Optimizer printhead manual alignment
The optimizer ink is transparent, so it is not easy to detect visually. To make it easier, a background of
composite ink has been added on top of it. It highlights the optimizer, making it visible most of the time.
The patterns A and B are intended to align the optimizer printhead to the colored printheads in both
directions (scan axis and substrate axis).
The image below shows the background with the optimizer lines on top of it.
Possible difficulties with manual alignment
The optimizer ink is invisible or hardly visible
The composite background to highlight the optimizer ink works for most substrates, but occasionally, with
some substrates, there is not enough contrast to highlight the optimzer ink. In these cases there are two
possible solutions:
●
Load a different substrate with more contrast to perform a manual alignment.
●
Insert an intermediate correction (A/B=10), assuming the optimizer is well aligned. In this case, please
take a close look afterwards for associated defects, such as bleed, halo, or wicking (see
Bleed, halo,
wicking on page 241).
Another possibility is that the optimizer printhead or the colored printheads may have too many clogged
nozzles, resulting in a poor background area fill, which makes it difficult to detect the optimizer bars. In this
case, see
Check and clean the printheads on page 81.
The optimizer printhead is still misaligned in the substrate axis after a manual
alignment
The optimizer printhead is staggered and there is a gap between it and the other printheads, so in the
patterns A and B a substrate advance is needed to align it to the background and the reference black. If the
substrate advance is inaccurate, the optimizer correction for the substrate axis (pattern A) may not be valid.
You may detect some bleed in the boundaries between colors in the substrate axis direction, usually when
passing from high ink density areas to lower ink density areas. In this case, please ensure that the substrate
advance is accurate (see
Substrate-advance compensation on page 106) before performing manual
alignment.
A pattern shows more than one good correction
Occasionally you may find that a pattern has two or more possible good corrections, separated by two or
more steps. This could be due to wrinkles on the substrate that change the printhead-to-paper spacing along
the scan axis. To avoid this, ensure that the substrate is cold before starting the manual alignment, and
advance it at least 70 cm to ensure that it is not deformed by the curing of the previous job.
100 Chapter 6 Printer calibration ENWW
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