The print quality is uneven, too light, or too dark, or lines appear in the printout. What should I do?

• If you notice that your print quality is uneven, too light, too dark, or there are vertical or horizontal lines in the print (banding), try these solutions:

  • Run a nozzle check to see if any of the print head nozzles are clogged. Then clean the print head, if necessary.
  • Align the print head.
  • Perform Feed Adjustment for the media. For the most accurate adjustment, print a test pattern using the Manual > 500mm Pattern setting. The same media in a different width may require different adjustment values.
  • Raise the temperature of the after heater, and give the after heater and your media time to warm up before printing again.
  • Make sure the media settings in your RIP software are correct for the media you are using.
  • Set the Head Movement setting to Printer Full Width on the product control panel for higher quality printouts.
  • If you are comparing the print result with the image on your computer screen, the colors may not match. Since monitors and printers produce colors differently, printed colors and screen colors do not always look the same.
  • Make sure that the front cover is closed. Do not open any covers during printing. This can cause the print head to stop abruptly, resulting in uneven color.
  • If you are printing with the White or Metallic Silver ink packs, remove and shake the ink pack, reinstall the ink pack, and perform Ink Circulation from the Maintenance menu several times (SC-S80600L).
  Related concepts
  Print Head Maintenance
  Related tasks
  Adjusting Heating and Drying During Printing
  Related references
  Media Setup Menu Settings
  Maintenance Menu Settings
  Consumables and Replacement Parts