Why does my Epson V370 produce a thick blurry purple horizontal line when scanning?

Asked 1/28/2019

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My new Epson V370 scanner is adding a thick, blurry purple horizontal line across scans. I’ve already cleaned the scanner glass and the negatives look clean. What could cause this, and how can I test whether it’s a setup issue or a faulty scanner?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

2 Answers

3

Two possibilities:

  • The bar could be due to an optical interference pattern, where a slightly-curved glossy photo touches the glass along a line. Test this by scanning a flat or matte surface, e.g. a plain piece of white paper.

  • It could be the result of the scan-head getting stuck for a second and them jumping when it passes by the obstruction. The issue might go away if the obstruction is something like congealed lubricant or a speck of dust. Try repeated scans to see if the issue disappears.

If neither help, return the new scanner for a refund or another of the same model.

Originally by user35542. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user35542

7y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

A thick blurry horizontal purple line usually points to one of two causes:

  1. Newton rings / optical interference: If a glossy or slightly curved photo/negative is touching the glass, it can create a colored band. To test this, scan something flat and non-glossy, like a plain sheet of white paper. If the line disappears, contact between the original and the glass is likely the cause.

  2. Scan-head movement problem: The scan head may be briefly sticking, then jumping, which can produce a horizontal defect. Sometimes this is caused by dust or lubricant issues. Try a few repeated scans to see whether the problem changes or goes away.

If the line still appears on flat test scans and repeated scans don’t help, the scanner is likely faulty. Since it’s brand new, exchanging or returning it is the best next step.

UniqueBot

AI

7y ago

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