Digital BW, The Print

Hi Richard,

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Richard 
Smallfield <r.smallfield@p...> wrote:
> I seem to have all the same problems as Steve with my CFS and have 
> done most of what he has done - in fact, at various times, all his 
> procedures.... I do have one question: of all the printers for 
> which MIS inks are made, has any one been found to be the most 
> reliable? (Although, after being stung and spending so much on ink 
> so far, I'm reluctant to push this uphill much longer.)

I don't think ink is a problem because I've used everything from 
(MIS) VM, VM-Sepia, Glossy Pigments, UT, FS, FSN, etc., on Epson 740, 
1160, and C80 without any problems. However the following are main 
reasons for missing nozzles or persistent clogs in my experience.

1. The vacuum break. This usually happens after about a year or two 
of use and you get foam build up in the cartridge. I found that the 
foam removal procedure can easily lead to the complete removal of the 
much needed vacuum break. After a foam removal procedure I always 
disconnect the tubing and let ink return all the way back to the 
bottles then reattach them.

2. The seals between the cartridge outlet ports and the printhead 
inlets. If you have a leak here the head cleaning pump cannot pull 
ink into the printhead and you end up losing all nozzles. Try 
reseating the cartridge with missing nozzles. I have never owned a 
1280 so I don't know what its cartridges look like and how they stay 
in place. For the 1160 and 740 I have to modify the friction pads on 
the cartridge sides so they sit more securely in the carriage. The 
1160 and 740 CIS installation procedure requires that the latching 
mechanism be removed. Improperly installed friction pads can cause 
the cartridges to have too much freeplay and will result in the seals 
not seating properly. The C80 still has latches so this is not a 
problem.

These are the two main things that I always watch out for in my 5 CIS 
systems, 4 of which were built from MIS parts.

I hope you can solve this problem and enjoy printing again,
--nick