Strange Things Happening with a Printer

[VA_Shooter]

This is a general question about Hewlett Packard Photo Printers. I have a client that has a high end ink jet HP printer which they use for proofing photos that will be used for a newspaper they print. Recently, they had to print some photos on high gloss photo paper and went out and purchased some Epson High Gloss Premium Photo Paper. They put the paper in the printer, printed the photos with no difficulty. Now, however, when they try to print any proof for the paper, the print comes out of the printer looking like a grayscale print with a red filter over the entire proof, almost as if the photo has been desaturated and red has been applied to the entire photo as a spot color. Color mode for the photograph is Adobe RGB 1998, print space on the printer is Adobe RBG 1998, PS settings match everything on the printer. Odd. Anybody have any ideas why running Epson paper through the printer would have done this? BTW, after doing this, they read the instructions that came with the Epson paper--there was an italicized warning on the sheet that read: Do not use this paper in any printer other than Epson printers, otherwise hardware damage may occur. OK, but why? :help:

[Swampy]

Blue and Green Ink run out at the same time? :D

Had to ask.

Hardware damage? I doubt it, but then again, why would Epson NOT want you to use thier paper regardless of what printer you have? I could think that maybe the paper was thinner or thicker which may end up in a paper jam, which, in a very, very slim chance, hardware could be broken. It could also be that they put that there so you wouldn't try and use it in a laser printer which could damage the drum of the laser printer with the coating that's on the paper.

Just a few ideas.

[VA_Shooter]

Good ideas, Swampy, but we changed all of the print cartridges just to be sure, thinking that maybe there was some sort of chemical in the coating on Epson papers that would react badly with HP inks. No such luck. I use all sorts of papers in my HP printer (except Epson, actually) . . . Legion, Ilford, gloss, pearl, you name it. Never have had this problem. Thanks for thinking.

[VA_Shooter]

Long story short--DON'T. We took this wacky printer off the PC it was attached to, put another identical HP1220C printer onto the PC and the new printer printed just fine. Apparently there is something to that warning on the Epson paper package insert...don't use this paper in anything other than an Epson printer as hardware damage may result. It did...now I gotta buy the client a new printer.

[jeffinkansas]

As far as I know, all the other high end printers, (HP,FUji and others) use old epson technology. That is why they have six inks, and epson seven and so on. I have heard of papers clogging ink heads because of a powdery substance they give off. But never of an inkjet specific paper doing this. My guess is that this is NOT your fault.

[VA_Shooter]

Well, Jeff, I didn't put the paper through the printer...but, I'm not going to advise my client to do it again, that's for sure. Darndest thing I ever saw. Thanks.

[jeffinkansas]

Perhaps you could contact epson. I am sure your would not want to inflame your client any further, but if your could offer some sort of alternative explanation, it could save you a lot of money.

[VA_Shooter]

Now that's a thought. I'll give Epson a call and see what they say about the situation. At least they might be able to explain what happened. The client is not blaming me for the problem...they bought the paper, put it in the printer, printed the pictures and THEN read the warning on the insert that came with the paper. I was no where near the place when they decided to do this. I've just got to replace a printer.

[crabby]

Connie,
I seriously doubt that it's the paper as well. Is there a way to do a print head check? One or more of the heads might be clogged. I have heard that Dupont is the actual manufacture of Epson's papers. I'm sure they manufacture paper under many other names as well.

[VA_Shooter]

Mike, you may be right about the paper, but we've replaced the cartridges, cleaned the print heads several different times and done all of the "customary" troubleshooting and maintenance on this printer to get it to work. No go. At some point the client has to make a decision of where to cut their losses and run. I don't make any money selling photographs, but when it comes to my network design, engineering and administration business that I own, well, we aren't cheap. After about two or three hours of dickering around with the printer on my time, it's much cheaper for the client to just buy another printer and to say "the hell with it." Nevertheless, I really appreciate all of the responses I've gotten here...you guys are great and I appreciate your insight.

[crabby]

Connie,
I understand and completely agree with you. Time is money and a speedy solution therefore usually beats the cheap but time consuming solution. I didn't see you mention a nozzle check so I thought I'd throw the obvious out there.
A client had the exact same problem. I asked her if she cleaned her heads and did a nozzle check. She said yes and they were fine. So after lots of time on the phone having her try different things I drove over and looked at her prints and her nozzle check output. It was totally missing the black ink. Unfortunately this aspect is not my business so I couldn't charge for a house call.

[David Smith]

Connie,

I wrote quite a lengthy answer for you and then this damn forum cut me off when I went to post it!!

Throughly ticked OFF:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: