Epson Stylus Pro 4880 cyan nozzle clog?

8643 Views 16 Replies 4 Participants Last post by jay2k6ie, Apr 17, 2012

jay2k6ie

Discussion Starter · Apr 13, 2012 (Edited)

Hi and might I say great forum I am very happy to have found it!

I have recently purchased a Epson stylus pro 4880 ultrachrome for sublimation printing and I having major problems with the cyan colour (sawgrass sublimation inks). It was a sudden issue as the machine was working perfectly and then the Cyan just started acting up so I ran a nozzle check through the menu on the printer and each time I have run it I get blocks missing in the same places.

I must point out I am very inexperienced with this printer so please bare with me. I have done pretty much every fix I can find online that is within my capability and still no solution. I have purchased Simple Green and tried the various ideas for that product such as saturating a cloth and moving the print head over for 12 hours but this has made absolutely no difference to the results in the nozzle check. I have flushed cleaning fluid through the cyan line by running a power clean and I have run mulitple normal power cleans to no avail.

This printer is like new and barely used and I think that might be what has caused the issue but as none of the ideas I have tried to fix it with have worked I am now back to square one and this is really hurting my business. As I am using sublimation inks Epson will not repair the machine for me as my warranty is voided so I'm hoping somebody here can help me or point me in the right direction.

I've attached a picture of my latest nozzle check which is identical to the 20-30 I have done previous since the problem started, so even with the various things I've tried to fic the problem have made absolutely no difference.

thanks for your time and help!

http://imgur.com/P27vW

See less See more

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

drcigg

· #2 · Apr 13, 2012

What kind of ink are you using?

Also with epsons it is recommened to print atleast once a week with it to keep from developing a clogged printhead. I would suggest to keep running the head cleaning as only a few times may not clean it. If it has been sitting for a while since you printed last it may be very clogged. I actually threw away my last epson for clogged print head. It sat for 6 months and was basically unusable at that point. All attempts at cleaning the head failed.

Conde_David

· #3 · Apr 14, 2012 (Edited)

Are you using refill carts? Brand of ink?
Do a print version of the nozzle check and post.
Do a SSC cleaning if you are not making progress.
Instructions at condetv.com search for ssc.

jay2k6ie

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 14, 2012

Conde_David said:
Are you using refill carts? Brand of ink?
Do a print version of the nozzle check and post.
Do a SSC cleaning if you are not making progress.
Instructions at condetv.com search for ssc.

Hi and thanks for your replies. We are using Sawgrass sublimation ink in refillable carts.

Can you explain how I do a 'print version of the nozzle check?' I will have a look at the condetv video for the ssc cleaning. thank you

jay2k6ie

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 14, 2012

Also could you explain how to do a manual nozzle check? Is that by using the 'test print' option on the printer or something else?

Thanks again for the support

HumbleShirts

· #6 · Apr 14, 2012

You can do a nozzle check through the printer menu or you can use the desktop software (EPSON CONTROL PANEL). If you didn't get the CD with the printer you can probably get that from EPSON website via download.

For a simple clean, you can press and hold the menu button on the printer for 3 seconds.

I'd say try another few power cleanings. Bummer because those cycles waste so much of that crazy expensive inks.

drcigg

· #7 · Apr 14, 2012

I believe there is a head cleaning option in the epson software.

checkout these links they may help
Sawgrass Technologies - Troubleshooting Missing Nozzles
Sawgrass Technologies - Everything You Need to Know about Nozzle Checks

jay2k6ie

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 14, 2012

HTT130 said:
You can do a nozzle check through the printer menu or you can use the desktop software (EPSON CONTROL PANEL). If you didn't get the CD with the printer you can probably get that from EPSON website via download.

For a simple clean, you can press and hold the menu button on the printer for 3 seconds.

I'd say try another few power cleanings. Bummer because those cycles waste so much of that crazy expensive inks.

I've done about 10 power cleans at this stage and it hasnt made a bit of difference, just wasted a lot of ink so I'll be trying to avoid doing any more.

The SSC is something I can try. So the manual nozzle check is done through the Epson software rather than the printer menu itself? Is that right?

Conde_David

· #9 · Apr 14, 2012

From the pc, go to printing preferences, utility,
Nozzle check. You will see auto and print.
Do the print. This option is not available from
the front panel.

Do not do a power cleaning!

Post the print version of the nozzle check.

What brand Sawgrass ink?

jay2k6ie

Discussion Starter · #10 · Apr 14, 2012

Conde_David said:
From the pc, go to printing preferences, utility,
Nozzle check. You will see auto and print.
Do the print. This option is not available from
the front panel.

Do not do a power cleaning!

Post the print version of the nozzle check.

What brand Sawgrass ink?

Thanks david I will not do any more power cleans! To be honest I dont know the brand of Sawgrass ink I just know that its Sawgrass sublimation ink for plastic. The reason I dont know the brand is because our supplier removes the labels and adds their own..

I will do what you have advised and post the results thanks David!

Conde_David

· #11 · Apr 14, 2012

It is funny business to hide the labels.

There was an issue with artainium cyan.

Over time the ink could spoil in a refill cart.

jay2k6ie

Discussion Starter · #12 · Apr 14, 2012

Conde_David said:
It is funny business to hide the labels.

There was an issue with artainium cyan.

Over time the ink could spoil in a refill cart.

Hi David yes it is Artainium.. that name rings a bell from when we purchased the printing setup. Our setup is very new (6 motnhs old) and the printer isnt left idle that much.. I have put fresh cyan in recently also..

jay2k6ie

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 16, 2012

Conde_David said:
Are you using refill carts? Brand of ink?
Do a print version of the nozzle check and post.
Do a SSC cleaning if you are not making progress.
Instructions at condetv.com search for ssc.

I did the manual nozzle check and here are the results:
I also ran the head cleaning once or twice and it didnt seem to do much. I am unable to run the SSC for some reason even though I have full inks and a new maintanence tank it continues to say "Unable to Execute"??

See less See more

Conde_David

· #14 · Apr 16, 2012

Run the auto nozzle check and then run print
nozzle check. Compare the old print with the new one

jay2k6ie

Discussion Starter · #15 · Apr 16, 2012

Conde_David said:
Run the auto nozzle check and then run print
nozzle check. Compare the old print with the new one

Is the auto nozzle check the one I do through the printer menu? (Test Print)

If not can you tell me how to perform the auto nozzle check? Presumably the print nozzle check is the one I just posted?

Thanks David

Conde_David

· #16 · Apr 16, 2012

In printing preferences, utility, nozzle check, auto

jay2k6ie

Discussion Starter · #17 · Apr 17, 2012

Conde_David said:
In printing preferences, utility, nozzle check, auto

Auto Nozzle check results:

See less See more

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.