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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 07:13:23 PM

Title: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 07:13:23 PM
I already have a call in to service and am awaiting an answer, but maybe someone here will know.

Out of no where, our screens are printing blurry. Nozzle check looks fine (on paper and emulsion), room humiditiy has not changed (if anything it's gone down) since this morning when i made about 2 dozen screens.

Yet anytime i print some new designs we just dropped into our server/hot folder, they are printing blurry. any idea as to what could have happened?
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: Colin on July 01, 2015, 07:18:30 PM
Is it blurry like low resolution?  Did a resolution setting change?

Or is it blurry like the ink edges are wicking out and getting blurry?
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 07:27:51 PM
Is it blurry like low resolution?  Did a resolution setting change?

Or is it blurry like the ink edges are wicking out and getting blurry?

not that i know of. The only thing that may have changed is i made a copy of our main folder, so i could have a seperate folder for 65lpi prints. it looks like the ink is smearing some how. my phone is struggling to get a good pic.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 07:35:27 PM
pic is attached now.

It's almost like the ink is going on to thick. Im' currently running on a 12+ pass, with ink thickness at 1.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: screenprintguy on July 01, 2015, 07:46:20 PM
ST or, Epson based?
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 07:48:34 PM
ST or, Epson based?

pretty sure it's the ST/Rioch head
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: screenprintguy on July 01, 2015, 07:49:47 PM
Are you using D-2 ink or k?
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 08:06:55 PM
D-2, the latest vendor as well!

this screen is a 156, with PHU2, coated 1/2. screens were coated last night around 8pm, CST
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 08:18:22 PM
i think this is going to end up being some sort of setting in our color print profiles. i just tried it on our "oversized" Folder/set up, and had no issues.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: screenprintguy on July 01, 2015, 08:18:29 PM
Weird, mine did that with the k ink, been fine with d2. They say if you have any slight pre exposure can cause that. Have you restarted everything,  do a good 5 or so second manual cleaning by using the valve on the front of the head and the  gray 1 tab in the control software, then couple wipes
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: LuckyFlyinROUSH on July 01, 2015, 08:27:50 PM
Are valves positioned properly. Not getting the cleaning solution mixed with ink?
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 08:45:12 PM
yep yep and yep!

Our machine is in tip top shape. We had a tech out last week. they even replaced our heads for us. So two brand spanking new heads, and we've been running screens everyday since Friday.

I'm familiar with the issue with the K ink, it did it to us to. When we switched to D2, we didn't have any of the issues like we were having with K, but we started seeing some other issues. We have a new D2 as well.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: Underbase37 on July 01, 2015, 09:51:29 PM
At first it sounded like maybe to low of humidity. But after you said it stopped when you used your oversize folder, that does sound like something else. Is your oversize folder 65lpi or 55?.
It does sound like a rez setting or something not quite set correct ( lost in translation )

Murphy37

Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 09:56:07 PM
OS folder is 55lpi.

I copied the settings from our 23x31 folder, and made a secondary 23x31, so i'm wondering if that's what caused it some how? But the secondary 23x31 fold had a different hot folder, and was a 65pi, vs. the original 55lpi.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: Underbase37 on July 01, 2015, 10:29:27 PM
When the tech installed the unit I had him set up a 45,55,65 standard size, also in oversize.
I wasn't really watching him, but if I remember correct he did have to set some settings. What about making a new folder, not copying, and manually setting things. I have had a few odd things ( very few, like one maybe two ) with files linking weird to the color print program, so maybe its that.

My bet is on how the program is seeing the rez settings.

Murphy37

Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: Underbase37 on July 01, 2015, 10:45:34 PM
Let us know what you find out.

Murphy37

Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: DannyGruninger on July 01, 2015, 10:53:53 PM
Looks like calibration settings are off.  Each new setup requires calibration so if you create a new screen setup you need to go through calibration.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 10:57:02 PM
Looks like calibration settings are off.  Each new setup requires calibration so if you create a new screen setup you need to go through calibration.

I thought this might be the case for the newer set up, but i'm not sure why the older one changed?
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: Alex M on July 01, 2015, 11:40:44 PM
Look at the Set up... Last tab.
Dot size should be small.
I bet yours is set to medium.. which in turn is not a calibrated setting as it would lay down to much ink.
If this is not the case try looking at PCS and make sure the setting name is not custom but a named one like 6 BI or 12 BI.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 01, 2015, 11:53:01 PM
Look at the Set up... Last tab.
Dot size should be small.
I bet yours is set to medium.. which in turn is not a calibrated setting as it would lay down to much ink.
If this is not the case try looking at PCS and make sure the setting name is not custom but a named one like 6 BI or 12 BI.

dot size is set to small, and PCS is on the high 12 bi setting!
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: Alex M on July 01, 2015, 11:59:18 PM
I sent ya an email with other things to check.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: ericheartsu on July 02, 2015, 12:07:31 AM
this is why m&r is the best. 11pm CST, and getting tech support.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: Ron Pierson on July 02, 2015, 11:21:40 AM
A word about M&R tech...these guys are the best!

We had an unrelated issue from this thread. Software crash - so we thought. turned out to be our hardware (PC bad). Tech (Alex) was on the phone with us for 4+ hours until we/they got it all running again. I had a spare, brand new and ready 64 bit monster PC to drop into the scenario - lucky me. Once that was figured out - it only took them 20 minutes to reload it all and run the ST.

One funny aside - you should have seen the look on all the artists faces when I told them we may have to run film for an hour or two. You would have thought I just asked them to use a rotary phone. 

The service tech's at M&R are off the chart good. I have never seen anything like them when the sh!t hits the fan. Talk about stepping up.....!!
Rich - you have hired the best in the business. They certainly have M&R's best interest and your customers best interest! This is the reason we bleed blue here.

Thank you once again from Pierson Productions
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: GraphicDisorder on July 02, 2015, 11:44:21 AM
this is why m&r is the best. 11pm CST, and getting tech support.

It's pretty amazing really. Mind you on the internet on a forum to which isn't ran by M&R. Nobody can even pretend another manufacture is even in the ball park on that. 
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: Alex M on July 02, 2015, 12:47:38 PM
Thanks guys
Alex W our service manager is great at keeping everything running.
We now have over 10 dedicated digital techs and offer 24 hr support as well.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: screenprintguy on July 02, 2015, 01:09:32 PM
Don't let Mammoser fool ya. He's been a huge help to us too. If you ever get a chance to interact with Javier, he is pretty awesome. He popped by last week just to make sure we were looking good, took some time going through our machine to make sure I've been maintaining well. These guys really care which makes you sleep better knowing you have the support. Hey Alex, our new Blue gear ships out next week, wooooooop!!!  ;D
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: 244 on July 02, 2015, 02:07:27 PM
A word about M&R tech...these guys are the best!

We had an unrelated issue from this thread. Software crash - so we thought. turned out to be our hardware (PC bad). Tech (Alex) was on the phone with us for 4+ hours until we/they got it all running again. I had a spare, brand new and ready 64 bit monster PC to drop into the scenario - lucky me. Once that was figured out - it only took them 20 minutes to reload it all and run the ST.

One funny aside - you should have seen the look on all the artists faces when I told them we may have to run film for an hour or two. You would have thought I just asked them to use a rotary phone. 

The service tech's at M&R are off the chart good. I have never seen anything like them when the sh!t hits the fan. Talk about stepping up.....!!
Rich - you have hired the best in the business. They certainly have M&R's best interest and your customers best interest! This is the reason we bleed blue here.

Thank you once again from Pierson Productions
Glad we could be of service. Thanks for the kind words!
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: bimmridder on July 02, 2015, 03:12:46 PM
You know, it's not just their service that is great. There is integrity from the top down. I remember years ago when I was first looking at CTS. I was talking to Rich and he said, "Yeah, we have one, but it's just not ready." He could have sold me on it and made a sale, but he was honest enough to say it wasn't where it needed to be yet. That's how you build a customer base and make friends.
Title: Re: I-Image users
Post by: GKitson on July 03, 2015, 06:33:08 AM
You know, it's not just their service that is great. There is integrity from the top down. I remember years ago when I was first looking at CTS. I was talking to Rich and he said, "Yeah, we have one, but it's just not ready." He could have sold me on it and made a sale, but he was honest enough to say it wasn't where it needed to be yet. That's how you build a customer base and make friends.

Has exactly the same conversation with Mr Hoffman in 2006.  Class act from a truly classy guy.  M & R is a reflection of the owner in all aspects, wish I could say that about all of my vendors.

~Kitson