Dark bands on Prints with Konica Processor

Hey all,

 

I work at a local lab / camera shop and we're getting some banding on the

prints. We suspect it may have to do with exposure, as the unexposed areas

show no signs of these bands. (By unexposed areas, I mean the pure white areas

of a head calibration print.)

 

Also, the leader card shows no such banding either. I thought it may be

something marking the print that gets exposed onto the image, and then washed

off in the wash tanks.

 

We have cleaned nearly everything, there's not much left to clean, and the

marks are the same, they haven't changed much at all in the past day. I've

cleaned the exposure unit multiple times.

 

We need to get production back up and running soon,

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks,

Dan O'Connell

I'll take a stab at this since no one else has. Your post is very confusing.

 

If you are getting dark bands on prints, is it running in the direction of the processor or 90 degrees to it? Do the bands show continuously on every print, but not on pure white? Do they repeat patterns? If so, what distance are the repeats? Will the dark bands clean off with water? How about alcohol?

 

It's unlikely in the printer section, but you never know. If so, it's probably a flap that is jammed or won't return to home position.

 

If it's processor related it should clean with water or alcohol which tells you what section is causing it.

 

What are you talking about with leader cards?? I've never heard of leader cards with paper processors.

 

Most dark banding on prints is caused by dirty rollers or contaminated chem, usually bleach/fix that is exhausted.

 

PM me or re-post with some answers andI'll try to help you.

 

Doug

of course they dont show on a leader card....its not light sensitive....its a piece of cardboard. try a different paper magazine, if they go away, then the paper you had was fogged.

yup, never thought of someone getting light on the roll, but usually that would disappear after 20 ft. even in the worst case, except at the very edge, but you just trim it off. I think something smells here.