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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: Racer Tees on June 24, 2015, 02:36:47 AM
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My shop isn't air conditioned and it has been a good 95 degrees the whole time we were gone. Without the doors open or fans running I'm sure it was toasty in here. I do have a window unit on my office for the hot days, but I can't leave it running all the time as the office isn't insulated. It's not a big deal most of the time. After a long weekend I will have to run a head cleaning and we are back in business. We have been out of town for about 18 days and I can't get these print heads un-clogged this time.
If I were to upgrade to something like a 4900 to do 17" film, will I still have the same issues with heads clogging due to heat?
Is there a way to combat these issues?
Gotta figure something out as I've been messing with this thing this evening and I have major banding issues.
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Aside from power cleanings have you tried parking the head over a cloth soaked with regular windex over night?
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it sounds like your printer may not have the little pads in the "parking area" where the head rests. Even if you do have them they may be very dry.
Best information on this device is obtained from the Epson web site where you can down load everything from the quick start manual to the service / repair manual
start here
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=epson+stylus+color+3000+service+manual (https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=epson+stylus+color+3000+service+manual)
and here too
http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/forums/inkjet/60757 (http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/forums/inkjet/60757)
mooseman
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I soaked it in the park position and it's mostly unclogged and not banding anymore. I'm more concerned with a long term solution. Seems like I'm having to run 3-4 head cleanings every week.
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Are there inks known for their increased "clog resistance" over others?
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I have a 4800 and JUST went through this a few days ago. I use windex or Armor All in the empty carts. works like a champ.... I would do the same thing, come in monday and the sucker would band and throw errors.... I bought different ink and it seems to have cleared up...? so maybe start with a different ink?
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For reference. I use refillable cartridges and all uv dye black ink from PrintPayLess.
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For reference. I use refillable cartridges and all uv dye black ink from PrintPayLess.
I didn't catch it, what printer do you have?
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Do NOT get a 4900. They are the worst clogging Epson to date.
We have few issues with missing nozzles, but when we do, it's almost always over a three day weekend
or right when the weather changes from winter/spring to summer. Definitely heat related.
If you know you are going to be gone for awhile, there are programs to schedule a print job every couple days.
The most important thing with any inkjet is to keep it printing.
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Sooooo happy to not have epson printers in my life anymore LOL
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Super helpful as usual.
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Racer, you can force Greased Lightening, Windex etc through the nozzles onto a folded paper towel.
Too long to write again, but if you just CAN'T get all the nozzles to fire, PM me and I'll walk you through it on the tele. I ran across the info on Cobra Ink System's site and modified the delivery method.
Tonight is out for a phone conv, but tomorrow would work.
Hey, I might have posted that on this forum before. (lemme see.....)
Yup.
http://www.theshirtboard.com/index.php?topic=14490.0 (http://www.theshirtboard.com/index.php?topic=14490.0) It doesn't include pressuring the solution down through one of the little posts that pierce the carts. I got some fuel line from a hobby store and it fits on a syringe and right over the nipple hoomahickey. Squeeze some "juice" in there and it might break the plugs loose. Don't over do it. I unplugged a completely plugged 3000 many moon ago with warmed solution.
The ink is designed to dry. It does that... in the heads too, unfortunately.
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Brandt has a point, Epson printers are great, but finicky...he said what many people that run Epsons wish.
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Brandt has a point, Epson printers are great, but finicky...he said what many people that run Epsons wish.
Yup. I wish I had a nickle for every time I've cussed 'em.
But in the end, I usually win.
And they make money for me. I can't spring for a DTS...and a bona-fide imagesetter doesn't interest me.
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Brandt has a point, Epson printers are great, but finicky...he said what many people that run Epsons wish.
But, it's a little like you asking a repair question on an MG forum and being told "you should get a Miata!" True or not, it's not what you went there to see.
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Sooooo happy to not have epson printers in my life anymore LOL
Is there any other option without going DTS? DTS would be like lighting money on fire for my shop.
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But, it's a little like you asking a repair question on an MG forum and being told "you should get a Miata!" True or not, it's not what you went there to see.
I wouldn't disagree with that either. ;)
Epsons are fine printers. Sometimes terrible. Nothing was worse than page after page of 1 line of garbage. Most RIP companies have gotten the printers to behave pretty well. We didn't have many problems with the 4800.
That being said, I would try to keep it in an air conditioned space. It would make life much easier on it.
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That being said, I would try to keep it in an air conditioned space. It would make life much easier on it.
This space is FAR from air conditioned. I have a window unit just for the office, but the office isn't insulated and I can't get it below 80 in here. It has been more like 95° and 60% humidity in here the whole time we were on vacation.
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We've had an Epson based dts a little over a year now. I do atleast a nozzle check daily with the exception of weekends. In a year, I've only had to do 1 power cleaning but otherwise get perfect nozzle checks. Not like I get any vacations but if I did and was going to be over say 10 days I would flush the ink even though that would be costly but would save many headaches.
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Super helpful as usual.
Your reply above is helpful? I guess a guy can't be excited about not having those issues anymore. You really should try to lighten up.
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Brandt has a point, Epson printers are great, but finicky...he said what many people that run Epsons wish.
But, it's a little like you asking a repair question on an MG forum and being told "you should get a Miata!" True or not, it's not what you went there to see.
If forums ONLY had people answering exactly on topic they would be a real boring place. Some people just need to lighten up. Can't even make a little joke some people so wound up over NOTHING.
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Sooooo happy to not have epson printers in my life anymore LOL
Is there any other option without going DTS? DTS would be like lighting money on fire for my shop.
EPSON still probably remains the best solution (for the money), but they are frustrating. We had great luck to strings of issues with our 4880. It was never exactly predictable on how it would play that day. When we ran the epson it was in the AC, but on weekends the AC was scaled back to 80. Sometimes we had issues sometimes we didn't, even when we used to keep it in total AC at all times we still had same results, sometimes it worked sometimes it required more effort.
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Brandt has a point, Epson printers are great, but finicky...he said what many people that run Epsons wish.
8)
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We also have hot conditions and on a long week end I leave tHe AC running.
One thing that helps open the heads is a cool mist humidifier. I have a cold vapor unit that shoots out a stream of mist. This definitely helps open clogged heads.
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Thought we were good to go. Came in today, tried to print films for a job... Same BS... Where's my sledge hammer?
I don't think humidity is my problem. Its 50-60% plus all the time in here.
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Sooooo happy to not have epson printers in my life anymore LOL
Is there any other option without going DTS? DTS would be like lighting money on fire for my shop.
Canon printers.
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Canon printers
do any of the major RIPs support anything other than Epson?
I was told that it was due to Epson being the only manufacturer who provided a software interface to control the nozzles on the printer.
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Wasatch supports different Canon printers.
http://www.wasatch.com/canon_rip_software.html (http://www.wasatch.com/canon_rip_software.html)
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Good to know.. their list is crazy long. (Crazy expensive too), but getting cool features like stochastic dots, etc is cool.
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Wasatch supports different Canon printers.
[url]http://www.wasatch.com/canon_rip_software.html[/url] ([url]http://www.wasatch.com/canon_rip_software.html[/url])
In my own personal experience, I went through some serious $$, significant twisting, turning and finessing complete with MUCH wailing and gnashing of teeth, only to find that Epsons work for film positives for screenprinting, Canons don't. In the interest of full disclosure, I have Accurip, not Wasatch.
But I have yet to hear from a Canon inkjet user, who consistently prints films dense enough for our purposes.
Rockers, are you the first??
When I finally gave up on Canons (using ghost rip at the time) I had to walk a tightrope between, significant underexposure, and nearly impossible "wash out" during development. ESPECIALLY dots.
So if YOU can do it, please say so, and specifically how. I "keep my backup wheels well greased"...PLUS I've got some Canons mothballed somewhere around here.
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i sound like a broken record, but I think the Epson 300 with Hybrid Screen Ink is the best combo. That Epson was a workhorse and we had very few nozzle problems.
before I sunk anymore money into a film output solution I would improve the environment it's in.
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One thing you really need to pay attention to is the state of the wiper blade. That`s the blade that cleans the print head. This thing is getting very dirty after a while and in the end all it does is spreading old dried ink across the print head without actually cleaning it. Pretty easy to clean that blade.
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One thing you really need to pay attention to is the state of the wiper blade. That`s the blade that cleans the print head. This thing is getting very dirty after a while and in the end all it does is spreading old dried ink across the print head without actually cleaning it. Pretty easy to clean that blade.
Amen, I've got that on a to do list on the 1st of each month schedule. Epsons can be a pain to deal with at times but I'll do anything I can to baby this thing to keep the i image running. I've become spoiled.