encad novajet pro 50

[Bill McMurtry]

Hi James, the Pro 50 prints to coated media only. You can get coated vinyl for it, such as Orajet.

Ah, the dreaded carriage error. The carriage error is typically a result of worn or old carriage rail bushes (or a dirty carriage rail but I assume you have that covered). What usually happens is that the oil impregnated carriage bushes dry out over time and sliding resistance increases. When sliding resistance reaches the trip point on the drive motor you get the carriage error and it shuts down. Often you find that it becomes more of an issue as the ambient temperature decreases and the impregnated bush lube gets stickier.

Anyway, after a heap of research I eventually found a cheap fix for my old Pro-50 (may it’s soul rest in peace). Grab yourself some silicone lubrication spray, such as CRC 808 Silicone Spray, wet out a cloth with it and rub down the carriage bar. Allow to dry and, hey presto!, Bob’s your uncle 😀

BTW, if you introduce yourself in the proper forum you might get even more help 😉

[James Easton]

thank you very very much you answered pretty must everything i needed to know i’ll try all that

oh and will it print to canvas and banner material

[Martin Pearson]

As Bill has already said the Carriage errors are normally due to worn phosphor bronze bushes, Colourgen were the UK distributors for Encad so you might be able to get a set from them.

As for printing then yes the printer will print to vinyl, canvass and banner material but it uses dye or pigmented inks which are not UV stable so it is not really suitable for outdoor graphics. Even with lamination the inks will fade quite quickly in direct sunlight so it is really only suitable for short term use outdoors. Plus I believe it is a 300 DPI printer so print quality might not be that good overall and probably not really suitable for canvass prints.

[Bill McMurtry]

Hi Martin, I do agree with your statement about dye inks being not suitable for outdoor use – you can almost watch them fade. However, I have to disagree about the UV stability of pigment inks. I’ve had laminated outdoor prints which haven’t faded at all in over 18 months so far. My supplier says I should expect 3 years or more before noticing any fading – with lamination. Good UV lamination is the key. Unlaminated pigment ink prints would start looking pretty sad after about a year outdoors.

While a new set of bronze bushes will certainly solve the carriage error problem, IMO it’s an expensive fix when taking cost of parts and labor into consideration – a can of silicone lube will have the same end result at a fraction of the cost 😉

You’re certainly right about 300dpi being a bit on the grainy side with the Pro 50, which was why I quickly moved on to higher resolution machines. However, it’s amazing how much you can get away with when printing big, laminated well, and when you have no choice 😀

Aside from poor output resolution it would be pretty hard going back to the dark ages with the old Pro 50 though – hand priming and clearing the cartridge heads every few prints with a little rubber suction bulb… *drink*

[Chris Wool]

quote :

Aside from poor output resolution it would be pretty hard going back to the dark ages with the old Pro 50 though – hand priming and clearing the cartridge heads every few prints with a little rubber suction bulb…

yep and the day i got the epson is the day mine never printed another drop and no more inky fingers and shirt.

mine was the graphtec version with cutter and the cutter is still in daily use.

the bushes are designed to be oiled lightly but in front and behind the bushes should be felt bar cleaning pads to try and stop dust bunging up the bushes as bill says a good clean up and light oil will probably do the trick.

pigmented inks will go the distance if laminated 3 years plus and seal the edges with the laminate.

chris

[James Easton]

cool thanks guys, so will any banner material work?or will i have to get a certain type?

Is there a better material get?
Does the same apply for canvas?

[Bill McMurtry]

James, COATED material. Ask your supplier to go through it with you.

PS: I think you’ll find that without a little effort at a decent introduction here then you may have to take your chances with any future questions 😉