Digital BW, The Print

Clogging has never been a big issue for me (neither with Cone inks nor with=
 
MIS inks - knock on wood). Maybe because we have enough humidity in the air=
 
over here in Germany.
However, as I´ve read a lot about clogging problems with Piezo inks, this 
maybe of some interest though (at least for the records):

On January 2nd  I got my new 7500, which is a dedicated Pigment Printer. I =
run 
it with MIS VM inks. If I start the printer, it comes up with a routine cle=
aning 
cycle. Then I usually print a nozzle check. Almost ever I find some (two or=
 
three) nozzles clogged. Usually one more cleaning cycle completely solves t=
he 
problem. So, this is really not a big deal.

Since I got my 7500  in January my good old working horse, the 3000 filled =
with 
Piezo inks sits quietly on the shelf. I didn´t print one image for more tha=
n 2 
months with this printer. So I was aware of a super clogging problem, when =
I 
reanimated it today. But I was absolutely surprised by the first nozzle che=
ck: it 
was absolutely perfect. Not one nozzle lost. Whatever that means. 
(As I said before: this is just for the records :-)

Bernd

PS: I´ve spoken a lot for MIS inks. So it will be only fair if I post this =
on the 
piezo list too.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "ruhrfoto" <ruhrfoto@y...> 
wrote:
<snip>
 in January my good old working horse, the 3000 
filled =
> with 
> Piezo inks sits quietly on the shelf. I didn´t print one image for 
more tha=
> n 2 
> months with this printer. So I was aware of a super clogging 
problem, when =
> I 
> reanimated it today. But I was absolutely surprised by the first 
nozzle che=
> ck: it 
> was absolutely perfect. Not one nozzle lost. Whatever that means. 
> (As I said before: this is just for the records :-)
> 
> Bernd

This is a good bit of news, thank you. I am going to venture a guess 
that the 3000, with larger nozzles, doesn't clog as easily. My "plan 
B" if my 1280 ever goes out, is to beat the bushes trying to find an 
3000 and run Piezo driver with either Piezo inks or MIS FS of some 
flavor. I really hope the 3000 continues to be available, it just 
seems to be a tank, can't be killed, if one can get past the paper 
transport problem. I'll entertain any experiences to the contrary (ie, 
stories of 3000 clogging on folks).

Just as a general statement I am learning that printers should be used 
regularly, daily if possible. Two months idle may bring on trouble in 
the newer printers.
Jim H.

Bernd,

could you please tell us if your 3000 printed a gray scale with the same ex=
act 
tones as it would before sitting for 2 months?

I found with my 1160 that I lost the midtones after a period of inactivity,=
 even 
though nozzle checks were clean. In over a year of using piezo inks with a =

CIS on that printer, I was never faced with "clogs from hell" (knock on woo=
d). 

The midtones came back after several prints or flushes had gone through. I =

suspect, we don't always check for grayscale consistency on our systems and=
 
rely on nozzle checks to tell us that everything is OK. 

It should be standard procedure to print a grayscale and check it against a=
 
known good sample (or read it with a densitometer) before any serious 
printing session.

All this is to say: do these inks settle? and if so, is there a difference =
between 
piezo and MIS in settling behaviour? 
Should we give them a stir every day whether we use them or not?

What is your experience on this?

Antonis


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "ruhrfoto" <ruhrfoto@y...> wrote:=

> Clogging has never been a big issue for me
[.......]
> Since I got my 7500  in January my good old working horse, the 3000 fille=
d  
with Piezo inks sits quietly on the shelf. I didn´t print one image for mor=
e than 
2  months with this printer. So I was aware of a super clogging problem, wh=
en  
I  reanimated it today. But I was absolutely surprised by the first nozzle =
check: 
it was absolutely perfect. Not one nozzle lost.