Blue lines - fixyourownprinter.com

	Re: Blue lines by Denny Conway (11/3/04 11:39 AM) reply	+ / -
Sandy: EDDY is correct and most of the time, when I see horizontal lines or colored lines [side to side on page] being printed across photos, its usually do to either a failing "Printhead Assembly", or a failing "Main Board Assembly", but no way to really know for sure. Generally speaking, cleaning will not usually help if it is a hardware/parts problem, that is actually causing those types of lines. There's a slight possibility that a build-up of dried ink, dust, dirt, lint and hair, that has possibly built-up on the bottom side and backside areas of the Printhead Assembly, can sometimes cause the "Printhead Nozzles" to fire crooked and that can cause a colored line to appear. The only way to find out, is to clean those two areas, just to eliminate that possibility. If you clean those areas and the lines are still there, then you can assume that its a Hardware/Part Failure thats causing the line problem...If those lines are more like "Void Lines" or "White Lines" running across photos, then it could be a bad ink cartridge, a possibly clogged Printhead Assembly, or even an actual Hardware/Parts Failure [failing Printhead Assembly or Main Board Assembly]. With void lines or white lines, there's also a possibility that your problem is being caused by that same build-up on the bottom side and backside areas of the Printhead Assembly, because it sometimes causes the "Printhead Nozzles" not to fire at all...If those lines are actually more like ink smears or drag type marks on the paper, then its possible that the same build-up is sticking to the wet ink on the bottom side area of the printhead assembly and its hanging down far enough, to act like a small paint brush. That build-up [hanging down] can transfer wet ink to the paper, as it passes under the printhead assembly, during the actual printing process. Sometimes that build-up will simply smear the wet ink thats being placed on the paper, as that "Print Cartridge Holder Assembly" moves back-n-forth. If its more like an ink smearing problem, then once that area is thoughly cleaned, that problem will normally go away. If its a problem possibly caused by crooked firing nozzles then you can soak those nozzles in the Epson Printhead Cleaning Solution thats "Puddles" on top of the felt Cap Assembly for 48 hours or so. Usually that will cause the dried ink and build-up to dissolve and it can usually then be cleaned off the face of the printhead assembly. If both of those cleaning procedures don't help, then I would guess that its a good chance that the line problem, is actually being caused by a hardware/parts type failure. Check for a couple of e-mails from me that should help in that area, in case you want to do the cleaning and at least eliminate that possibility...Sometimes if that build-up gets bad enough [on the backside of that printhead assembly], it can act like a small paint brush and transfers wet ink to those small white or grey relay type rollers, that the paper passes under, just prior to going under the Print Head Assembly, during the actual printing process. Those small rollers then act like tiny paint rollers and roll the wet ink onto the paper as it passes below those rollers. Those type of lines, will be running in a verticle type direction [top of page to bottom of page]. Once you clean those two previously mentioned areas, be sure and check to see if those small rollers also need cleaned...Good Luck! Denny Conway