Epson 4900: Need help with problem

[walter.sk]

I just replaced a roll of Ilford paper and must have not got all of the tape off the center edge of the roll.  The first 2 prints, 11 x 17" show the outline of a piece of the tape with smeary ink.  On the first print it was on the leading edge of the paper, on the 17" edge.  On the 2nd print it came out smack in the middle of the page and is about 1/2" wide by about 1 1/4" tall.  It looks like a piece of tape, so it must be stuck in the guts of the printer and leaving an inky imprint on the paper as that part of the paper gets printed on.

I am really, really afraid of looking inside the paper path, since I am all thumbs and have ruined an HP Z3100 trying to service it myself.  Is there any way to see where the tape is?  Is there some sort of cleaning sheet I can run through the printer?  Any thoughts?

[walter.sk]

I ran a test print that did not show any problem.  I then tried two more 11x17 prints from the roll paper, and both came out OK.  Am I probably home free?  Or did the piece of tape actually move to a more dangerous spot that will soon destroy my printer and maybe my whole studio?  And house?

[Randy Carone]

Could it be the adhesive from the tape that was the distance of the roll circumference? Try a print on a sheet to see if you still have the issue. If it is tape, maybe the sheet will grab it on its way through the paper path.

[walter.sk]

Could it be the adhesive from the tape that was the distance of the roll circumference? Try a print on a sheet to see if you still have the issue. If it is tape, maybe the sheet will grab it on its way through the paper path.

Duh! I never thought that it might just be some adhesive left on the leading edge of the paper and then on the paper at the distance of the roll circumference.  That seems to be it (I hope!), as subsequent prints appear OK.

[Pat O'Connor]

That was definitely it. I use the paper a lot myself and have had to learn to tiptoe around these tape residue marks (you get 2 by 2 on 24" rolls). The circumference is 17" approx. and i set up a page size that accommodates this at the start of each roll. I am surprised that ilford still use this technique after all these years (5 at least). 

[darlingm]

Really angers me that some papers are still sent with tape on the actual media, rather than a throwaway strip wound around the roll.

Even more angers me when a manufacturer tapes the end of the media to the cardboard tube, rather than use the self adhesive typically used.  I had a roll from my favorite manufacturer several years ago like this, and I don't sit there and watch my printer.  I arrived at the printer to see the message paper out, after printing a good 20' or so, and find that the tape had stuck to the inside of the printer above the rollers so badly, that it wouldn't let go even when I tugged on the media.  Took many, many hours to clean that mess out.  Was royally pissed off.  They did say they'd let the plant know not to do this again, and I haven't seen it again.  They were quite apologetic.

[walter.sk]

Really angers me that some papers are still sent with tape on the actual media, rather than a throwaway strip wound around the roll.

Even more angers me when a manufacturer tapes the end of the media to the cardboard tube

Yes, indeed!