Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "pr_roark"
<pr_roark@...> wrote:
> ...
> > I can swap the OEM chips by switching the entire
> > piece that holds the chip, it's much faster and
> > safer than having to touch the chip itself.
> 
> Interesting.  What empty carts that would be
> suitable for third party inks are you using with
> the OEM chips?  I just have the usual MIS carts,
> and I don't think that would work -- or does it?

Actually I'm using the Epson OEM carts using the
refill adapter (a rubber ball plug with its
receptor). Using the OEM cart you can just pull
out the entire chip block with a pair of pliers
without the clumsiness of prying the chip with a
small screwdriver. I can swap the chip blocks
for the whole 8 ink set in about ... 30 seconds.
 
> So, as I understand it, you cut out a part of
> the inside of the case above the carts so you
> can replace the carts without hitting the ink
> changing button.  Correct?

Yes.

> If this is correct, then it sounds like you
> occasionally put in cleaning carts and simply
> print a purge pattern with QTR to do the
> cleaning or when the printer is going to sit
> idle for a while?

Yes. Now I don't bother to use the chip
resetter, but use the SSC utility to reset the
ink levels - this is much faster. I don't even
bother to use SSC's ink counters (head shots)
to figure out when to refill, but instead weigh
the cartridge with an ounce scale since it's so
easy to just remove the cart and place it right
back.

I discovered that it's the ink priming cycle
that introduces foam into the heads much more
than the act of removing the cartridge and place
it back in, at least not so much as we often
dreaded. Using this technique I almost never
allow the printer to use its destructive
cleaning pump at all. But if it does get
activated for some reason and I got missing
jets, I just plug back the OEM carts filled with
cleaning fluid by pushing the ink change button,
get good nozzle check immediately, well almost
always immediately. Then quietly sneak the color
carts back in then run QTR to purge.

These days I can clear clogs in minutes instead
of hours. And the ease at which I can plug the
cleaning carts back in help me to almost never
the leave the color carts in to avoid ink
settling problem which could kill the head.

This also makes it very to switch the printer
for monochrome printing.

However one can easily adapt this technique to
use refillable carts instead of OEM - easier
refill though a little clumsier chip swapping.
The key is in the ability to replace cart
without pushing the ink change button.

--nick