Digital BW, The Print

Colin, don't apologize. I am thankful to be hearing frm those of you that have had issues 
with this printer, because before I decided to get one (it is used, no warranty), I read only 
glowing reports about them, in specific reference to the 3Mk method of printing. There 
wasn't anything negative on the board here that would have made me pause. Your report 
is certainly not a good one by a long shot...so sorry!

If only i had done more homework on other forums, I would have read the countless 
frustrated pleas from others trying to solve the very same problems I'm having with 
it....and I would have re-thought my choice. That said, however, I absolutely love the look 
of the 3MK print I did manage to squeak out, so it is all doubly maddening.

I have gone through an entire set of color inks already, but have only made ONE print, and 
a 3MK one at that. My paper feed probelms mean that I have to keep shutting off the 
printer to get the red paper light to stop flashing....just deleting the print job will not 
suffice. So, every time I try to feed paper through the front loader and it fails, the red light 
goes on, and won't go off or let me attempt another print job until I shut the printer off. Anyone know how to reset this differently?  I am on a mac so the  SSC utility is not an 
option for me, unfortunately.

I have dashed to Staples three times now when the ink has run out in a color position, 
which prevents me from printing or even loading paper. It is AWFUL. I called an Epson tech 
and he confirmed that all operation stops when any of the cartridges are out (or READ as 
out, since I know they still have ink in them!). My 2200 would let me print BO even if a 
color ink showed empty. Not this one.

I do intend to purchase a refilling kit to at least fill the Eboni carts myself. Other than that 
I may just lay my head down on the desk and have a good cry. And begin the saving 
process all over again for another printer. I waited a year before being able to purchase 
this one. 

"Diappointed' hardly covers it.

thanks all,
Sarah




--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "colingruk" <ColinJConway@...> 
wrote:
>
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Sarah Renkes" 
> <sagaface@> wrote:
> >
> > Darn it. I'm not filling these carts myself. This my first set and 
> I bought them already filled 
> > from MIS. I don't have the equipment to do what you have suggested.
> > 
> > yikes. this is turning into a bit of a nightmare. I have someone 
> waiting for a print and I'm 
> > completely stuck.
> 
>   Sarah
> 
> I am going to start by apologizing: you probably won't like what I 
> am about to write.  I have been having the same problems that you 
> describe since I bought my r1800.  I have been throwing good money 
> after bad.  It is a daytime nightmare. I suggest you dispose of the 
> printer and buy something else.
> 
> First I used carts from MIS and now I have a continuous flow 
> system.  I use Eboni in the Y, MK and PK slots and PKN in the R, B 
> and C slots.  I seldom get all working properly but sometimes I can 
> use either the Eboni or PKN inks.  
> 
> The cleaning cycle Epson has on this machine is aggressive.  It 
> creates bubbles in the cart and the ink does not flow.  I do not 
> think I have particulate clogs.  I suspect the use of this 
> aggressive cleaning system was a matter of Epson policy to increase 
> its ink sales.  I think more ink has been through the waste outlet 
> onto the pads than onto paper.  I have had to have the counter reset 
> and the soak pads changed at a cost of £125 cUS$220.
> 
> I have used a syringe to draw out the ink through the cart exit. 
> (see the post above).  I no longer switch off the machine because, 
> when you switch on, those lovely people at Epson designed the 
> machine to do a head clean.  Someone once told me that, at the close 
> of business each working day, top Epson Executives in Japan roll 
> about on the floor laughing at the money they are making from their 
> inks.
> 
> Before that change, using the Epson maintenance routine, I was back 
> to a nearly white piece of paper after doing the nozzle checks.
> 
> This morning I ran the SSC utility.  I wonder if it is less 
> aggressive than the Epson one or if I am deluding myself.  I 
> started, would you believe with perfect nozzle checks in the MK and 
> PK positions.  I printed a half page of the purge file from MIS.  
> Ran the SSC cleaning cycle and had perfect nozzle checks for the B, 
> PK, MK, and C positions.  In both cases ink was flowing in the other 
> channels but there were about 10% gaps.  I printed a half purge page 
> again, and went to walk the dog – yes, the dog not the printer.  The 
> printer is lucky I don't kick dogs!
> 
> I ran another SSC cleaning cycle and nozzle check.  The Y, M and C 
> channels were perfect but ink from the MK and PK nozzles only fired 
> through about 10% of the nozzles. No ink flowed at all  through the 
> R and B carts.  Go figure!
> 
> I will wait three hours and try again.
> 
> Colin
>