Digital BW, The Print

I have an Epson R2400 printer that is about 3 years old and am having a single color give me the indication of a clogged nozzle. I have tried all the tricks I know of with no success. Included in the efforts have been filling with a mixture of 8 parts ammonia and 1 part alcohol and 1 part water and running nozzle checks with it to clean it. That did not work very well. Another trick was to fill it with the proper ink and plug it and then pulling out 2-3 cc of ink before inserting it into the printer. That did not work very well either. Does anyone have any other suggestions they have tried that did work?

Your friend in Photography,

Johnny Eades

Recently, I was in a similar situation.  Ultimately I tried 
InkRepublic's cleaning kit.  It did the trick.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Peter De Smidt <pdesmidt@...> wrote:
>
> Recently, I was in a similar situation.  Ultimately I tried 
> InkRepublic's cleaning kit.  It did the trick.
>

Also clean off the rubber wiper, I bet it has a bunch of goo on it.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Greg" <dfaprinting@...> wrote:
>
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Peter De Smidt <pdesmidt@> wrote:
> >
> > Recently, I was in a similar situation.  Ultimately I tried 
> > InkRepublic's cleaning kit.  It did the trick.
> >
> 
> Also clean off the rubber wiper, I bet it has a bunch of goo on it.
>
How do I locate and clean off the rubber wiper??

Your friend in Photography,

Johnny Eades

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Johnny Eades" <jeades1@...> wrote:
>
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Greg" <dfaprinting@> wrote:
> >
> > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Peter De Smidt <pdesmidt@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Recently, I was in a similar situation.  Ultimately I tried 
> > > InkRepublic's cleaning kit.  It did the trick.
> > >
> > 
> > Also clean off the rubber wiper, I bet it has a bunch of goo on it.
> >
> How do I locate and clean off the rubber wiper??
> 
> Your friend in Photography,
> 
> Johnny Eades
>



It should be somewhere near where the head parks. I don't have that printer so I can't tell you exactly where it is or how to make it visible for cleaning.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Johnny Eades" <jeades1@...> wrote:
>
> I have an Epson R2400 printer that is about 3 years old and am having a single color give me the indication of a clogged nozzle. I have tried all the tricks I know of with no success. Included in the efforts have been filling with a mixture of 8 parts ammonia and 1 part alcohol and 1 part water and running nozzle checks with it to clean it. That did not work very well. Another trick was to fill it with the proper ink and plug it and then pulling out 2-3 cc of ink before inserting it into the printer. That did not work very well either. Does anyone have any other suggestions they have tried that did work?
> 
> Your friend in Photography,
> 
> Johnny Eades
>
I have the same printer and had the same problem - and solved it.  Go to InkJet Mall's site and to the support page.  Dana Ceccarelli describes how to clean the print head there.  It may sound scary, but it's quite simple and very effective.  Contact me offline if you need further information.

Harry

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Johnny Eades" <jeades1@...> wrote:
>
> 
Included in the efforts have been filling with a mixture of 8 parts ammonia and 1 part alcohol and 1 part water and running nozzle checks with it to clean it. That did not work very well. Another trick was to fill it with the proper ink and plug it and then pulling out 2-3 cc of ink before inserting it into the printer. That did not work very well either. Does anyone have any other suggestions they have tried that did work?
> 
> Your friend in Photography,
> 
> Johnny Eades
>
A few suggestions on yours efforts to date. 

If you are talking pure household ammonia there, well that is far too much. No more than 5% diluted in distilled water. Ammonia is too harsh at strong concentrations for delicate printer heads.

You do not say how you are delivering your cleaning solution. Refillable carts? Hopefully yes and you will need to add about 10% glycol for the right viscosity so the soln stays in the carts and does not run out.

Printing nozzle checks will not be enough. You need to print purge patches or auto nozzle checks. (maybe that is what you mean anyway?) Better still use QTR to print at 100% black on the problem color.

I agree with the cleaning of the wiper. otherwise it is probable that you are just mashing gunk back into the head with the wiper at the end of each cleaning cycle.

> Printing nozzle checks will not be enough. You need to print purge patches or auto nozzle checks. (maybe that is what you mean anyway?) Better still use QTR to print at 100% black on the problem color.
> 


If the heads are clogged and no fluid is moving, then printing a lot to try and clear it will only cause grief. The piezo overheats and distorts and the clogged jets will never work properly again.

Saturate the pads in the capping station with cleaning fluid and let the heads sit on this for a day or two, then do a couple of head cleanings or a power clean (if the machine allows this function). Repeat until you decide the head is toast or the clog is clear.

Definitely clean off the rubber wiper, and you may need to clean off the bottom of the head with strong (lintless?) paper towels folded up and soaked in cleaning fluid, then move the head over the top of the towels and let sit for 15 minutes or half an hour. Repeat until the towels are mostly clean.