Can Epson L3550 (dye ink) use Durabrite pigment ink like the L6460?

Bongee

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I’m looking for a printer that uses pigment ink for archival and waterproof printing.
I found the Epson L6460 (ET-5150 equivalent) available locally, which uses Durabrite pigment ink. However, it’s designed as a business printer and includes many features (like ADF) that I don’t really need.
I also found the Epson L3550, which has somewhat similar specifications (e.g., PrecisionCore printhead) but is significantly cheaper because it's lack some features compare to L6460 . However, it uses dye ink instead of pigment ink.
My question is:
Can I use Durabrite pigment ink in the L3550? Had anyone try something similar?
My assumption is that both printers may have the same printhead hardware(or not), they might be compatible with the same type of ink or are there anything that i should be aware of?
 

Ink stained Fingers

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There is an ET-8550 which runs with dye inks as a photo printer, but you'll find several offers to switch over to pigment inks on tlhis model. This should be the same with the L3550, but you should directly initialize the printer with pigment inks . I did that several time on other printers like the L805 or L1800 or an T3100X. There are nevertheless some precautions recommended - monitor the nozzle check a little bit more frequently than you would do on a dye ink printer. And you should look to some locations inside the printer - it's not just the printhead affected by such ink change but some other areas in the printer as well - you should keep an eye on the cleaning unit and the possible build up of some pigment residue there. And there could develop an issue over time that the tube from the cleaning unit to the waste ink absorber slowly clogs with such ink debris since there is not a regular ink flow in this tube. The ET-3550 does not appear to do borderless printing, the overspray may collect in/on a small foam strip and not move away.

And keep in mind that you would loose warranty with such ink switch, the ET-3550 is not specified to work with pigment inks alternatively.

Ink bottles are coded mechanically , you can turn off the top of the ink bottles with some force and swicth them over to the pigment ink bottles.
 
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