i have had my r1800 & fast RIP for a year now and i have had a hard time keeping it printing correctly. epson has already replaced it once but now it is out of warranty. this is my latest issue.
my low ink light came on so i replaced my ink cartage w/ a used one that still looked full (fast ink). it printed about a inch of my next job and ran dry. (no ink coming out) so i figured that that cartage was bad like a few fast ink cartages have been over the last year. so i replaces it w/ a new one. nothing.... no ink output. ran nozzle check and no ink on checker pattern. (all of my color cartrages are run dry from head cleanings). ran several head cleanings and still it is like the cartage is bone dry. i took it out and put it back in several times and still nothing.
my whole operation is shut down because of this. and it is the weekend and i cant get any support.
is my head clogged?
if so how do i get it unclogged?
how do i stop these issues from coming up when i change cartages?
has any one used one of the bulk systems on ebay? are they reliable?
I've got a R-1800 too.
I haven't had mine for very long, but, they did tell me that if it sits for more than a couple days, that the fast ink can clog up.
I asked about the bulk ink systems and was told that they can really get clogged up.
For the clogging with yours, I'd suggest removing the cartridge again, and with light pressure over the ink opening, give it a couple of shakes, then, wipe the opening (ink opening of cartridge )
DO NOT TOUCH THE LITTLE CIRCUIT BOARD
anyway, wipe the ink opening with a small piece of towel with paint thinner or acetone and then immediately wipe dry with a clean, dry cloth.
Reinstall.
\ wipe the ink opening with a small piece of towel with paint thinner or acetone and then immediately wipe dry with a clean, dry cloth.
Reinstall.
isn't that a little harsh? is there a print head cleaning solution i can get at best buy? i will try taking out the cartage and cleaning it out. not sure about using harsh chemicals though. have you used them? thanks for your help.
isn't that a little harsh? is there a print head cleaning solution i can get at best buy? i will try taking out the cartage and cleaning it out. not sure about using harsh chemicals though. have you used them? thanks for your help.
Yeah, that's way too harsh. I wouldn't even put anything like that near the printer.
If there is a head clog that bad, it may take a little doing. The best method would be to push the ink button and when the head moves into the cartridge change position, pull out the black ink cartridge and the 2 next to it, then unplug the printer. You may also need to pull of the door that holds all the cartridges in place. It is real simple to do. Just pry off one side and lift it out.
Next, take a paper town and fold it in half then in half again (the same direction) and again until you have a paper towel that is about an inch wide and the normal length of the paper towel. Put the paper towel inside of the printer where the print head moves back and forth. Now move the print head over top of the paper towel.
Take a small syringe and fill it with either witch hazel or windex. Witch hazel will not dry out the head so it is safe to use. Look down where the cartridge was and there should be a stem sticking up. Inject the fluid into that stem. After you fill it, I would let it set for about a half an hour. Then go back and do it a couple more times. If it was real bad, you may want to let it set overnight.
Come back to it and I'd push it through a couple of more times to get rid of any fluid you let set overnight or for an extended period of time. Move the head back into the ink position, remove the paper towel and put it all back together. You may need to do an ink charge or a couple of cleaning cycles. If your head is recoverable, that would do it.
thanks, this sound doable. where can i get hazel? is it glass cleaner like windex? also have you heard of anyone filling all cartrages (except fast ink cartrage) with head cleaning solution? spoke to guy from us screen @ iss and he mentioned it. he said if other cartrages run empty that it would effect the amount of black put on the film because of suction or something like that.
thanks, this sound doable. where can i get hazel? is it glass cleaner like windex? also have you heard of anyone filling all cartrages (except fast ink cartrage) with head cleaning solution? spoke to guy from us screen @ iss and he mentioned it. he said if other cartrages run empty that it would effect the amount of black put on the film because of suction or something like that.
Yes, you can get witch hazel at Walmart next to the Rubbing Alcohol. Make sure you don't use rubbing alcohol it will be too harsh for your head.
As for filling your cartridges, I wouldn't do that. I would simply leave the ink in it. You do need ink in your cartridges in order to print, but it's not necessary to substitute your cartridges.
is there a way to refill the other ink cartrages instead of replace them to save $? i already have a chip reseter?
I don't know how to do it with the epson cartridges. I imagine you would have to drill a hole on the top and plug it up. It's worth a shot. I have a set of refillable cartridges I was testing. They seem to work pretty well.
I don't know how to do it with the epson cartridges. I imagine you would have to drill a hole on the top and plug it up. It's worth a shot. I have a set of refillable cartridges I was testing. They seem to work pretty well.
where did you get the refillable cartrages? where do you get the ink?
it worked but i think i might of messed up my print head a little. when i print a nozzle check the checker pattern is not checker any more. mostly tha same shade. but i did successfully output some film. havn't tried anything needing halftones yet but it works. i probably will never be able to convert it back to a photo printer though. thanks for your help. J
it worked but i think i might of messed up my print head a little. when i print a nozzle check the checker pattern is not checker any more. mostly tha same shade. but i did successfully output some film. havn't tried anything needing halftones yet but it works. i probably will never be able to convert it back to a photo printer though. thanks for your help. J
i think i used to much pressure w/ the syringe.
The checkered pattern is for the gloss optimizer. If all of your nozzle patterns are fine, it'll probably still print good.
R1800 problems.. ***PLEASE HELP*** 
