I'm inclined to think it's a combination of dried ink residue on the head together with some slight buckling of the paper. If the printer has a setting to increase the gap then you could try that, and inspect the paper carefully before loading. Take a look at it when it comes out as well to see if it's buckled (due to the ink load). This happens on matt papers rather than coated. Not sure if there are any YT videos on cleaning the head on this printer but worth a search perhaps.
Note that the Black Ink is pigmnet and all the other inks (including photo black) are dye based inks. Some photo papers that are more glossy do not take pigment ink well and it can floast on the surface and therefore easy to smear.
Whether the Black ink is used depends on the paper setting you chose. So if you chose a paper setting that is for a matte type paper yet used a photo paper with some gloss, you could have the issue you are having.
This may or may not be your issue yet thought it was worth mentioniing.
mcbroomf wrote:
I'm inclined to think it's a combination of dried ink residue on the head together with some slight buckling of the paper. If the printer has a setting to increase the gap then you could try that, and inspect the paper carefully before loading. Take a look at it when it comes out as well to see if it's buckled (due to the ink load). This happens on matt papers rather than coated. Not sure if there are any YT videos on cleaning the head on this printer but worth a search perhaps.
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John Wheeler wrote:
Hi Chiron
One question is are you using OEM inks?
Note that the Black Ink is pigmnet and all the other inks (including photo black) are dye based inks. Some photo papers that are more glossy do not take pigment ink well and it can floast on the surface and therefore easy to smear.
Whether the Black ink is used depends on the paper setting you chose. So if you chose a paper setting that is for a matte type paper yet used a photo paper with some gloss, you could have the issue you are having.
This may or may not be your issue yet thought it was worth mentioning....Show more →
Thank you both for your suggestions, which make sense but may not be the problem.
The black ink marks do not occur where black ink is used to print the image. They are most likely to occur at the top or bottom of the image area on a vertical print, and they look like smears. Curled paper seems like it might fit this case, though I just opened a new package and am stiil having the problem. I will see if there is a way to adjust the height of the print head, and I will check the paper for curls and report back.
I am using Epson glossy paper, and that is the paper I am set for in the printing app. I have also used luster paper, with the setting modified appropriately. I am using Epson inks and have never run anything other than Epson inks through the printer. It is only ever the black pigment ink that is smeared--the dye-based color inks never leave a smear or an unwanted mark. Also, the black ink is wet, as might be expected for pigment ink. I wonder if the wetness of the black ink smears argues against the problem being dried black ink residue on the printhead? I have changed the photo-black cartridge, to no effect.
The printer does sometimes sit for a couple of weeks without being run and is then used heavily for a while.
Thanks for your help. Additional thoughts will be appreciated.
Any ink residue on the print head will dry, but as soon as the head starts to run it will re-wet. The residue could smear the paper anywhere. I'd suggest seeing if you can finds a method to manually clean the head. There are videos for doing this on large format printers, Not sure about yours or if a method could be adapted
Hi Chiron
One experiment to differentiate if paper curl is causing the problem is to use the rear feed tray. You put the paper in 1 sheet at a time only with print side face up. This is the straightest shot in with minimum bending. If you still have a problem, it probably is not paper curl (I think)
If you have a setting for platen spacing (or whatever it is called) you might try widening the gap a bit. I had some issues like this with some papers and that resolved it for me.
mcbroomf wrote:
Any ink residue on the print head will dry, but as soon as the head starts to run it will re-wet. The residue could smear the paper anywhere. I'd suggest seeing if you can finds a method to manually clean the head. There are videos for doing this on large format printers, Not sure about yours or if a method could be adapted
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John Wheeler wrote:
Hi Chiron
One experiment to differentiate if paper curl is causing the problem is to use the rear feed tray. You put the paper in 1 sheet at a time only with print side face up. This is the straightest shot in with minimum bending. If you still have a problem, it probably is not paper curl (I think)
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gdanmitchell wrote:
If you have a setting for platen spacing (or whatever it is called) you might try widening the gap a bit. I had some issues like this with some papers and that resolved it for me.
Thanks all for your help and advice. The XP-7100 appears to have a thick paper setting that probably adjusts the height of the printer head. But i decided to open a new batch of 100 sheets of 4 x 6 premium Epson paper and select some pieces from the center of the pack. Using these sheets for about 25 prints, I have not had a single smear.
Using the thick paper setting would probably also work, and I will try that in order to use up the paper that has been giving me smears. However, it appears that the problem is paper that is not quite flat enough to pass unscathed on the standard printhead setting.
What's the best way to enhance the flatness of one's photo paper? Heavy books for a week?
gdanmitchell wrote:
If you have a setting for platen spacing (or whatever it is called) you might try widening the gap a bit. I had some issues like this with some papers and that resolved it for me.
Same thought here - I've only ever had smears when I've forgotten to set the platten to wide.
Thanks all for your help and advice. The XP-7100 appears to have a thick paper setting that probably adjusts the height of the printer head. But i decided to open a new batch of 100 sheets of 4 x 6 premium Epson paper and select some pieces from the center of the pack. Using these sheets for about 25 prints, I have not had a single smear.
Using the thick paper setting would probably also work, and I will try that in order to use up the paper that has been giving me smears. However, it appears that the problem is paper that is not quite flat enough to pass unscathed on the standard printhead setting.
What's the best way to enhance the flatness of one's photo paper? Heavy books for a week?
There are lots of theories about how to flatten paper, but I’ve never had complete luck with any of them. Some people reverse roll their roll paper, but that can lead to subtle warping if you aren’t careful… and lucky! A friend of mine cuts roll paper to size rather than buying sheets, and he does weight it for a few weeks. It is worth a try.
Of course, if you are buying sheets paper from a reliable supplier and the paper is not flat — sheet paper should be! — you might contact the vendor or the manufacturer to see if you can exchange it.
Don't fret about setting the platten gap to a wider setting. It's effective for preventing head strikes but seems to have no significant effect on the intended print.
While you're experimenting, you can feed the same sheet in four different ways, and then upsidedown, until you get the desired effect. That way you won't waste a lot of good paper.
