Digital BW, The Print

My plan is to eventually move to a continuous flow system. It seems
that one of the tricks is to use the printer consistently to avoid
clogs. That's where an application like Autoprint comes in handy. But
it only works on Windows and OS 9. 

I found a few tricks/tips on the MIS site:

"If you have a Mac OSX or early Windows 3.1 machine, then there is
software available that will achieve the same results. One of these
companies is Peerless.

If there is no Autoprint software for your computer, there is another
less elegant solution.  From your local hardware store, get a low cost
timer switch.  The type that will turn on light and appliances while
you are not at home.  Install this on your printer power line.  Set it
to come on for 15 minutes during the day or night and then go off
again.  When the printer power is turned on, the printer will do a
cleaning cycle.  This will keep your CFS lines fresh."

Has anyone tried the timer trick or found anything better? Something
like Autoprint probably requires the printer to be on all the time.
Tied to this question, do folks try to keep their printers covered
when not in use? I would like to keep mine covered when not in use but
if I had to have it on all the time I would be afraid to cover it,
blocking the vent holes and possibly shortening its life.

The timer trick seems like a good alternative for keeping the printer
covered and still keeping the lines fresh.

Because Jim is on a Mac, he might ask on

macepsonlist@yahoogroups.com

about something like Autoprint for OS X.


But I have two of NoMoreCarts.com's CIS's, both filled with pigment 
inks, one MediaStreet color and one MIS quadtone (Sepia - Neutral) on 
my 1160s, and neither has ever clogged, not even when I go away for 
one, two, or even three weeks at a time (without using anything like 
Autoprint).

When I'm home, I do a nozzle check every day I remember to, which is 
most days, try to remember to turn the printers off overnight, and 
keep them loosely covered. Sometimes the MIS VM QSEP K, which I have 
in both printers (avoiding Gen4's hybrid K), will skip a step or two 
in the nozzle check and require a single cleaning - only once, I 
believe, two cleanings - to get the apparently perfect nozzle checks 
I've come to expect.

So I'd review clog reports to see what exactly is clogging, an MIS 
CFS or one of the Niagara cis's or _the_ original CIS made by 
NoMoreCarts.com. I think it's plausible that the NMC CIS is less 
likely to clog.
--
Sam


At 10:32 PM +0000 2/11/04, jim0266 wrote:

>
>My plan is to eventually move to a continuous flow system. It seems
>that one of the tricks is to use the printer consistently to avoid
>clogs. That's where an application like Autoprint comes in handy. But
>it only works on Windows and OS 9.
>
>I found a few tricks/tips on the MIS site:
>
>"If you have a Mac OSX or early Windows 3.1 machine, then there is
>software available that will achieve the same results. One of these
>companies is Peerless.
>
>If there is no Autoprint software for your computer, there is another
>less elegant solution.  From your local hardware store, get a low cost
>timer switch.  The type that will turn on light and appliances while
>you are not at home.  Install this on your printer power line.  Set it
>to come on for 15 minutes during the day or night and then go off
>again.  When the printer power is turned on, the printer will do a
>cleaning cycle.  This will keep your CFS lines fresh."
>
>Has anyone tried the timer trick or found anything better? Something
>like Autoprint probably requires the printer to be on all the time.
>Tied to this question, do folks try to keep their printers covered
>when not in use? I would like to keep mine covered when not in use but
>if I had to have it on all the time I would be afraid to cover it,
>blocking the vent holes and possibly shortening its life.
>
>The timer trick seems like a good alternative for keeping the printer
>covered and still keeping the lines fresh.