Epson EcoTank ET-8550

[dominoesdom]

I have a brand new Espon ET-8550 printer and having set up the printer, created custom printer profiles etc. my first few test prints show vertical parallel track lines down the paper (in this case A4 inkjet photo paper). These lines are not ink lines, they are indents on the surface of the paper and they are fairly visible even after the paper has dried.

I have experimented with the Media Type setting in Epson Print Layout and have tried all the relevant options. Changing the Media Type has merely resulted in slight changes to colour and tone but not to the appearance of these track lines.

The paper that I’m using is a 240gsm glossy coated paper. I have been using this same paper with Canon printers for years and have never had this same problem.

My question is this: are there any settings within the software/hardware of this printer that can adjust the rollers so that they do not produce these marks?

 

[stratman]

Your description is good, however, a picture paints a thousand words. Please scan, crop and post a nozzle check AND an example of the issue.

240gsm glossy coated paper. I have been using this same paper with Canon printers

A specific paper that works with one printer may not play nice with a different printer. Post the manufacturer and name of the paper for completeness.

These may be lines from the rollers or sprockets that advance the paper. It could be something else.

It is best to see the issue before making a more definitive conclusion.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

These may be lines from the rollers or sprockets that advance the paper. It could be something else.

It is best to see the issue before making a more definitive conclusion.

It could be lines of the little pizza wheels at the exit directly after print where the paper leaves the print patch, but this please needs some details - e.g. a close up shot, what is the distance between these tracks, how many to you see, do you still see them when you look to the prints the next day?
You find these pizza/sprocket wheels in about every inkjet printer, their pressure on the paper may vary, but their visibibility depends very much on the paper used ; I have a few papers - of the cheaper type - cast coated , with a paperlike back side which show this effect at close viewing distance, and the effect is visible on some other papers directly after printout, but the surface is closing after some drying time completely.
Or do you see some tracks, some impression into the paper from the pickup/transport roller ? Are the tracks the same when you use the rear paper bin ? So please provide some details.

 

[dominoesdom]

Your description is good, however, a picture paints a thousand words. Please scan, crop and post a nozzle check AND an example of the issue.


A specific paper that works with one printer may not play nice with a different printer. Post the manufacturer and name of the paper for completeness.

These may be lines from the rollers or sprockets that advance the paper. It could be something else.

It is best to see the issue before making a more definitive conclusion.

Thank you for your reply. I have uploaded a scanned file and some photos taken on my phone to illustrate the roller track issue. Yes, I understand that papers will behave differently accross different printers and ink sets, hence the need to produce printer profiles etc.

 

[dominoesdom]

It could be lines of the little pizza wheels at the exit directly after print where the paper leaves the print patch, but this please needs some details - e.g. a close up shot, what is the distance between these tracks, how many to you see, do you still see them when you look to the prints the next day?
You find these pizza/sprocket wheels in about every inkjet printer, their pressure on the paper may vary, but their visibibility depends very much on the paper used ; I have a few papers - of the cheaper type - cast coated , with a paperlike back side which show this effect at close viewing distance, and the effect is visible on some other papers directly after printout, but the surface is closing after some drying time completely.
Or do you see some tracks, some impression into the paper from the pickup/transport roller ? Are the tracks the same when you use the rear paper bin ? So please provide some details.

Thanks for your detailed reply. I have now uploaded some photos to illustrate the problem. There are two roller track lines that run parallel down the paper (in this case A4) and they are approximately 11.5cm / 4.5” apart.

The lines are visible even after a day or several days, although you do need to hold the paper at an angle to the light to see it properly.

These lines are exactly as you described “impression into the paper”.

Yes, I realise every inkjet printer will produce some lines due to the mechanical interaction with the paper as its transported through the printer. But these lines are far too prominent in comparison to those from the Canon Pro 100 printer, for example.

The paper I’m using is a cheap Chinese made paper manufactured by Hartwii and it has a glossy finish.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

If it's tracks by the pickup roller you then have these options - using the rear paper bin vs. the bottom bin and/or testing with other paper types specifically with and Epson paper, if you get these tracks as well with Epson paper you have a better argument vs. the seller for a possible replacement of the unit.
I'm not aware of any driver settings which would change the pressure this roller applies to the surface of the paper.
I recently installed an ET-8550 for myself, I don't have these tracks so there must be some mechanical differences between different printers. I'm using papers between 180-300gr - Canon PT101 or HP or various no-name products.

 

[dominoesdom]

Thanks for your most recent reply. The paper in question is 240gsm and I am using the rear paper bin (or whatever Epson call it).

Can I use the front (slide-out) tray for inkjet paper? I haven't tried this yet as I thought that was for plain paper only.

If it is OK to use this front bin for inkjet paper and I can get borderless prints with it then I'll try it.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

you need to set the details correctly in the driver - like the paper source - bin1 or bin2 or rear bin or single sheet pass

 

[stratman]

What about the evenly spaced, vertically oriented, perforation-like marks in the green patch to the left of the circled indentation?

If these are "pizza wheel" marks then the cause is oversaturation of ink due to the paper type and/or printer settings selected. There are several possible ways to resolve this including using a different paper and/or choosing different settings in the print driver to decrease the amount of ink laid down so the sprokets are less likely to pick it up and track it down the page.

An old thread on the forum discussing this:

https://www.printerknowledge.com/th...ntout-every-10-15mm-or-so-canon-mg5765.10509/

A Google search on "pizza wheel et-8550" brings many results (though for printers other than yours).

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

What about the evenly spaced, vertically oriented, perforation-like marks in the green patch to the left of the circled indentation?

Your image actually show both - a track from the pickup roller at the right side and indentations from some pizza wheels left



I would recommend that you test some other papers, and do a test print as well with an Epson paper, didn't you get a few 4x6" sheets with the printer ?