Digital BW, The Print

Myron,

There's lots of opinions out there on both sides of the issue. I've
never heard of any definitive study that proves it one way or the other.
The manufacturers don't provide any data, so how many of those machines
replaced under warranty were due to ink blockages?

User experience varies in ways that are not obvious in anecdotal
reports: what is the frequency of use; what are the user's expectations;
how adept is he/she at analyzing and solving technical problems and
dealing with things like refilling and/or continuous inking systems; how
comfortable are you with taking the risk and relying on your own skills,
etc. What may be problematic for you, is probably just a more or less
interesting challenge for someone else - I'm in that category, I don't
rely on my printer for income or any other critical use; I don't have so
many gallery shows that there is a huge demand for my prints on tight
deadlines.

Over almost 10 years of digital printing I've heard reports on both
sides: third party inks clog more frequently or only just as frequently
as OEM inks. My own experience and analysis is that most "clogs" are due
to air gaps at the cart exit port, not dry ink in the nozzles and that
dry ink is as likely to cause problems from a build-up on the underside
of the head as from drying in the nozzle.

I don't have any late-model Epson printers - I'm still using one of the
three 2200's with MIS Pro pigment inks and I've been using MIS pigment
inks in various machines since they came out. Of the 3 2200s, one is in
storage because I thought it had a fatal mechanical or firmware fault
and one flat-out broke after warranty. 2 have been rebuilt machines. The
one I'm running has been in use for about 3 years and I haven't bought
OEM ink in 5 years or more. I do very little printing, the machine can
sit for weeks at a time without use, so I'm a prime candidate for
clogging, except for those in very dry climates with similar uses.
Nozzle checks often show broken patterns, but they always clear up with
one or two full-power cleaning cycles (thanks to SSC Service Utility!).
I even ran out of Yellow ink recently because I accidentally pulled the
tube out of the ink in the reservoir and the whole cart went dry - it
recovered without a problem.

So, my conclusion is that, if you're technically competent and don't
mind fooling around with your equipment, third party inks, like MIS's,
are the way to go. If you only want a turn-key system and will call for
help at the least problem, stick with OEM all the way. If I was a
commercial printer, I'd also stick to OEM for the service, at least
during the warranty period.

Frank
_____________________________________
Myron wrote:
 Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:30 am (PST)

    I have used MIS color and B&W inks with Epson 84/6/8, 2200 and R1800
    printers for about three years.

    Clogging is not a *major* issue, but it does occur with annoying
    frequency. My recollection is that Eboni (pure matte black) is rarely
    a problem, but that everything else, color or black, can be
    problematic from time to time.

    A few months ago I bought an Epson 4880. It is supposed to have new
    head design or material or something so it is less prone to clogging,
    and it does not have the tiny jet-size of the R1800. So far, so go.
    There have been a couple minor issues that required head cleaning, but
    the printer took care of it.

    I will soon need to begin replacing the ink cartridges. I'm using
    220ml cartridges, at more than $100 each.

    I am *tempted* to try MIS inks, but I'm worried that this might
    decrease the reliability of the printer. With a less expensive
    printer I wouldn't fret. But the 4880 is too big, too heavy and too
    expensive to expose to a meaningfully greater risk of "death clogging".

    Does anyone have any experience or information that would help me
    judge whether there is greater risk of problems with MIS inks than
    with Epson inks on a 4880? At least with my other printers I prefer
    Eboni black to Epson's MK, but otherwise have no visual preferences
    one way or the other.

    Thanks.
    Myron