ACCURIP Black Pearl 2880x1440 and TOO MUCH INK ON FILMS?!

[tse1990]

When printing anything with halftone dots we use the highest print resolution settings on Accurip BP which is 2880x1440. Dots look great compared to any of the other settings. But you cannot adjust droplet weight at that resolution.

The problem is after a week or so the ink on the film starts bleeding out. Fine lines get filled in and dots get bigger making the films unusable for future reprints. This doesn't happen at the lower 720x720 res settings.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm assuming this is caused by too much ink being printed onto the film?

Anyone have solutions?

We use an Epson Stylus Pro 4800 printer and IMS E FILM POSITIVE films.

In the attached pictures you can see where the ink has started to bleed turning the affected areas yellow.

As always, thanks in advance!

[Frog]

Could this also be the interaction of your particular film and the ink you are using? (or conditions in which the films are stored?)
The obvious solution, especually if you are happy with the results otherwise, would be to not keep the films!
Not as uncommon as you may think with the relative ease of making positives nowadays. Not like the actual photographic positives that used to be required.
You young 'uns have it easy!   

[mk162]

We kept films when we used a stat camera.  After the switch to inkjet output we stopped.  It was way too time consuming to file films that never got used again, or even some that did.

[tse1990]

Could this also be the interaction of your particular film and the ink you are using? (or conditions in which the films are stored?)
The obvious solution, especually if you are happy with the results otherwise, would be to not keep the films!
Not as uncommon as you may think with the relative ease of making positives nowadays. Not like the actual photographic positives that used to be required.
You young 'uns have it easy!   

We really do. Props to the OG Artists and Printers out there!

I know our film is very thin, not sure if that affects how much ink can sit on it?

As for the conditions, films are filed on the main production floor, temperature variation/humidity fluctuations and all. But its only the highest res films that we're seeing the bleeding on.

Right now they are basically one use films, which is annoying but not the end of the world. Personally, I don't like all the waste associated with a single use film so I would love to find a solution.

As for saving time your just passing the buck from who's filing/finding it to the artist who now has to stop working on new orders to print old ones? We are a retail shop and about 1/3 of our weekly production is reordered designs.

Thanks guys!

[Frog]

Well, let me throw out again the film/ink combo. You mentioned the IMS E film, what ink are you using?
Have you tried any others?

[Crazy Mike]

And is it waterproof?

[Maxie]

If you put down too much ink it will bleed.
I suggest you use the highest resolution that allows you to adjust droplet weight.

[Frog]

If you put down too much ink it will bleed.
I suggest you use the highest resolution that allows you to adjust droplet weight.

But isn't that usually immediate, rather than the seven days later the OP says the problem occurs?

[lancasterprinthouse]

When printing anything with halftone dots we use the highest print resolution settings on Accurip BP which is 2880x1440. Dots look great compared to any of the other settings. But you cannot adjust droplet weight at that resolution.

The problem is after a week or so the ink on the film starts bleeding out. Fine lines get filled in and dots get bigger making the films unusable for future reprints. This doesn't happen at the lower 720x720 res settings.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm assuming this is caused by too much ink being printed onto the film?

Anyone have solutions?

We use an Epson Stylus Pro 4800 printer and IMS E FILM POSITIVE films.

In the attached pictures you can see where the ink has started to bleed turning the affected areas yellow.

As always, thanks in advance!

I’m certainly not saying your wrong but I have BP and can adjust droplet weight even on 5760x1440. What version do you have?

I used to have this problem as well on the 1440x720 resolution even at a droplet Weight of 4 so I now run the higher resolution with a droplet weight of 4. Takes longer to print but holds even the finest dots and details without the ink bleeding out. 


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[Dottonedan]

 I did try using that setting and often was just too much ink (not every time) even after adjusting weight.  Mine would not try fast enough when printed out and would run on the film. Must have been the humidity in my office if it did work for others. Although I don’t think it was anything outside of normal office humidity. Maybe 35%.  Add to what was mentioned. I could adjust my weight at all resolutions so if you cannot, then perhaps you might try the installing.

[pwalsh]

If you look closely at the film images the lines still look sharp and clean.  The issue appears to be that the yellow pigment is bleeding out of the black ink filling in the lines and creating a halo around the dots.  We had the same issue many years ago at Nazdar SourceOne working with the Autotype Aspect Quadra inkjet film output system.

From memory the initial solution to the problem was to store the films in a low humidity environment.  Later one Autotype released a new formulation ink that didn't have the bleeding yellow pigment problems.  Your post doesn't state what brand of ink that you're running, but it might be worth controlling the humidity where you store your films, and looking at an alternative formulation.

[tse1990]

Thanks everyone for replying!

We use UV Blocking ACCUINK that we buy by the litter and refill our cartridges.

We have a humidity/temperature controlled room for our screens, I've started keeping some of the films I know will cause problems in there to see if it midigates the bleed-out.

Accurip version: Black Pearl 1.5.51

I attached some screen shots of the settings side by side. As you can see the droplet weight option disappears once 2880x1440 is seleced. If you guys can adjust yours... wtf?

Film descript: ImageStar ISECFP Economy Clear Film Positive is designed specially for the textile printing industry.
Our 5 mil polyester base product has a water resistant fast dry coating that is compatible with dye or aqueous pigment inkjets like Epson, HP and Canon


Sorry for the late reply was really busy this Monday.