Why Is My Epson L1800 to L805 DTF Conversion Causing Overspray After Installing a New Printhead Kit?

Question

I recently ordered and installed the L1800 to L805 conversion kit and printhead kit from BCH Technologies. The printer is back up and running, but now I am seeing a print quality issue that was not there before the new kit and printhead were installed.

The first image shows the print right after printing, the second image shows it after powdering, and the third image shows it after drying. The print looks like it has overspray or scattered ink around the image. Have you seen this issue before, and what should I check?

Answer

From your description, this looks like an overspray problem. Overspray usually appears as a misty, fuzzy, or shadow-like area around the printed design. In DTF printing, it may become even more noticeable after powdering because the powder can stick to tiny scattered ink droplets around the image. After curing or drying, that scattered ink and powder can make the final result look dirty, blurry, or smoky around the edges.

Since you mentioned that this issue started only after installing the L1800 to L805 conversion and the new printhead, the first thing I would check is the physical installation height of the printhead.

The Epson L1800/1390 printhead and the L805 printhead are essentially the same height, so the conversion itself should not automatically create a height difference. In other words, simply switching from the L1800 setup to the L805 setup should not, by itself, cause the printhead to sit too high. However, if the printhead is not fully seated, if the screws are not tightened evenly, or if part of the carriage assembly is not sitting correctly after reassembly, the head may end up too far away from the film. When the printhead is too high above the platen or film surface, the ink droplets have farther to travel. Instead of landing cleanly where they should, they can drift slightly before hitting the film, which creates overspray.

The first thing to do is double-check the printhead installation. Make sure the printhead is screwed down as much as it can be without forcing or damaging anything. Check that it is sitting flat in the carriage and that no cable, bracket, dried ink, washer, plastic tab, or misaligned part is preventing it from seating properly. Also make sure the printhead is not tilted. Even a small angle can cause one side of the print to look worse than the other.

If the installation looks good and the overspray continues, the next thing to check is the APG height. APG stands for Adjust Platen Gap. This controls the distance between the printhead and the printing surface. If the APG is too high, you can get overspray, fuzzy edges, and poor dot placement. Lowering the APG slightly may help sharpen the print and reduce the misting.

However, be careful not to lower the APG too much. If the printhead gets too close to the film, you risk a head strike, where the printhead physically touches or scrapes the DTF film. A head strike can smear the print, damage the nozzle surface, clog nozzles, scratch the film, or even permanently damage the printhead. The goal is to lower the gap enough to reduce overspray, but not so much that the head touches the film during printing.

If the overspray happens evenly across the whole print, that usually points to the overall head height or APG setting. If the overspray happens mostly on one side but not the other, then the issue may be related to carriage alignment or the platen not being parallel to the printhead. In that case, check the parallelism adjustment. On the left side, there is a white slider-looking adjustment piece that controls the parallelism bar. This can help correct a situation where one side of the printhead is effectively closer to or farther from the film than the other side. The corresponding adjustment area on the right side is used more for the up-and-down APG height.

So, the troubleshooting order I would suggest is:

First, inspect the printhead installation carefully. Make sure the printhead is fully seated, flat, and tightened down properly. Since the L1800/1390 and L805 printheads are the same height, the conversion should not be the problem if the installation is mechanically sound.

Second, check whether the platen or film path is level. If the film is riding unevenly, curled, buckled, or lifted in one area, the distance between the film and the printhead can change during printing. DTF film must stay as flat as possible because even a slight lift can affect dot placement.

Third, lower the APG slightly if the head-to-film gap appears too large. Make only small adjustments and test carefully. Do not lower it too aggressively because a head strike can damage the printhead.

Fourth, if the overspray appears worse on one side, check the parallelism adjustment. The white slider on the left side affects the parallelism bar, while the adjustment on the right side affects the up/down APG height. The goal is to make the printhead and film surface as parallel as possible.

Fifth, check the print quality through a nozzle check. Overspray is usually mechanical height or alignment related, but a bad nozzle pattern, deflected nozzles, clogged nozzles, or electrical instability can also make the print look fuzzy or scattered. If the nozzle check is not clean, address that before making too many mechanical adjustments.

Another possibility, if the mechanical installation and APG are correct, is that the printer may need the printhead ID entered into the firmware. The printhead ID is used by the printer to calibrate firing characteristics for that specific head. If the head ID is not entered properly, some printers may still print, but the output may not be as clean as expected. I would not start with this step, though. First, confirm that the installation is solid and the physical head height is correct. If everything looks good mechanically and the problem still remains, then the printhead ID and firmware-side calibration may be the next thing to look at.

In this case, I would focus first on checking whether the printhead is sitting too high. Overspray after a new printhead and conversion kit installation is very often caused by the printhead being too far from the film, the APG being too high, or the printhead and platen not being parallel. Once the height and parallelism are corrected, the powder should stop sticking to scattered ink around the image, and the final cured print should look much cleaner.

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair because many of these problems require hands-on inspection, adjustment, and testing. For that reason, we are not able to provide remote troubleshooting, customized repair suggestions, or step-by-step support for individual printer repairs. We do offer an in-person evaluation and repair service through our local diagnostic facility, BCH Technologies Printer Repair Service [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]. Because demand is high, we operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so it may take a few weeks before we are able to receive your printer for drop-off. Our services are structured to repair either the whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. However, we understand that our rates are not the most economical option for everyone. For that reason, we strongly recommend using self-help resources whenever possible. You can start by searching YouTube or visiting our channel homepage, BCH Technologies on YouTube [https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies]. Use the search icon next to "About" on the right-hand side of the menu bar to look for specific topics. I receive dozens of questions every day asking for videos about specific printer issues, and after creating videos for the past nine years, it is difficult to remember every individual video. YouTube's search function is usually the fastest way to find the most relevant content, and it may also recommend helpful videos from other channels.

Thank you again for contacting us and for supporting BCH Technologies. In your case, I would start by checking the printhead seating, APG height, and parallelism before moving on to firmware or printhead ID adjustments.