Epson Stylus 1400

[Logoman]

I have an Epson and when I run positives, say I have 4 seps to run. The first one prints out dark and the second one prints out Light, the third one is Dark and the forth one light. Every other one is light, anyone else have this problem?

[Frog]

If I don't ask, someone else will. What software are printing from? Do you use a RIP?

[Logoman]

Using Mac
Illustrator CC 2017

[Prince Art]

Does this dark-light-dark-light pattern happen if you reprint the same exact film several times? Or are you saying that it happens with some art (or layers within a file), but not with others?

If you can print the same thing twice without changing settings and the output is inconsistent, it sounds like a printer issue. If certain art or art layers will print dark, and other art or art layers print light, and this remains consistent, I'd guess that you're not always using the same value for black. (As a related possibility, I might look at whether the variation is dependent on the color mode of the file, i.e., RGB vs CMYK.)

Another thing to check is whether your print settings are remaining 100% consistent. A change in settings can often have a drastic effect on output.

[Sbrem]

Using Mac
Illustrator CC 2017

We went through 3 or 4 1400's, also Mac and Illustrator, but which RIP are you using? Ours ran well, we just ran them into the ground before moving up to bigger printers. Your answer may lie in your RIP...

Steve

[Stinkhorn Press]

if i recall correctly - the 1400 uses only HALF the channels (if they all have black) when you say "use them all" and swaps between the pairs every other print. You're either low on ink or clogged on one or two of your ink heads.

[Croft]

do a nozzle check , Ill bet they are dirty and at least 2 sections won't print, Or for some reason when mine running the Cobra all black says that a cart is out of ink and I reset we get the same issue until we run a couple of hole cleans

[Sbrem]

Also, we ran ours with one black channel, and the rest were cleaning fluid...

Steve

Better, cleaner halftones with one black.