Alright - I did not gave up. I think mine and OP:s problem are at least partly solved. The solution to the problem is in any manual from Epson and from third party ink supplier.
The key word is "agitate the carts every two weeks" (In Epson themselves manual. Pigment inks are particles floating in an "ink carrier". Pigment maybe heavier (sinks) lighter (floats) than the density of the pigment ink carrier. That is over time inks are not uniformly distributed in the ink carrier.
To look at that issue in the engineering manner I did the following tests:
After thinking my hypothesis was "it's important to agitate the pigment inks" - So let me test if it's that important.
To make the test - with inks only I chose a package of the well known quality paper that anyone can buy and have a rather good reputation.
Also with that paper You can download different pre-made icc profiles by almost any ink-supplier inklusive Epson.
Paper used "Epson Premium Glossy Photopaper" only.
Printer Ep. 3880.
Ink 1: Cone Color Pro
Ink 2: Epson's own original.
Cart type 1: Cone original "Chinese" carts
Cart type 2: Epson original.
Progs: Chromix Profile prism (latest ver.), X-rite I1profiler 1.6.7, Test charts 1095 patches - scrambled measured M1D50 after one day drying. ICC-Profiles from Epson and Cone.
Sitting in the printer was cone carts with cone inks last refilled in November. Unagitated. So there I started.
As OP and I pointed out - the profiles made was not not satisfactory.
Then to the next step - agitating the Cone carts. At once I noticed TWO issues.
1/ The cart was filled with severe ink foam over the ink-levels.
2/ Carts is containing several chambers and channels that made it impossible to fully mix all inks by agitating. Inks closed/sitting in those channels and chambers.
However I agitated the carts and let them settle over night - up-side-down. (half filled) Then put them in the printer - purged the lines and cleaned the caping-station for non contamination.
Printed the I1profiler-charts and measured them the day after.
Next test: Epson inks. Agitated my reference - Epson original inks in their carts.
No problem at all - no air in the bladders at all in those carts and ALL ink in one container (the bladder that is) - makes agitation fully functional.
Put them in the 3880 - made some deep purges and cleaned the caping-station.
Printed the test-charts. And the same procedure as last time.
Measured them.
This takes time - drying and all.
I have other tests in mind - I'll will when time permits - empty a set of half used Epson-carts and crack them the way Jose Rodriguez, that is our friend
@jtoolman, does and fill them with Cone-inks. And then go through the procedure above.
OK to the results so far. Profile Prism used.
As said before in this thread - the old test is no more to discussed here. It was not "up there" at all.
- Agitated Cone-inks in Cone carts just "better" but not at all up to Cones own profile for that paper on The Cone site.
Agitated Epson original inks - far better and somewhat
"looks like" Epson Icc-profile from Epson themselves.
So far I have decided to throw away the "Chinese" carts! Re-glue the chips back to a half used Epson original empty them and fill them with Cone inks the @jtoolmas way.
To be noted:
This might not be a problem at all for those printing let's say a "Chinese" refill cart/month or those that have for habit to shake those carts for lets say every two weeks or any other trick I do not know! However - I will not put just agitated/full of foam carts in my printer - and You can not mix inks with that in other chambers channels.
Using original Epson carts - no problems at all - no ink foam when agitating and all ink in the cart is really mixed. No air in that bladder also might protect the inks themselves from ageing by not being exposed to air/oxygen.
In a way this might be a problem for the way I'm using the printer. I only use the 3880 now and then for longer periods but takes "care of it" - BUT prints extensively when it's "
printing time" after some months of photographing - then I can empty some of the carts. So in the future - when those times comes - I'll shake the (now on) EPSON carts and do some deep-clean to clear the line from old separated inks.
As @TheHat said - "it was me!" Nothing wrong with printer!
However - those "Chinese" refilling carts are - let's at least call them suspicious and for agitating and mixing inks in, beaten by far by Epson original ink carts with just one bladder.
Another thing doing this study I compared Epson orginal ICC-profile to that of Cone. Conclusion - Epsons ICC-profile had a greater color space - but not that far.
Also compared other third party ink icc-profiles comparing them to Epson original.
Let me conclude - Epson make good inks!!!
Later on I'll see how Cone inks in Epson carts will perform - "shaken not stirred"!(007).
Rubber gloves on - attack and let free my Epson original carts!
@jtoolman knew this from the beginning!
/berserk
