Banding Across Width

medium
print-quality
banding
lines

Horizontal light/dark bands spanning the print width, often from clogged white channels, feed error, or RIP pass mismatch.

Likely Causes

  1. Partial white nozzle dropout: Missing jets create periodic light lines.

  2. Media feed (step) miscalibration: Advance error forms overlap/gap stripes.

  3. RIP pass/profile mismatch: Wrong pass count/dot pattern for film & ink.

  4. Carriage bi-di misalignment: Left/right scans not perfectly aligned.

  5. Encoder contamination: Dirty strip produces micro jitter that reads as banding.

Quick Checks

  • Run nozzle test; whites must be 100% complete.
  • Print and apply OEM feed/step calibration chart.
  • Switch to correct RIP preset (ICC, passes, dot pattern).
  • Run bi-directional alignment routine.
  • Inspect/clean encoder strip with approved wipes.
  • Re-test after a 15-minute warmup to stabilize conditions.

Step-by-Step Fix

  1. Targeted cleans on affected channels — Restores even dot laydown across passes.

  2. Recalibrate media feed/step — Removes overlap/gap periodicity.

  3. Use matching RIP profile & pass count — Corrects dot pattern and ink limits.

  4. Perform bi-di alignment — Aligns carriage scans to avoid interleave lines.

  5. Clean encoder strip & verify sensor gap — Eliminates jitter-induced stripes.

  6. Reset to vendor recommended preset — Establishes a known-good baseline to compare against.

Acceptance Criteria
  • No visible banding under normal viewing at 12 in / 30 cm.
  • Uniform color density across width.