Intermittent color shift with Epson2200

[paulawaterman]

Hi forum, new here. Found you on a google search for color problems with Epson 2200 because, well, I have one (printer and problem). Ok: this is an intermitent and unpredictable thing I have seen since purchase 16 months ago. Occasionally I will have print sessions where the prints have a distinct green cast, as if magenta were missing (my guess). The nozzle check has never shown a problem and the shift never goes away directly after head cleaning. When the printer is not producing this color shift, it is flawless in color. This occurs in b&w pix (grayscale) as well as color ones. I am printing for fine art reproduction and about half my output is black and white but right now it is monochromatic greenishgreyishblack. Tech support at Epson has never seemed to know just what it could be, and as I said, it comes and goes (but won't go right now and I am in a crunch with a deadline right now). I cannot even be sure this is not some sort of an intermittent software glitch, either in PS7 or in the 2200...
I am quite uneducated with computers and print processes. but I do set up images for printing the same way every time (no icm, using profiles for epson wc white paper, etc). Does anyone have any ideas? We are now out of warrantee but that is not even the issue, to me; if I knew where to take it I would gladly pay to get up and running again. (And might be running properly this morning, but wasn't at midnight last night!). Thanks for any ideas. As I said, when they are good, the prints are flawless.

[O/confusion]

Paula--

Hi. I'm in the middle of a long drawn-out saga involving my 2200 and its various trips between my home and Epson Canada for attempted diagnosis and repairs to the ink-delivery system, so I can appreciate the level of frustration you are experiencing.

Have you tried running a start-up test print, with the machine disconnected from your computer, in the middle of one of these colour-shift episodes? At least this way you'd be able to rule out any possible software glitches, and if the colour swatches on the test print are still out of whack, the print head is probably in need of a severe talking-to by a service technician and I'd advise you to take it in for fixing before you waste a lot more money on ink and paper.

Wish I could offer you more helpful/comforting advice, and hope you manage to get things sorted out soon enough that it doesn't have too great an impact on your work.

Keep us posted.
Regards,
Terry

[paulawaterman]

Thanks for the suggestion, Terry, will try the startup print (will hit the manual to see what that is!). After I try to run prints the normal way again,a t least. Anyone know where/how to get repair on these things? Ship to Epson? CompUSA? Thanks for all suggestions.

[steven]

I have had a problem with a green cast but I was able to trace it down to the view perspective. (I might have the name wrong) but just before printing I go to view and set the perspective to the same as the paper I am printing to. This (the paper type) show up in the first print dialog of PS (CS) as apposed to aRBG or sRBG if I don't select it.

[chris.bailey]

Try taking the cartridge out and shaking them. Some settle out quite quickly.

[paulawaterman]

Well, after conversation with the local (Baltimore) Epson auth. shop I dropped the thing off at the printer doctor for their evaluation. The Epson technician said 'don't hold your breath but maybe, just maybe, the company will allow the work under warranty terms (warranty was up 5 months ago) since I am on record as having called tech support at Epson twice about this problem' (while under warranty). Will see. Of course it doesn't help me with the crunch I have with an upcoming show and the need to run a lot of prints, but couldn't use it as it was anyway, right? Hope it didn't cure itself on the car ride. Thanks again to respondents. I will report to you the results of the doctor visit.PS Anyone have a 2200 in the Baltimore area I could rent for the next 7 days?:)

[Steven M. Anthony]

If the epson doc can't fix it, try this--I had a similar problem and I traced it to clicking on the printer dialog box "properties" button. I would do this when setting up a print to select paper type, etc. When I would close the properties box and then print, I got a "casty" print (green or magenta). If I then printed another copy of the same image WITHOUT clicking "properties," I got a great print.

I don't know why this happened or why my solution worked--and I don't always hae the cast problem, either. But when I do, the "solution" works. When I need it, I just stick an old piece of paper the size I need for the good print. I start it printing--then cancel the print job after 2 or 3 seconds. Then the next print (and any prints I make without changing "properties" looks great.

[paulawaterman]

Steve, thanks for the suggestion; in my case however once the green cast starts then no amount of manipulation (nor non-manipulation, such as opening a new file and just hitting 'print') makes a difference. As I said before, I just hope fervently that it didn't fix itself en route to the Epson doc!