Just converted my Artisan 720 to External Waste ink

[jtoolman]

I'd like to share my latest printer project with you guys.

I had checked my Artisan 720 which is running currently on a CISS from Precision Colors, with the WIC tool and the main waste ink counter was up to about 80% so since the waste pad box unit it is a user replaceable item, I decided it was time to look for a replacement.
Well, I could only find then available on our good friend's octoink.co.uk site.

So while looking around I discovered Martin's great instruction on how to install the Printer Potty to an Artisan Printer.
I substituted an empty 110ml ink bottle as the waste ink receptacle. I may still purchase a Printer Potty for it at a later date as it is a hell of lot more elegant!

Installation was extremely simple. Remove the waste ink box screw in the rear of the printer. The unit then pops out and the Waste INK Tube from the purge unit lips out of a small plastic receiving box that is part of the waste ink box. There are pictures of the unit in the instructions. I could have purchased a replacement unit from Martin but I was on a hurry so I chose to go with waste ink bottle for now.

So basically you completely remove the waste ink box and you end up with the waste ink tube looking at you. I then press-fitted a single length of CISS tubing into the printer's existing waste ink tube ( tight fit ) , and threaded it out of the printer through the screw hole that held the waste in box in place. I secured the new tubing internally against the inner wall of the printer case with a piece of clear packing tape. It's not going anywhere!
I did not have to enlarge the screw hole to pass the tubing so if I choose to install a new waste ink box at a later date, I will be able to, as the printer has not be modified in any way.
With the length of tubing now out of the printer, it was simple thing to slip the end into a matching hole on the bottle cap. A small vent hole was also drilled.

I tested the modified system by running a cleaning cycle. Waste ink drained perfectly into the bottle. No leaks anywhere.

Now for the resetting of the waste ink counters.

I could have used the WIC tool with a $10 serial but I found the actual Adjustment Program on EBAY from the UK for a bit more but unlike a tool requiring "Pay Per Use" serials, adjustment programs can be used for an unlimited number of resets. They also provide you with many functions best left to the printer techs.

Once it was emailed to me, I proceeded to successfully reset both counters back to zero.

If you don't know how to use adjustment programs, I would still recommend the WIC tool as it is relatively easy and pretty much foolproof.

Joe

 

[cls]

I have Adjustment Programs for all my Epson that I heavily use: P50, 1400. R285, R265, R3000, R1800, R800 and 2100 and it works fine

 

[jtoolman]

Same here. The AP for the Artisan 720/725 was the only one I did not have.
You do not need one for the R1800 R800 and 2100/2200 and the old multi printer tool SSC tool resets them a lot easier than Adjustment Programs
The 2100 can be reset manually through a special start up procedure.

Joe

 

[cls]

artisan 720 is the px720wd in Europe it has twice the amount of Inkjet nozzles compared to the p50 and1400 afaik
only thing I don't like is the paper handling and feeding

 

[jtoolman]

Yes the paper handling is awfull.
Can't even handle double sided Matte from Staples. It can pull Kirland glossy and just about any other glossy so long as it's not too thick.
Since I am running it on a CISS with IS inks, I ran some Colormunki profiles and the results are truly great. No bad for such a little machine. It's my little workhorse among the 15 plus printer army!

One super great feature about all the stationary cart Artisans is that whe you either switch an empty oout with a full one OR reset a position with the CISS, there is NO ink purge to waste ink. It simply recognizes the chip and accepts it. That's it. Same think apparently occurs with orther printers using stationary carts such as the R3000 PRO 3800 and 3880.

Joe

 

[cls]

Great!
I am sitting at home and creating a profile for my beloved Epson P50.
I FINALLY ordered two additional empty refillable cartriges Kits and switched from OCP Dye > OCP pigment Ink

LightCyan CPL201 (Light Cyan R2400)
LightMagenta MPL201 (Light Magenta R2400)
Magenta MP200 (Magenta R2400)
Yellow YP200 (Yellow R2400
Cyan CP200 (Cyan R2400)
Black BKP202 (Photo Black R2400)

I do alot of 10x15cm (4x6 inch) printing for customers. And right now its the "return from holiday" peak. Alot of former customers asking me to print their stuff from 10x15 to DIN A4. I did print all of it on severall P50s with Dye and before that with the beast R800 with pigmented inks BUT I cant find good and cheap replacement these days for a R800 for less than 100.- . I bought 3 P50s for less than 100 in the last two month. Converted to pigment ink and an attached waste ink tank and severall refillable cartriges this thing is just a BEAST.

I did try CISS on my R800 and 1400 and it was ALWAYS a mess, and ALWAYS a lot of ink did go to the junk. There is no experementing.
I love the workflow with two P50s printing simultaneously and if a Ink Cartriges gets the "low" Warning and ejected I simply exchange it for another one. I have 6 full packs of refillable cartriges that last a long time, in the evening a always refill them, so no stick fingers inbeetween printing.

 

[jtoolman]

Sounds great.
CISS are always a mess on printers with the carts on the moving cariage.
The Artisan 7xx to 8xx have stationary carts so you can detach one side of the scanner unit lift it up at an angle and feed the ink ribbon straight out the back Does not interfere with ink flow in any way and you can actually fully close the the lid.

I love it.

Joe

 

[cls]

Here is the "new" converted P50 with fresh printed color patches

I will be creating my own waste ink tank I got the tubing and box already,

 

[martin0reg]

Did you try the epson OEM ink made for the L800 on your P50?
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8893
Epson OEM claria ink is known to be a very lightfast dye ink, almost as durable as pigment (wilhelm research)

Do you have a link for the OCP pigment ink in your P50? (octopus-office in germany? which item exactly? refillable carts?)
- Is it usable only with custom profile?
Perhaps the epson OEM ink for L800 is usable in the P50 without custom profile...

 

[cls]

I don't fuzz with the l800 and the l800 ink are 100% identical to p50 1400 and all other claria printers. pigment ink ist whole other story u just can't compare the archiving qualities and uv light resistance and the waterproofness over any dye inks. I did a lot of thinking and will leave the shore of dye printing and hook to the pigment stuff. my customers had to many complaints with photos that I printed for them.

The inks are R2400 ocp inks directly from ocp GmbH but octopus office has the to 180 for 1000ml of each color