Cyan print areas on Epson R3000 B&Ws (Page 2): There are two ways of storing B&W: 1. Each pixel is stored as a R,G,B triple {3 bytes} 2. Each pixel is stored as 1 byte which is assumed...

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

DebAnn wrote:

Not sure what you mean. It's a black and white image converted using Nik Silver Effects plug-in to Photoshop. This is what I always use and I've done hundreds of B&W images this way and printed them successfully.

There are two ways of storing B&W:

1. Each pixel is stored as a R,G,B triple {3 bytes}

2. Each pixel is stored as 1 byte which is assumed to be shades of Gray.

I was trying to determine whether the color was stored in the file or was totally invented by the printer.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

rehess wrote:

There are two ways of storing B&W:

1. Each pixel is stored as a R,G,B triple {3 bytes}

2. Each pixel is stored as 1 byte which is assumed to be shades of Gray.

I was trying to determine whether the color was stored in the file or was totally invented by the printer.

Oh, well, since I haven't had any problem like this over the past few years and hundreds of B&W images, I have to assume that the problem lies with the printer.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Hope you get the problem sorted, DebAnn.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Failed ink switching mechanism is not rare in this printer from my own research. It apparently occurs more often if the printer has longish periods of non use or non switching between the two inks. There’s a good bit online about it, and some of the more helpful info was on DPR. In the end though, I had to replace it.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

Success. After having been to the local Epson-approved specialist who didn't know what caused the problem (and suggesting it might cost about $500 dollars for a new print head), I decided to try fixing it myself. I soaked fiber-free builder's blue cloth with a mixture of Windex and rubbing alcohol and laid it on the print bed. Then I pushed the head back and forth over it and then let it sit for several hours. When I plugged the printer in again, it went through a long recalibration and then it worked fine. Hooray!

Heather Iles Loc: UK, Somerset

Good for you as it was worth a try! It worked and you saved yourself some money too. I must remember that in case I need to do the same to my Epson printer one day.

Can you please tell me what is Windex used for cleaning, as it is not something we have by that name but none the less, I am sure we will have something similar by another name.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

Heather Iles wrote:

Good for you as it was worth a try! It worked and you saved yourself some money too. I must remember that in case I need to do the same to my Epson printer one day.

Can you please tell me what is Windex used for cleaning, as it is not something we have by that name but none the less, I am sure we will have something similar by another name.

Windex is a window cleaner. It's made by the S.C. Johnson Co. and it's a bright blue colour. Not sure what's in it since it just says water and cleaning agents.

Heather Iles Loc: UK, Somerset

DebAnn wrote:

Windex is a window cleaner. It's made by the S.C. Johnson Co. and it's a bright blue colour. Not sure what's in it since it just says water and cleaning agents.

Thanks, Ann for the information. I wondered if it was a window cleaner. Ours is pink and no doubt it is the same.