Digital BW, The Print

The Epson certified repair technician that is servicing my 1160 had a
potentially very interesting observation.

He noted that the 1160 might have problems with pigmented inks due to the
design of the ink pad and waste drain on the left side of the carriage.  It
is designed for dyes, which soak right through the pad and then drain down a
tube to the main ink waste reservoir at the bottom of the printer.  However,
pigments do not soak through this pad.  The liquid carrier may, but the
particles make a sludge on top of the pad and ultimately start to get
re-deposited on the head -- causing clogs and other problems.

So, what this person did with my 1160 is simply remove the pad so that the
ink would just flow straight down the tube.  The tech says that newer Epsons
do not have the pad, which he claims is not needed.  He recommends that
anyone using pigments on an 1160 take some tweezers and pull out the pad.

I guess I'll find out whether this pad is needed or not, since the tech did
remove it from my 1160.  I'll let you know whether I find any differences.

Does anyone have any information about this pad and why it's there?

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

That's interesting. My printer has that pad (as does my 1270, so when he
says "newer" he means it ;-) ) but what it doesn't have is the overnight
parking pad. I think I may have dissolved it when I used 409 cleanser on it
in lieu of Fantastic. I used Piezo inks formerly and MIS VM now, and I've
had very few clogs with either inkset. I still put a few drops of Windex on
the parking pad from time to time, and I wonder if that just dissolves the
surface sludge and lets it flow downstream. My nozzles may not get sealed at
night, but at the same time they don't get sludge deposited on them, so
maybe it's a fair trade. Maybe its the reason for my good luck with clogs...

If you get the chance to speak with the tech again could you ask him his
thoughts about the need for foam there? I've been meaning to replace it, but
now I'm thinking maybe I'm better off without it....

Todd

> The Epson certified repair technician that is servicing my 1160 had a
> potentially very interesting observation.
> 
> He noted that the 1160 might have problems with pigmented inks due to the
> design of the ink pad and waste drain on the left side of the carriage.  It
> is designed for dyes, which soak right through the pad and then drain down a
> tube to the main ink waste reservoir at the bottom of the printer.  However,
> pigments do not soak through this pad.  The liquid carrier may, but the
> particles make a sludge on top of the pad and ultimately start to get
> re-deposited on the head -- causing clogs and other problems.
> 
> So, what this person did with my 1160 is simply remove the pad so that the
> ink would just flow straight down the tube.  The tech says that newer Epsons
> do not have the pad, which he claims is not needed.  He recommends that
> anyone using pigments on an 1160 take some tweezers and pull out the pad.
> 
> I guess I'll find out whether this pad is needed or not, since the tech did
> remove it from my 1160.  I'll let you know whether I find any differences.
> 
> Does anyone have any information about this pad and why it's there?
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com

Paul,

Just for reference, my 1200 and 1280 did not come with the pad on the 
left but my 1270 did. They can't seem to make up their minds but it 
doesn't seem to be neccessary.

Martin


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> The Epson certified repair technician that is servicing my 1160 had 
a
> potentially very interesting observation.
> 
> He noted that the 1160 might have problems with pigmented inks due 
to the
> design of the ink pad and waste drain on the left side of the 
carriage.  It
> is designed for dyes, which soak right through the pad and then 
drain down a
> tube to the main ink waste reservoir at the bottom of the printer.  
However,
> pigments do not soak through this pad.  The liquid carrier may, but 
the
> particles make a sludge on top of the pad and ultimately start to 
get
> re-deposited on the head -- causing clogs and other problems.
> 
> So, what this person did with my 1160 is simply remove the pad so 
that the
> ink would just flow straight down the tube.  The tech says that 
newer Epsons
> do not have the pad, which he claims is not needed.  He recommends 
that
> anyone using pigments on an 1160 take some tweezers and pull out 
the pad.
> 
> I guess I'll find out whether this pad is needed or not, since the 
tech did
> remove it from my 1160.  I'll let you know whether I find any 
differences.

> 
> Does anyone have any information about this pad and why it's there?
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com

On both my 1160 and 1270 there is almost no ink on the left hand pad 
at all, so I doubt that there would ever be enough to "drain".

On the parking pad on the right, it seems you can put an awful lot of 
ink in there from cleaning cycles etc... Maybe that is what he is 
referring to? The only thing I have ever done with that one is put 
windex in it for over night soaks (or with Piezo carts, week long 
soaks). Since I have switched to FS inks (only a week now), I have 
had no issues there....

Tom O'Connell


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> The Epson certified repair technician that is servicing my 1160 had 
a
> potentially very interesting observation.
> 
> He noted that the 1160 might have problems with pigmented inks due 
to the
> design of the ink pad and waste drain on the left side of the 
carriage.  It
> is designed for dyes, which soak right through the pad and then 
drain down a
> tube to the main ink waste reservoir at the bottom of the printer.  
However,
> pigments do not soak through this pad.  The liquid carrier may, but 
the
> particles make a sludge on top of the pad and ultimately start to 
get
> re-deposited on the head -- causing clogs and other problems.
> 
> So, what this person did with my 1160 is simply remove the pad so 
that the
> ink would just flow straight down the tube.  The tech says that 
newer Epsons
> do not have the pad, which he claims is not needed.  He recommends 
that
> anyone using pigments on an 1160 take some tweezers and pull out 
the pad.
> 
> I guess I'll find out whether this pad is needed or not, since the 
tech did
> remove it from my 1160.  I'll let you know whether I find any 
differences.

> 
> Does anyone have any information about this pad and why it's there?
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com