Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Peter A. Klein"
<pklein@2...> wrote:
> I use an Epson 1280 with the MIS VM hextone inkset.  I recently came 
> back from a 10-day vacation, during which the heat was off in my 
> house.  I ran a nozzle check, a couple of cleaning cycles, printed a 
> print, and then checked the nozzles again.  All the inks but one 
> cleared up nicely on the nozzle check, showing the normal 4-line 
> diagonal pattern for each ink.  But the lightest gray ink is only 
> showing the two upper lines.
> 
> I tried the Windex-on-the-sponge trick (from the Piezo website).  No 
> help.  I then tried the more drastic cleaning, removing the "color" 
> cartridge and blowing Windex through the print head via a plastic 
> tube (stopping well before any air got into the print head).  I 
> believe the lightest gray is in the yellow position, which is the 
> rightmost intake tube in the print head, as you look down on it. This 
> was followed by a couple of cleaning cycles.  
> 
> This got the lower two lines of the light gray ink partially 
> displaying, but then they went away again after I printed a couple of 
> small purge patterns followed by more nozzle checks.  By then I'd 
> exhausted the ink cartridge and switched to a new one.  A second 
> Windex treatment had no further effect.  
> 
> The funny part of all this is that my prints look OK.  I'm probably 
> losing a smidge of highlight detail, but it doesn't make that much 
> difference.
> 
> Any thoughts on how to proceed?  Just keep printing and hope the clog 
> eventually dissolves?  Use Fantastic instead of Windex?  Buy some 
> Epson color ink and print color for a while, hoping the native ink 
> will dissolve the MIS stuff?  I'll send it in to Epson if I must, but 
> I'd rather not if I don't have to.
> 
> Thanks for any advice
> --Peter Klein
> Seattle


Hi Peter,

I use the same printer but with PiezoTones and the one thing that has
really worked for me with clogs (though I rarely have any) is to use a
syringe with VERY hot water, remove the cartridge and place the
syringe in the nozzle (pibot) where the cart is placed. Lightly press
downwards and let some of the water flow through the head nozzles. Be
sure to place a piece of absorbent napkin under the head, this avoids
water from spilling all over. After that do the same procedure with no
water, put the cart back in place and run a cleaning cycle or two and
you're ready to run again. It has never failed!!! 
I hope it works for you!