Digital BW, The Print

I'm trying to resurrect an Epson R200. Somebody gave it to me but it's been sitting for months with no carts installed. So I'm sure it's pretty badly clogged.

I want to set it up like my R220, as a backup. In my R220 I do BO printing with an Eboni cart in the black position and MIS cleaning fluid in the other positions.

I plan to use Windex (or Simple Green? Is that better?) in the cleaning process using suggestions from Art Entlich's excellent Epson manual. But how I do know when the nozzles are clean? The black position's status will be obvious but not the others. Should I slightly tint the others? with what? I don't have any color ink on hand. Shall I put a drop or two of the Eboni in each cart so I can see if those nozzles are clear?

Paul on the large format group we recently had a discussion about fluids.. I don't use Windex as it actually dries things out further due to its alcohol content and lack of other agents so it dries out quicker.... So I typically use Simple Green and have for some time.. In the group something amazing showed up for a flush fluid.. Many of us had to laugh .. I call it red pop.. The drinkable antifreeze used for RV"s..  It's content will work great as a flush fluid..  I just used it on my 7600 that has had Dye sub inks it in for ever.. Worked great... AND it's only 3 bucks a gallon......:-))  You can also buy flush fluids from a few Vendors.. Jon Cone sells it.. 

jimbo

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Paul 
  To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2011 12:00 PM
  Subject: [Digital BW] should I tint my cleaning fluid?


    
  I'm trying to resurrect an Epson R200. Somebody gave it to me but it's been sitting for months with no carts installed. So I'm sure it's pretty badly clogged.

  I want to set it up like my R220, as a backup. In my R220 I do BO printing with an Eboni cart in the black position and MIS cleaning fluid in the other positions.

  I plan to use Windex (or Simple Green? Is that better?) in the cleaning process using suggestions from Art Entlich's excellent Epson manual. But how I do know when the nozzles are clean? The black position's status will be obvious but not the others. Should I slightly tint the others? with what? I don't have any color ink on hand. Shall I put a drop or two of the Eboni in each cart so I can see if those nozzles are clear?



  

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I always tint my cleaning fluid, so I can see when the heads are clean and firing.  I generally take empty OEM cart.s, and modify them by resetting the chip, and drilling two small holes in the top, and installing small tubes.  The cleaning fluid then is injected into one of these tubes.  The other is a vent for air to escape during filling.

There is always enough ink left in the cart to tint the cleaning fluid well, and the cost is nothing for the carts, and tint.

Ben

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "mrjimbo" <mrjimbo@...> wrote:
>
> The drinkable antifreeze used for RV"s..  

By you, maybe buy not by me!  <g>  Harry

> > The drinkable antifreeze used for RV"s..  
> 

That's probably a glycol.  Most of what is disclosed in the Epson cleaning fluid (besides water) is glycol.  That is one part of Photo Flo also and an intentional part of the generic C6 base. It appears to be good for cleaning.

I think the tint should be a black dye -- very dilute.  Just in case it leaves a residual, might as well use the good stuff -- Claria K -- at a very dilute mix.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com