[George Stark Participant Posts: 72]

Epson Printers

on: July 20, 2023 at 7:50 pm

I seem to really be on roll this month … First the adventure of updating the Mac Studio to OS Ventura and getting it to work with the Epson P900 and now I need advise once again.

After about 3 prints with the new OS the Epson P900 developed   head clogs. This is the first head clog issue I’ve ever had with this printer after almost two years… It took considerable time and ink to work out the clogs with Epson two Head Cleaning routines but finally the second Power Clean I ran appears to have worked for now. It was quite strange.  The printer developed two different clogs back to back. The first  was the grey ink and after that cleared then cyan ink clogged up..

Once I cleared the clogs I printed a file to a letter size sheet of Canson Platine with the same methods I used for some time  and the edges were completely smeared with Black Ink? (The Print look good)

The first thing I thought to do is widen the Platen Gap … When I went into the Epson Printer menu the only setting I could find was “Thick Paper  ON/OFF” I assume this is some adjustment of the Platen but I swear there use to be an actual “Platen Gap” Adjustment?… Hoping somebody can confirm for me. There are no Platen adjustments in the new OS Epson Printer settings that I found.

I did have considerably less ink smear with 2nd Print when I turned “ON Thick Paper” but still smearing.

I’m assuming all my head cleaning may have been partly responsible for this issue though I don’t really know.

When I upgraded the Mac OS I also did a “Firmware Upgrade” on the P900 is there any chance epson changed up the Platen settings?

Maybe it’s just that I’m getting old!!  I know my old 3880 had Platen adjustments and I may be confusing myself.

Is there an adjustment setting I’m missing someplace for paper thickness..

Thanks and Cheers

George

[Mark Feinstein]

Re: P900 Platen Gap Adjustment

Reply #1 on: July 21, 2023 at 1:43 am

I’m not sure if there ever was a platen gap adjustment in the printer menu itself, but in Epson Media Installer you can adjust the platen gap from 0.9 to 4.5, at least for editable ICC profiles.

As for smearing, I just experienced the same thing after installing new ink cartridges. The printer had an inexplicable problem with two cartridges that triggered cleaning cycles – without my prompting!   Epson Support couldn’t explain why that happened.  After the printer was back in business it produced black smears on several small edge portions.  The prints themselves were perfect.

I did notice, however, that there appeared to be some swelling on parts of the paper edges (and some tiny, ragged creases).  After a lot of head-scratching (mine, not the printer’s!) I finally concluded that the cause might be very high humidity. It had hit well over 80% R.H. in my part of New England during our recent very bizarre wet weather pattern. I decided to order a dehumidifier and hold off doing any more printing until I had it. But the next day the R.H. went down to 60% and I figured I’d give it another try.  No more smearing!  Coincidence? Maybe. But the specs do warn that the maximum operating humidity is 80%.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by Mark Feinstein.
• This reply was modified 1 year ago by Mark Feinstein.

[George Stark Participant Posts: 72]

Re: P900 Platen Gap Adjustment

Reply #2 on: July 21, 2023 at 2:31 am

Hi Mark

Thanks for your input.

Interesting, I too had just replaced several ink cartridges at the same time and the printer went into noisy cycle which I thought was maybe a cleaning cycle or ink cartridge registration or both but went on so long I began to think there was a problem with the printer. I had never changed out several cartridges (3) at one time and I was hoping this was just normal for a multiple replacement.

I live on the opposite side of the country Seattle,WA and humidity was at only 5o% and warmer temps than normal. Never had any issues durning the more normal rainy season..LoL

I knew about editing Platen Gap numbers in the Media Installer but I was unsure if the ICC Profile would communicate with the printer and physically make the Gap adjustment or some other settings had to be adjusted as well to make it all work.

I don’t have a need for another print run right now but I’m hoping the next one will be normal…

Again thanks

George

 

[Mark Feinstein Participant Posts: 5]

Re: P900 Platen Gap Adjustment

Reply #3 on: July 21, 2023 at 3:44 am

Thanks for your reply to me, George.  Mysteriously, my original message to you seems to have disappeared from this thread. Maybe it’s the work of the same gremlin that’s responsible for the unprompted cleaning cycles and smearing problems?

As for the platen gap, it seems to me that it must be the case that the ICC profile directs the printer to physically adjust gap values independently of the Thick Paper Off/On toggle. Otherwise, third-party profiles with varying platen gap settings wouldn’t have any effect if the toggle wasn’t in the right position. I’d also appreciate it if someone could officially confirm that.

Cheers, Mark

[Christopher Sanderson Gold Member Posts: 362]

Re: P900 Platen Gap Adjustment

Reply #4 on: July 21, 2023 at 9:18 am

Mark Feinstein wrote:

Thanks for your reply to me, George.  Mysteriously, my original message to you seems to have disappeared from this thread. Maybe it’s the work of the same gremlin that’s responsible for the unprompted cleaning cycles and smearing problems?

Our apologies for your disappearing post – now restored. The annoying & persistent WordPress gremlin has been firmly admonished.

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