Issue

Horizontal banding appears when printing on a DTF printer. The issue is visible in all colors and print resolutions. Although a newer print profile produces better colors, the banding remains.


Troubleshooting

Follow these steps to identify the cause:

  1. Verify the printer configuration and ink setup.

  2. Print simple color patches to confirm the banding appears in all colors.

  3. Compare the results using the old and new print profiles.

  4. Test different pass modes (4, 6, and 8 passes).

  5. Try printing on a different batch or type of DTF film.

  6. Enable Control Bars in PrintExp to monitor print consistency.

  7. Compare Unidirectional and Bidirectional printing.

    • If unidirectional printing reduces the banding, the issue is likely related to bidirectional printing settings.

  8. Adjust the Feather (Eclosión) setting in Bidirectional printing and print the test again.

  9. Review the drop size configuration. In some printers, better stability can be achieved by disabling the Small drop instead of the Medium drop. Although both drop sizes are technically the same volume, the Medium drop may produce more consistent results. For example, instead of using: Small – Off – Large (1–1–2) try Off – Medium – Large (1–1–2)


Recommendation

Before recreating a print profile or recalibrating the printer:

  • Adjust the Feather (Eclosión) setting.

  • Compare Unidirectional and Bidirectional printing.

  • Review the drop size configuration and test disabling the Small drop while keeping the Medium and Large drops active.

These adjustments can often eliminate horizontal banding while maintaining excellent color quality.