The ET-8550 is an A3 printer , the ET-8500 just prints A4 and is slightly cheaper, it runs at Amazon in Germany for below 500€. You may give it another try at the shop where you purchased the first G650, it would be the risk for the shop if the 2nd one would fail as well.
There should be some software 'Epson Software Updater' installed on your (Windows) computer which you start, and where you can deactivate automatic updates - it's a pretty clear software , it does not just updates the driver and/or firmware but as well other preinter related software like OCR or...
The IP3600 is a pretty ancient printer model more than 10 years old; the B200 error is the typical printhead failure which in lots of cases damages the motherboard as well.
I would not spend any effort anymore on such printer and rather look for a new printer - as a megatank or cartridge based...
The icc profiles in the above zip-file are created as V 4 profiles except the Adobe one which is a V 2 profile. Please could you redo the other profiles as well as V 2. profiles, some software like iccview.de or Monaco profiler only display V 2. profiles for review.
You are right that Datacolor products have been updated over time; I'm not familiar anymore with the latest version of their pakcages; I'm irritated how Datacolor calls the Color sensor a 'Spectrocolorimeter' - what is it - a colorimeter measuring the intensity in a particular color range or a...
You would need a color reference - a print or a film with known color data which you can purchase separately;
There is some software supporting this profiling method via a scanner
https://www.ddisoftware.com/prism/
But I very much support @pharmacist 's comment to rather go for a used...
Both the 103 and 104 black inks appear to be dye inks - not pigment inks. You can unscrew the heads of the bottles - with some force - and sdwap them on the ink bottles if the 103 won't be accepted mechanically.
Sorry , but I have a small problem - you are posting a crop of a nozzle check print
printing the firmware version and the serial number - with black ink,
and a printhead creating such a fuzzy print needs some cleaning - at least for the
black channel even if the other ink channels are working...
The fuzzy print in the cropped nozzle check print above is as clear sign that some cleaning is necessary. And a printhead alignment can only be done with a clean and complete nozzle check, it does not help to fix fuzzy prints but only cleaning would.
Hairsprays differ quite a lot how the nozzles create a fine or very fine and homogenious fog, and spraying may need a little bit of exercise to control the density, but it's an overall easy exercise.
Hairsparys differ by the overall acryl substance density - bottles in Europe are marked with...
Le me update the upper table after another year - the complete fading of patchsheets after 2 years.
It is interesting to see that the paper type very much defines whether colors shift less with the OEM 106 ink or the 3rd party InkTec inks. The amount of fading in an album or similar is...
Give hairspray a try - as a test - just use the regular one not the strong stuff which is weatherresistant etc. You should test various brands - the nozzles are different and create a different type of fog .
The hairspray works like the Canon chroma optimizer , it increases the gamut and very...
An Epson printer needs to print - somewhat regularly or it'll clog.
There are plenty videos on Youtube showing how unclog/flush a printhead like this one
and more.
Please print a nozzle check and post it here; are you using Epson cartridges or do you do refill ?
What is the usage rate for your printer - frequently - regularly or idling most of the time ?
I assume you are reporting the issue on your listed XP-8700 ?
I'm using a WF-2010W to test inks - dye and pigment, and use several sets of type 16 cartridges with ARC chips to swap inks as needed; the printer did 24 000 pages so far
I think I need to repost this paper again - published by Epson longer time ago describing technically what is happening inside a Canon printhead but this in marketing speech. Canon printheads can be cleaned but there is no way to rejuvenate the nozzles itself, and there is no internal counter...