IBM InfoColor 3170, User Manual

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Guidelines for Print Medium Quality Inspection
19
Changing the Paper Roll
1. Paper left over from a previous roll also contributes to paper waste. The Operator needs to replace
the paper roll when receiving the "Paper Low" alarm. Close to the end of the paper roll, the paper
tension is not very stable. This condition can cause a print quality problem. The Operator must
avoid running the end of the paper through the printer. Running the end of the paper through the
printer can cause damage to sensitive parts, taking the printer down for several hours while the
damage is repaired.
2. When a new roll is spliced in, the splice must be completely driven through the printer before start-
ing (or resuming) a print job. The engine will stop driving the paper out at about one meter past
the splice. This can be controlled by the operator or by changing the splice_delay value in the
params.set file. If needed, ask your IBM Customer Engineer to change this value.
Operator Skills
Operator inexperience can cause additional unusable prints and/or blank pages due to (but not lim-
ited to):
1. Out of specification densities.
2. Out of specification registration.
3. Dirty corona wires causing print defects.
4. Starting to print before the printer is conditioned to the correct temperature and humidity.
5. Reloading the conditioning script when a new roll of the same media is mounted.
6. The GEM is switched On and Off during printing.
7. The job is sent to print before the heating drum reaches its standby temperature.
8. The job is sent to print in the non-GEM mode before the GEM has cooled.
Paper Quality
Paper Quality can be affected by improper manufacturing, handling, or storage.This can cause unsta-
ble conditioning and registration, contributing to the number of unusable prints or blank pages. You
should always protect stored paper in moisture tight packaging. Do not use the paper before it
reaches the same temperature as the print room.
Environment
In a humid print room environment, paper can easily become curled, wavy, or even wrinkled depend-
ing on its thickness.These conditions can be minimized by reducing the fusing temperature, GEM
temperature, or possibly the U2 value.