HP 115 printing problem

We have about two years old 115 latex printer, I noticed that the all prints have slight ghosting/shadow in prints, all colors. I've replaced all print heads, run print head alignment but no change. I didn't make any changes to the printer setup. Any ideas? Attached sample image

Hi @Ajrsignsandgraphics7333,

Checking the pictures you have attached, it seems that the printheads are misaligned. This is likely if you did not align the printheads for a long time, the alignment was not correctly performed, or if there has been a substrate jam. Since you changed the printheads, it's mandatory to perform a correct PH Alignment.

Alignment settings are retained through substrate changes until a new printhead alignment is performed.

The HP Latex Optimizer can be aligned only on certain substrates such as self-adhesive vinyl. We recommend aligning PHs using SAV media. The pattern varies according to the substrate. Before this calibration, it’s recommended to check the nozzles with a nozzle health check plot.

• To request printhead alignment from the front panel (if the alignment is not performed automatically), press the Settings / gear icon, then Image-quality maintenance > Align printheads > Manual printhead alignment.

• To request printhead alignment from the Embedded Web Server, select the Setup tab, then select Printhead alignment > Manual printhead alignment > Print.

• The process takes about 10 minutes and starts immediately unless an image is currently being printed. If a print job is in progress, the alignment will be done as soon as the current print job is finished. After it's printed, you have to put manually the correct values per each letter.

• After this calibration is done and verifying that the correct alignment it's done, it's highly recommended to print a Printhead alignment status plot.

You should use the same substrate type that you were using when you detected the issue, otherwise consider using vinyl gloss substrate for better visibility of the optimizer in particular. Go to the front panel and press the Settings / gear icon, then Image-quality maintenance > Align printheads > Print test plot.

You need to check that the alignment performed was successful by verifying the correct alignment of the lines of CMYK channels. The lines must be fully aligned, straight and without deviation.

If the issue persists still after performing these calibrations, it’s possible that the line sensor was dirty after the two years of use. A dirty sensor can result in edge-detection failures during substrate loading and incorrect reading of alignment or calibration prints.

Have a look at the attached Line Sensor Cleaning guide for more details.

If after all these steps you still have issues, I suggest contacting your support representative. I hope this helps.

Thank you for your help. I run manual print head alignment, it worked out perfectly. The prints are perfect. Thank you Bob