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Problems with white drying on my VS-540

Hello all...first post so here goes.

I just purchased a new VS-540 to print CMYLLcLm + White.

The machine is 1 week old.

The issue I am having is getting the white ink to dry properly.

It is a mirror image to be printed 20" x 27" on clear material.

I am using a Roland certified Clear Calendered Vinyl.

The ink literally runs as it goes around the dryer.

Tried: shaking cartridges

         : increasing print and dry heater temps to max

         : having media run ot to a flat table installed at same height

         ; printing CMYK on material with success

         : printing on high quality and high speed

         : media setiing is CCVP

         : running in Unidirection

         : changing head height to high

         : printing the image at 25% is better but ink still seems to be "pooling" at edges of image

The rep I have been dealing with claims the ink cartridges are new although I can't think of what else it could be. 

I know this technology has been around for a while so it MUST work...no?

Any/all suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

 

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Permalink Reply by irving donaldson on October 6, 2012 at 3:43pm

Scott, great layout of your issue. Other than a picture, I cannot think of anything else to ask you. You are getting the white to work so that is half the battle. Shaking the cartridge is a must to have the ink properly mixed. So my only thought is bad ink. The machine will circulate what is in the lines, no issue, but the cart will settle and needs to be agitated. See if there is an expiration date on the cartridge - white and metallic does expire. Your other cmyk colors will always be fine. Also remember to place a capful of Roland cleaning fluid into your captop each week. The metallic and white (even if you do not use) has a tendency to clog the top. Expect also to change the top every 6-7 months for the same reason. If it goes longer, count your blessings. I will look for any other causes, but you have done your best by turning up heat and having it come out onto a flat surface - that is VC 103 - and all that in your 1st post. Congrats - although that does not help your problem.

Permalink Reply by John H. on October 6, 2012 at 4:43pm

I print white with no issues it does take longer to dry but it never ran either, First the only reason to change head height is for thicker media so put it back to low,and are you printing white>CMYK or CMYK>white? it gives you a choice, try changing and are you using max impact as your color management setting? if so try pre-press it uses less ink. That's all I can think of other than the machine isn't set up right and that would be Irv's area not mine or an ink issue? Hope that helps. ps, Be careful white ink is costly to experiment with.

Permalink Reply by irving donaldson on October 6, 2012 at 6:14pm

Great points John. He did trigger a point to mention. If by chance you are using max impact on a raster image you can get what you are seeing. Prepress is used on rasters, which do not have define lines but pixelation. John the method of printing white-CMYK and cmyk-white will depend on your design and media.

Permalink Reply by chris wool on October 6, 2012 at 5:41pm

first post will say hello later.

 

does your vs have 2 wt carts if so think it needs a different profile.

my vs does white quite well and dries quick enough for the colours to over print even when the level is set to 100% wt.

 chris

 

Permalink Reply by chris wool on October 6, 2012 at 6:00pm

found this for you, for a CMYKlmlc Wt Wt called  7 colour

your dealer is a bit poor if its a week old and not solved it for you.

 

http://download.rolanddg.jp/en/3rdmedia/max/rvw/vs540/7/index_sign....

sorry if i am wrong but best guess and as i understand it must not be the inks from the new pro4.

 

 

Permalink Reply by irving donaldson on October 6, 2012 at 6:20pm

Scott I see you are from Canada, Chris I see you from the UK. I am not familar with a 7 color set-up in the states. We do 4, 6, 8. I am familar with Roland inks - so if your white is not roland, if it is outdated, then you have your answer. If you are using a file that has a raster image, then use prepress in your color management. If it is a vector then max impact, but if it is running, then do prepress as a trial.

Permalink Reply by Scott on October 7, 2012 at 5:23am

Thanks for all the input guys.

My tech rep has been suggesting all the things tried so far, as given to him by Roland, I am trying to keep the faith...lol.

I am printing white only on this one.

Choosing CCVP deletes the Color Management Preset option (it's there if I select white vinyl)...should I try running with the Media type set at white?...never thought to try that.

It is an 8 cartridge machine running the white as two - 220 cc cartridges.

There does not appear to be a date stamp on any of the cartridges although it does have JAN printed above the barcode on all of them...could be January, I guess, but no year stamped.

Permalink Reply by John H. on October 7, 2012 at 11:48am

I was just on the Roland site and Chris is correct they do have 7 color, profiles on there, there is one for GCVP with CMYKLmLcWt.Wt, Go into VersaWorks and hit the drop down "printer" then "printer settings", in there third down it shows "ink type" yours should read CMYKLmLcWtWt or something like that, if not your machine isn't set up right if it is? don't know,

Permalink Reply by irving donaldson on October 7, 2012 at 1:49pm

Yes I seen the 7 color configuration, but not for the VS model. I looked at the white cartridge and they do say january but no year. I am looking for clarification on the codes.

Permalink Reply by Scott on October 9, 2012 at 12:06pm

Finally got the white to lay down to an acceptable level.

Unfortunately, I can't pin it down to one specific thing that made a difference.

Shaking the crap out of the cartirdges seems to have made the biggest difference.

My guess is that everything just needed to work its way through the system.

Still running witht the High speed setting and as the opacity is better then first few samples, can only assume that the pigment is better disperesed in the carrier.

Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions!

Permalink Reply by irving donaldson on October 9, 2012 at 1:53pm

I think your assumption is accurate. When you didn't shake it, you introduced the lighter part of the ink and not the pigment. After the agitation, you reintroduced the pigment and once it worked through the lines you had the best results. I do know folks who agitate more than when the machine request it. Also, the agitation should be lethal, so to speak. Remember once in the machine it can only circulate what you have in the lines. Also finally, cleaning solution to the captop, to help prevent clogging from the heavy inks.

Permalink Reply by chris wool on October 10, 2012 at 5:16pm

my phone (android) does not handle this forum very well so back on a lap top now.

when i first had my VS the machine wanted the carts shacked every day but as the firmware was updated over time the time between shaking became less and less.

roland told me that the amount of time the circulation pump runs has been increased and the cart shaking reduced considerably.

having said that i still shake the WT and Met carts every 3days whether used or not,  and not had a problem so will continue to do that.

i also think that its a good idea to shake the other carts once in a while especially if using 440 size,

 

are you aware of the 8hour use and clean for the white and met ink it pays to batch the jobs up and not just do them as you wish.

 

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