Epsons Yes.....but, but,but...

[Bo Wrangborg]

Here I go again. New EP. I have not opened the box yet - I'm planning.
This printer shall not be the fifth printer thrown on the landfill.
It started with three 1290's. One with OEM-inks, another with B/W and the last for experimenting with pigment inks. That was 2001. Then there was a 2400 and and last a R3000.

Now I have bought a brand new 3880. The P800 was out there - but I want others to test that one.
I love to have total control of everything - that's include printing.

To make a long story short. I'm travelling, working, has other hobbies like veteran cars and also work with "working dogs" - the last one was a Curly coated retriever - certified SAR-dog. Plenty of opportunities to snap.
(Hmm...photo is also one of my hobbies - goes back to the 60-ties - the cameras are always there!)

Now to the problem!

I takes photos all the time has so much to do so printing is only done about one to two a times a year.
An intensive printing session can last for about three weeks - then it's over for that time. Photos are delivered to friends, clubs, gifts etc.

Now - I'm not compulsory taking care of my EP:s. In the beginning perhaps.
The last R3000 was doing good until I switched to matte black. Then hell broke lose in that very printer. Ended with yellow printing blackish etc. The net is full of advices which I eagerly read and do - yes I'm practical but with the EP:s it ends with ENDLESS unclogging sessions. I value time - so it went for the landfill. Me being released.

How shall an casual hobby-printerer like me do?

I have a plan!!!!!

The 3880 was bought because it also has pressurized cartridges. It's simple to flush.
I'm going to buy some pirate-cartridges and fill them with deionized absolute clean water water.
Add some drips of wetting agents an some drips of propylenglycol. The last thing for protecting the mechanics and crystals in the printhead when water has evaporated.

I'll flush the whole cartridges until the purging is leaving no traces of colour.

(Now putting the cartridges in plastic pouches and place them in the fridge! Protecting the printer from dust etc and leave it for sleep.)

Am I free to go now for other things to do?

Can I relax and feel confident that when coming back, perhaps a year later, to have a lovely printing session with no problems? With a new load of papers to calibrate and print.

I hate printing problems - they steal time, printers and money - and make me coloured.

You out there - is my PLAN going to ruin this printer as well?

 

[3dogs]

I am a current 3880 user.
Print head parks at capping station, this seal quality is I believe CRITICAL.
If the printer is used to print pics. there will be ink in the lines ( Most likley where your blockage was on the 3000 now resting at the tip (WOGR)
What are you putting water etc in ink free cart 3880 carts for? I have 2yo Cone carts sitting empty. when refilled operate 100%
If you use OEM ink...such a session may use 50% of an 80ml cart.......just throw it away its safer.
Or
Purchase "Pirate Carts from Cone, and some of their "Pirate" K3 ink.and toss that away when finished and simply flush, dry and seal the carts. I reseal with sticky and six months seems ok from my experience!!

Finally the actual serious logic... In Aust tossing half empty set of OEM carts $500...... Same thing with Cone ink about $2 for the set

Good luck, have fun!

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

do you have somebody, or know somebody, in the family, or friend whoever who could 'take care' of your printer during these idle times, just printing something whatever to keep the unit running, and doing a nozzle check once in a while. Doing that with 3rd party ink, no matte black, wouldn't cost you much, and would save extended cleaning cycles after a long idle time.
There is a German company offering a liquid as a treatment to store printheads, I don't know their recipe, or whether such liquid is available elsewhere. You would have to get it to the nozzles, which would require a separate cartridge set and purge/load cycles to get the regular ink out of the ink system.
http://www.octopus-office.de/en/sho...druckkopf-frischhalte-konservierungs-loesung/

 

[Bo Wrangborg]

Thanks fellows for Your answers.

However - think about it - what is wrong with water as described above?
What harm can it do?

BTW - I have a litre of that very conserving fluid - cost with fright from Germany - near 50 bucks!
But - what's in it?

This market has taken prophetical dimensions - like on old wild westernmovies where dizzy people sell wonder liniments to prizes that make You believe in them. (he he ... just taste the name "Magic Bullet")

OK - I have almost all of those liniments - they have travelled around the world to my expense.
Most of it worked as embalming fluid for my EP:s - now resting on the landfill for coming archaeologists to write their master paper.

 

[pharmacist]

Homemade preserving liquid for printhead:

15 % propylene glycol (humectant: this active substance will prevent the printhead from drying when all ingredients have evaporated from the printhead and also kills off germs/fungus)
25 % isopropanol or denatured ethanol (lowers surface tension making the solution able to penetrate inside the tiniest cavities of the printhead and acts as an preservative to kill off germs/fungus)
distilled/purified water up to 100 %

Anyhow: does the TS suffer from ADHD or similar mental disorder ?

 

[The Hat]

Bo Wrangborg, I reckon all of the measures you are taking to keep you machine clog free are completely taking you in the wrong direction i.e. backwards.

From what I can gather the 3880 is sure one hell of a good printer and like it’s Canon cousin the (Pro 1) they can be left 12 months without stirring an inch and still work perfectly with little or no effort on the owners part.

When you’re going away just turn it off using its own power switch and then cover it over with a cloth, plastic or canvas cover and it will be fine till you return.

When you get home again just reverse the procedure and the machine when powered on will take care of everything for you with a clean, shave and a brush up then print just like you had never left..

 

[Bo Wrangborg]

Not answering yet!

I'm thinking of what You have stated.

(BTW who is TS? TS Eliot? Suffering from ADHD? Certainly if he was an EP:er)

Will return!

 

[pharmacist]

TS: Topic Starter .

 

[Bo Wrangborg]

Hmmm...

What place is this?

I only suffer from high ink pressure!

 

[3dogs]

Bo Wrangborg, I reckon all of the measures you are taking to keep you machine clog free are completely taking you in the wrong direction i.e. backwards.

From what I can gather the 3880 is sure one hell of a good printer and like it’s Canon cousin the (Pro 1) they can be left 12 months without stirring an inch and still work perfectly with little or no effort on the owners part.

When you’re going away just turn it off using its own power switch and then cover it over with a cloth, plastic or canvas cover and it will be fine till you return.

When you get home again just reverse the procedure and the machine when powered on will take care of everything for you with a clean, shave and a brush up then print just like you had never left..

@The Hat is spot on....100%......only advice I would add from personal experience over several years ( its counter to just about everyone else) ditch the OEM ink, get into Cone and start to experience hassle free printing. Clogs nil, colour spot on and lasts as long as any OEM ink....
Like in real life, Engineering, Chemistry....you name it.... I believe that the performance modeling of inks is about sponsorship and industry recognition........ Garbage in....garbage out...

When all else fails use common sense....The inks have not been around long enough to demonstrate the durability predictions and when enough time HAS passed we wont be here to say "see - told you so my Cone inks are still going!!"