Epson 1100 Ink Smears on edges of film

[Hey Monkey]

I have an Epson 1100 with a Cobra CIS. Lately the front edge of my films has had black ink smeared on it. almost literally the front edge. Maybe a little on the top (printing surface) of the film. Not sure if that is the heads and I need to clean them or if I need to get inside and do some deep cleaning. Any ideas?

[Frog]

I see that on my 1100 sometimes, mostly on paper, and usually after a misfeed, or a piece of paper or film that had a fold or crease.
There must be a place that catches rub-off wet ink, that then transfers it.

Run a few pieces of paper through and see if it cleans up (but if you do find the spot to actually wipe clean, document it and pass it on!)

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

I have this problem too!

The easy solution is to get some cleaner and paper towels. Bounty "Select A Size" will do you fine.

Tear off one piece and fold it in 4ths or some NARROW strip size that will lay under the print carriage, lengthwise along the "ways" that the carriage travels.

The printhead (carriage) has to be free to move by hand so, if you don't already know how, turn it off and wait until it "parks" over the capping station and goes to sleep. Turn it back on, then as soon as that sucker moves from the park position, unplug it, fast. Verify that the carriage will slide back and forth under your control.

Lay the "diaper" you made under the print head and slide the printhead over the paper a ways. Damp the towel with a little cleaner. Windex will work, but I use Greased Lightening from Ace Hardware. Isopropyl alcohol will probably do also, or some light ammonia bearing solution. I use a syringe for the application.

Apply the cleaner sparingly, because if you are sloppy you'll have to get a hair dryer to dry up your mess. Slide the printhead back and forth on your paper towel until you've cleaned up your messy printhead.

You will almost certainly want to vote for me for president, but if elected, I will not serve. 

Stan

[Frog]

Good stuff.

[Gilligan]

Another tip that Ross from inkjetcarts.us has given me is to fill the capping station with cleaning fluid then park the head there.

I've even developed a technique of squirting the stuff when the carts are far left and are about to park.  Then they slide over and park, I'll turn of the machine to make sure it's parked tight and let it sit for a while.  After this run some head cleaning(s) and that will help.

I'm currently fighting some issues with my 1100 now... seems like I'm always fighting issues.

[ScreenPrinter123]

I'm currently fighting some issues with my 1100 now... seems like I'm always fighting issues.

Stop fighting yourself and watch the issues disappear.

[Gilligan]

That was deep man.

Thanks

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

I am a serious 1100 fanboy. Same with the 1400.

I've tried to buy 1100's from ebay, craigslist, etc because I think my 1100 printhead is going bad. Most of them are in the 450.00 range, plus shipping. That is a defacto positive review if there ever was one.

Oddest thing:  my aging 1100 needs to print a lot of yellow ink each morning, fouled with black somehow...before it will print a proper yellow.  It would be fine for printing film positives, but this printer is set up for Pigment Inks so we can do a transfer now and then.

Gilly's trick of giving the capping station a drink of cleaning fluid now and again is sound advice. If the capping station is working, you can actually watch the fluid get sucked down into the waste ink pad during a cleaning cycle. It's actually a good test. And Q-tips will clean the "action" of the capping station. The little wiper hoomahickey gets nasty nasty nasty. Clean that sucker up and use the paper towel under the print carriage and you'll live to print another day.

Stan

[Hey Monkey]

Did a few test prints with paper and then another  sheet of film and that one was clean! We will see if that holds.