print Tools and Quadtone somehow possibly defaulting to something else or not loading properly?
Months ago I put a new main pump in the printer, a new capping station, and new dampers.
Desperate for a solution, Drew