Digital BW, The Print

Ernst,

> I don't believe the 3000 has direct access to the ink levels...though the
> hardware seems to support it...there is a lever that goes into the
> cartridges, and I believe it does have some "idea" as to the link
> level...much less when it believes it's out.  The 1160 etc. actually count
> the number of ink drops they print...so that's done in firmware, not by
> actually measuring the ink.

> > The plastic tab that protrudes from the 3000 cart when the ink
> > pouche inside
> > gets empty has to my knowledge no relation to ink status in a driver
menu.

I don't remember seeing any "ink status" in the driver menu on W2k for the
3000...is there?

> > It only is used as a definite signal 'no ink left' and will not allow
any
> > printing from that cart then.

There are actually two sensors for each cartridge, a "cartridge present" and
an "ink out".  I believe you probably can't print with no cartridge present,
but I haven't tried that, but you certainly CAN print when the ink out light
is on.  There can be quite a bit of ink left when the ink out light is on.

> On all the Epson inkjets ink use is
> counted by
> fired droplets in the printers
> software. That information is kept in the firmware and/or on the cart chip
> when available.

I do not believe the 3000 counts droplets, and as I said above, I know the
1160, 1270 etc. does.  The only counting I am aware of in the 3000 is
cleaning cycles, where the reservoir pad becomes ink-saturated, and requires
replacing.

Austin