[jasonsmith]

I've got an Epson 1400. I mostly just use it as a regular printer. But also have some dye sub carts I throw in when printing dye sub transfers.

It's kind of a pain swapping carts around as you have to do head cleanings, etc.

Anyways I've got some dye sub projects coming up that are all 100% straight black. I was wondering if Epson 1400 only pulls from the black cart when printing 000 RGB black?

Reason is that way I'd only have to put the black dye sub cart in and not do a full swap out.

 

[pisquee]

Is there not an option in the print driver to print black ink only?

 

[jasonsmith]

Never heard of one.

I know some printers will draw from all carts even when printing black. Was wondering if Epson 1400 did this, or only pulled from the black cart when printing straight black?

I guess I could try printing black with only the black cart installed and see what that does. i.e. if there are streaks.

 

[SubliKing]

Never heard of one.

I know some printers will draw from all carts even when printing black. Was wondering if Epson 1400 did this, or only pulled from the black cart when printing straight black?

I guess I could try printing black with only the black cart installed and see what that does. i.e. if there are streaks.

Hello,

When you send your artwork to the printer :
Click on "Preferences"
Go to "Main Menu"
You will see a block "Print Options", You should be able to check "Black Ink Only"
Under paper options for "Type" Select the one for "Matte" paper.
Under "Print Quality" there should be five options, Select "Text & Image"
I feel that "Photo" or "Best Photo" is overkill. You either leave ink on the paper that won't transfer, or even worse the excess ink will splatter on the item when you transfer.

As far as just leaving the black cartridge in the printer and removing the other colors, that will not work at all. There are chips on the cartridges or CISS systems, that is why you get the message that you need to replace a cartridge or color. If you only left the black cartridge, your printer would know the other colors were not there. When you tried to print something you screen would come up with "Can Not Recognize Cartridges" Would also have five "X"s over the colors that are not in the printer.

Steve

 

[mgparrish]

Hello,

When you send your artwork to the printer :
Click on "Preferences"
Go to "Main Menu"
You will see a block "Print Options", You should be able to check "Black Ink Only"
Under paper options for "Type" Select the one for "Matte" paper.
Under "Print Quality" there should be five options, Select "Text & Image"
I feel that "Photo" or "Best Photo" is overkill. You either leave ink on the paper that won't transfer, or even worse the excess ink will splatter on the item when you transfer.

As far as just leaving the black cartridge in the printer and removing the other colors, that will not work at all. There are chips on the cartridges or CISS systems, that is why you get the message that you need to replace a cartridge or color. If you only left the black cartridge, your printer would know the other colors were not there. When you tried to print something you screen would come up with "Can Not Recognize Cartridges" Would also have five "X"s over the colors that are not in the printer.

Steve

There is an option to force black ink only, however, that is only for grayscale images, therefore it is not useful for color photos.

On grayscale images only K is forced so that no composite RGB blacks or grayscales are produced.

The Epson driver on the 1400 does not have a force K for 100% black (or 0,0,0) option.

See the attached.

 

[jasonsmith]

There is an option to force black ink only, however, that is only for grayscale images, therefore it is not useful for color photos.

On grayscale images only K is forced so that no composite RGB blacks or grayscales are produced.

The Epson driver on the 1400 does not have a force K for 100% black (or 0,0,0) option.

See the attached.

My image is 0,0,0, RGB. So when I print, I'd just need to select the greyscale for it to only pull from the black cart?

The dye sub ink is expensive which is why I was looking at only putting the black dye sub cart in for doing the full black sublimation printouts. As I usually have to do several head cleanings whenever I put the dye sub carts in.

 

[mgparrish]

My image is 0,0,0, RGB. So when I print, I'd just need to select the greyscale for it to only pull from the black cart?

The dye sub ink is expensive which is why I was looking at only putting the black dye sub cart in for doing the full black sublimation printouts. As I usually have to do several head cleanings whenever I put the dye sub carts in.

No that only works on grayscale photos or if you want to convert your color photo to true grayscale. If your art is anything but grayscale it doesn't force K thru that Epson driver setting. Everything is forced to grayscale then, even your colors in the photo.

 

[jasonsmith]

No that only works on grayscale photos or if you want to convert your color photo to true grayscale. If your art is anything but grayscale it doesn't force K thru that Epson driver setting. Everything is forced to grayscale then, even your colors in the photo.

There aren't any photos. It's spot color in Corel Draw. It's just black text that I'll be sublimating on panels.

 

[mgparrish]

There aren't any photos. It's spot color in Corel Draw. It's just black text that I'll be sublimating on panels.

I see, but that "grayscale" setting in the Epson driver will convert any color going to the printer into an equivalent grayscale. The entire page will be grayscale, you can't "spot" black only using that with any page that has color in it.

If your Corel document was all black or all grayscale then it would work.

 

[jasonsmith]

I see, but that "grayscale" setting in the Epson driver will convert any color going to the printer into an equivalent grayscale. The entire page will be grayscale, you can't "spot" black only using that with any page that has color in it.

If your Corel document was all black or all grayscale then it would work.

Yeah, the text and objects in my Corel Draw file are 0,0,0 RGB black that I plan on sublimating. I'll go ahead and check that greyscale anyways just to make sure.

I'll probably do some test sublimation just to make sure only the black cart is printing. As the rest of the carts will be regular printing color ink since I'm not doing any color sublimation.

 

[mgparrish]

Yeah, the text and objects in my Corel Draw file are 0,0,0 RGB black that I plan on sublimating. I'll go ahead and check that greyscale anyways just to make sure.

I'll probably do some test sublimation just to make sure only the black cart is printing. As the rest of the carts will be regular printing color ink since I'm not doing any color sublimation.

I think the only way to know is to do some tests pages like you mention, print enough pages to consume enough K inks to observe the ink levels.

I do a lot of grayscale printing, that grayscale setting in the Epson driver is to force everything to grayscale, I know as I use it.

 

[jasonsmith]

I think the only way to know is to do some tests pages like you mention, print enough pages to consume enough K inks to observe the ink levels.

I do a lot of grayscale printing, that grayscale setting in the Epson driver is to force everything to grayscale, I know as I use it.

I'll do some tests as that will let me see how the black sub turns out to make sure it isn't drawing ink from the color carts.

Reason I asked is because some printers will draw ink from all carts even if you are in gray scale and printing 0,0,0, RGB black.

 

[mgparrish]

I'll do some tests as that will let me see how the black sub turns out to make sure it isn't drawing ink from the color carts.

Reason I asked is because some printers will draw ink from all carts even if you are in gray scale and printing 0,0,0, RGB black.

Yes Epson can force K if only doing B&W or grayscale. So what you are trying might work if you never do color sublimation.