My Epson printer worklog...

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Warning! wall of text!
@bottom To Long Didn't Read

Hi folks
I startet with an Canon IX4000 A3 printer, went to compatible then refillable auto reset cartriges.
Next thing was a mint condition Epson 1400, refillable cartriges and bulk dye ink, wow great colors, brillant on glossy paper.
I picked up a Epson P50 localy for my parents and 500 10x15cm sheets also with refillable cartriges and ink so that they can
print their images rather then waiting days till they turn up in their mail.

Meanwhile I was researching a lot various Epson Printers, A3 sheets wasn enough and the printquality good be better or even "fade" resistant.
Just some little water droplets and those shiny P50/1400 prints looked like Sh*t

I got a Epson Stylus Photo R800 with 20 compatible cartriges for 15 with a heavly clogged print head. I tried to flush it out with the syringe to
nozzle method but it wont worked as I was expecting it to work.
So i went on dismantling the Printhead and leaving it in a epson pigment solution that i found on ebay for 4 days flushed all channels execpt the
GLOP (since no pigments involved) dried it and put it back into the printer.
After a Power Cylcle with the SSC Tool I got finaly the printer up and running, but the Waste ink pad and the printer Internal condition and the
rollers that grip the paper all have been heavly used. The person who sold me the printer
used it in a photoshop next to a civil authory, he printed most time ID photos for passports, drivers license and stoff, therefore it was heavly used.
I did my rearch pick up 3 other R800 (clogged nozzels obviously) for a total of 60 with OEM Cartriges and most of its accesories and it was Head flushing
all over again.

I sold the first unclogged Printhead with a perfect nozzle check on eBay so the total costs where covered for all the r800s.

Then I picked up a "working but clogged Epson Stylus Color 3000." build in 1997. for original epson cartriges supplied CYM was @50% black was depleted.
All colors where clogged, so I opend up that beast and cleaned it as best I could (RIP 200x q-tips)
Did a power cycle, hocked it up with a cheap USB <> LPT cable, since i had no clue how to get the ethernet printserver to work (RJ45 with 10Mbits).
I got lucky and sniped two full sets of Non-OEM ink for the SC3000 an printed out some posters for my friends. What Can I say the SC3000 is a mean
working beast, that requires little maintenance but it slow on "photo" quality and its far inferior from my good'ol SP1400.
I cleaned the SC3000 up and auctioned it on ebay as well with the SP800.

I got really interested printing on roll paper or even canvas. Cheapest solution would be the R1800 or 2100. So my search began. Bought a perfect condtion
R1800 for 130 with fresh installed OEM Cartriges, another with clogged printhead (was staying at least 2 years in the attic w/o cartriges installed).
R1800 worked right out the box after flushing each nozzle manually with a syringe, due my experience with the little brothers R800 I got it to work after
repeating the flush cycle 10x times within 72hours. I even had 7 syringes with tubing and flushing detergent installed on the printhead, without pulling
the printhead out since there is plenty room to workwith. I just had to put a piece of fabric under the printhead so it wont spill into the printers guts
leaving a big mess.

R1800 was a BIG BIG improvent in comparison to the Epson 1400. I often ruined print on the SC1400 because I wasnt carefull enough with fresh print leaving
fingerprint on darker areas. With pigment ink this is no problem anymore. My SP1400 sits tight in a shipping box with its equipment ready to auction it to
cover my next big investment: Epson Stylus Pro 4000, working condition with a used 17" roll paper "Efi Photo Proofing Paper" 50m (~ approx. 5m Used).
I sniped it for 60 but cargo shippement with insurance with pickup added another 100 to it. 160 for an Professional Printer, sweet!
I looked around since the printer had no cartriges installed to get a solution for refillable cartriges and found a cheap source right in china for 125
8 Cartriges with resetable (auto reset) chips with DHL express shipping was the best I could get, I ordered them right away.
Next thing was getting rid of one of my R1800 I had in my "working" room and as well the little R800.
My plan was having a BIG printer with an autocutter option for 17" wide prints and a 13" one for sheet paper or even Roll paper.
R1800/R1900/R2000 first choice was the 1800 since its rather cheap to get on want ads or ebay and I have plenty of bulk ink and OEM cartriges left for it
SP2100/SP2200 Introduction of K2 Inks (two black inks)
and the Pro 4000 (same as the SP2100 but all 8 Cartriges are installed all the time no need to swap beetween chaniging from matte to glossy media)

I bought bulk inks for my R800/R1800 as 800ml (8x100ml) packages on eBay but it wasnt really the same colors as the OEM cartriges, I got a custom profile from
the seller (colorgraph) and the print switch from ok to awesome. Gloss Print looks amazing on the R1800, since I had no 2100 it was time to purchase one, and I got
lucky purchased one with FULLY equipment, autocutter rollpaperholder never been used, only 50 sheet printed (a3plus) and then stored away since quote the previous owner
"it got to costly". Now I am still waiting the 2100 to arrive, ordered Ocotpus Fluids K2 Ink Set for both my printer (2100 and pro4000) but I guess I need
a CIS or refillable option for the 2100 as well.

I am thinking that I will defintley keep the:
2100
one R1800
Pro 4000

and ditching all other printers to compensate my "other" color management project, bought a EFi ES-1000 (branded X-Rite i1 Pro)
for 200 inkl. shipping and waiting for its arival. Comes with no software but I will use it to maintain a color management workflow
with the Freeware AgyrllCMS. I hope I will get printing colours there where I wanted to be.

TL/DR: bought some printers, and more, enjoying it, keep it cool

 

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one of my R800 printers fully tested ready to auction



this is the beast SC3000 ready for auction


and the precious P50 my parents used but I changed it to an R1800 (they obiviously only print 10x15 or 13x18 sheets) my
younger brother live with my parents and he uses the R1800 for its own purpose



This is the Stylus Pro 4000 fresh arrived by cargo and cleanded,
also my Refillable cartriges from China I had orded from "alibaba express" cleared german customs and arrived a day later.
OCP status for my first batch of K2 ink (compatible with Epson 2100/2200/4000/7600/9600) I had orded all 8 colour (inkl matte and photo black)
each color 500ml (~16,9oz) since both Epsons 2100 and my precious 4000 use k2 inks I thought a good stock for the first order will be neccessary.

Here are the empty refillable cartriges. They come with chips equiped and a 7 pin epson reseter. Also 4 Funnels where in the package but wait..
its 8 colors! what I am supposed to do here? Guess i will be picking up 4 seperate funnel for each color get a own designated one.



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