Bad banding on Epson R800 (clogged heads). Please help!

[rudicheow]

Hi guys,

Since I bought a laser printer six months ago my R800 hasn't seen a
lot of use, and I am getting some pretty noticeable banding in my
prints that won't go away after an automatic head clean.

Here's a scan of the print produced by the head cleaning utility:

http://tinyurl.com/25x9j7

I tried running the utility three times and it didn't improve anything
(and each time it uses a LOT of ink, so I am really feeling the pinch
on the wallet).

I'm guessing I have clogged heads. Are the any homebrew methods I can
use to get my printer to fine health again? And if so, what can I do
to ensure this doesn't happen again? Also, I live in Malaysia, so
suggestions involving household products need to list the active agent
or key ingredients, rather than the brand, as it probably won't be
available on my supermarket shelf.

I have only ever used original Epson ink on this printer (I might
consider using third party stuff on other printers, but I expect using
it even once on the R800 or R1800 might be disastrous!).

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks,
Rudi

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Please contact me privately via email, and I will send you my Epson
Cleaning Manual free of charge. It provides a thorough set of
instructions for diagnosing the common causes of these types of problem,
and explains in simple terms how to resolve them.

The manual instructs you how to do all of this using common household
products. I have no commercial affiliations with any products or
services related to this. In other words, you will not be spammed by me,
your address is never provided to anyone, and the only correspondence
you will have with me will be the manual itself plus any additional
questions or correspondence you choose to engage in.

To contact me, please use the address shown below, and please remove the
[EPSON_Printers] from the subject line, so your email arrives in the
correct mailbox on my side.

Art

email me at:

e-printerhelp(at)mvps(dot)org

(at) = @
(dot) = .

 

[stevem]

Hi guys,

Since I bought a laser printer six months ago my R800 hasn't seen a
lot of use, and I am getting some pretty noticeable banding in my
prints that won't go away after an automatic head clean.

Here's a scan of the print produced by the head cleaning utility:

http://tinyurl.com/25x9j7

I tried running the utility three times and it didn't improve anything
(and each time it uses a LOT of ink, so I am really feeling the pinch
on the wallet).

I'm guessing I have clogged heads. Are the any homebrew methods I can
use to get my printer to fine health again? And if so, what can I do
to ensure this doesn't happen again? Also, I live in Malaysia, so
suggestions involving household products need to list the active agent
or key ingredients, rather than the brand, as it probably won't be
available on my supermarket shelf.

I have only ever used original Epson ink on this printer (I might
consider using third party stuff on other printers, but I expect using
it even once on the R800 or R1800 might be disastrous!).

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks,
Rudi

Rudi,
By all means listen to Arthur, and ask him for his manual. However, in my
experience clogged heads is not a problem with this printer; what is much
more likely to have happened is that the ink has partially dried out/settled
in some of the lesser-used cartridges (in your case, the photo-black, red
and blue). Try removing these cartridges, and shaking them (carefully!, so
as not to splash ink everywhere), and then replacing them (do all three at
once, as obviously when you replace them, the machine will perform a
cleaning cycle, and you don't want too many of those).
If this doesn't work, then the only alternative is to replace the
cartridges.
By the way, why should using third-party cartridges be disastrous? I've
never heard of any such damage happening to any printer (apart from in the
fevered imagination of our resident troll, of course), and certainly I've
been using third-party inks in my R800 for two plus years now, with no
adverse effects whatsoever. The difference is that a complete set of OEM
cartridges would cost me about GBP95, whereas a (good!) third-party set
costs me about GBP25 - quite a saving.
Regards,
Steve.

 

[Jan Alter]

Rudi,
By all means listen to Arthur, and ask him for his manual. However, in my
experience clogged heads is not a problem with this printer; what is much
more likely to have happened is that the ink has partially dried
out/settled in some of the lesser-used cartridges (in your case, the
photo-black, red and blue). Try removing these cartridges, and shaking
them (carefully!, so as not to splash ink everywhere), and then replacing
them (do all three at once, as obviously when you replace them, the
machine will perform a cleaning cycle, and you don't want too many of
those).
If this doesn't work, then the only alternative is to replace the
cartridges.
By the way, why should using third-party cartridges be disastrous? I've
never heard of any such damage happening to any printer (apart from in the
fevered imagination of our resident troll, of course), and certainly I've
been using third-party inks in my R800 for two plus years now, with no
adverse effects whatsoever. The difference is that a complete set of OEM
cartridges would cost me about GBP95, whereas a (good!) third-party set
costs me about GBP25 - quite a saving.
Regards,
Steve.

Hi Rudi,
I've been using third party ink with our R1800 for the past two years
and still enjoy the beautiful prints and enjoy saving lots of money. The ink
hasn't shown any adverse affects on the machine.
By all means get in touch with Art for his manual. His suggestions are
much more meaningful than anything Epson would have you do to get the
printer running. No, I'm not being sarcastic, because what Art advises
usually will work with a little stick-to-itiveness.
Once you've got your printer running again print with it at least once
every two to three weeks and avoid leaving the same ink in it more than 7 -
9 months without changing cartridges, as the vehicle solution carrying the
ink has a tendency to thicken through oxidation.

 

[Arthur Entlich]

I agree with Steve's evaluation that the cartridges may be dried or have
settled and it is worth trying what he suggests.

The one thing that does concern me is that the red cartridge/head is
contaminated, as it is producing dark tests in some areas. I am hoping
the OP did not do any cleanings of the head requiring forceful cleaning
with pressure, and this can lead to ruptured heads which can sometimes
explain contaminated colors.

It may also be a siphoning of the ink between cartridges that can cause
this.

Art

 

[rudicheow]

Thanks to everyone here for your useful advice, and especially to Art
for sending me the manual.

At least two of the last three cartridges in the screenshot are less
than three months old (can't remember exactly), and exhibited the same
problem both before and after the change, so I Steve's theory is the
problem in this case.

I will read the cleaning guide and let you guys know how I get on.

Regarding third party cartridges, I always thought that the R800/R1800
use a special kind of pigment-based ink, whereas suppliers of third
party replacement carts don't. Is this true? I therefore (probably
naively) assumed that this discrepancy would result in some kind of
problem due to the properties or viscosity of the ink or something
along those lines.

The trouble is though it is hard enough trying to find the original
carts for this printer here in Malaysia (very, very few people buy
high-end stuff here, so parts for high-end devices are quite hard to
come by), let alone any third party alternatives. I would however be
more than happy to order online and get it shipped from abroad in bulk
if it meant a considerable saving in cost. Can you guys recommend
specific brands that you have good experiences with so I can Google
them out?

Once again, thanks everyone - you've been very helpful.

R

 

[Frank]

Why do you want to collect email addresses. Just post your kit on your
website and put a link to it.

 

[measekite]

The R800 uses pigmented ink. It is more of a problem than dye ink.
That is why I like the Canon dye based printers.

Hi guys,

Since I bought a laser printer six months ago my R800 hasn't seen a
lot of use, and I am getting some pretty noticeable banding in my
prints that won't go away after an automatic head clean.

Here's a scan of the print produced by the head cleaning utility:

http://tinyurl.com/25x9j7

I tried running the utility three times and it didn't improve anything
(and each time it uses a LOT of ink, so I am really feeling the pinch
on the wallet).

I'm guessing I have clogged heads. Are the any homebrew methods I can
use to get my printer to fine health again? And if so, what can I do
to ensure this doesn't happen again? Also, I live in Malaysia, so
suggestions involving household products need to list the active agent
or key ingredients, rather than the brand, as it probably won't be
available on my supermarket shelf.

I have only ever used original Epson ink on this printer (I might
consider using third party stuff on other printers, but I expect using
it even once on the R800 or R1800 might be disastrous!).

It will ruin the printer.

 

[measekite]

Why do you want to collect email addresses. Just post your kit on your
website and put a link to it.

Please contact me privately via email, and I will send you my Epson
Cleaning Manual free of charge. It provides a thorough set of
instructions for diagnosing the common causes of these types of
problem, and explains in simple terms how to resolve them.

The manual instructs you how to do all of this using common household
products. I have no commercial affiliations with any products or
services related to this. In other words, you will not be spammed by
me, your address is never provided to anyone, and the only
correspondence you will have with me will be the manual itself plus
any additional questions or correspondence you choose to engage in.

To contact me, please use the address shown below, and please remove
the [EPSON_Printers] from the subject line, so your email arrives in
the correct mailbox on my side.

Art

email me at:

e-printerhelp(at)mvps(dot)org

(at) = @
(dot) = .

Hi guys,

Since I bought a laser printer six months ago my R800 hasn't seen a
lot of use, and I am getting some pretty noticeable banding in my
prints that won't go away after an automatic head clean.

Here's a scan of the print produced by the head cleaning utility:

http://tinyurl.com/25x9j7

I tried running the utility three times and it didn't improve anything
(and each time it uses a LOT of ink, so I am really feeling the pinch
on the wallet).

I'm guessing I have clogged heads. Are the any homebrew methods I can
use to get my printer to fine health again? And if so, what can I do
to ensure this doesn't happen again? Also, I live in Malaysia, so
suggestions involving household products need to list the active agent
or key ingredients, rather than the brand, as it probably won't be
available on my supermarket shelf.

I have only ever used original Epson ink on this printer (I might
consider using third party stuff on other printers, but I expect using
it even once on the R800 or R1800 might be disastrous!).

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks,
Rudi

 

[measekite]

Thanks to everyone here for your useful advice, and especially to Art
for sending me the manual.

At least two of the last three cartridges in the screenshot are less
than three months old (can't remember exactly), and exhibited the same
problem both before and after the change, so I Steve's theory is the
problem in this case.

I will read the cleaning guide and let you guys know how I get on.

Regarding third party cartridges, I always thought that the R800/R1800
use a special kind of pigment-based ink, whereas suppliers of third
party replacement carts don't. Is this true?

YES

They will sell you anything and will not tell you what it is. They do
not have Epson's formula

I therefore (probably
naively) assumed that this discrepancy would result in some kind of
problem due to the properties or viscosity of the ink or something
along those lines.

You were correct

 

[Jan Alter]

Thanks to everyone here for your useful advice, and especially to Art
for sending me the manual.

At least two of the last three cartridges in the screenshot are less
than three months old (can't remember exactly), and exhibited the same
problem both before and after the change, so I Steve's theory is the
problem in this case.

I will read the cleaning guide and let you guys know how I get on.

Regarding third party cartridges, I always thought that the R800/R1800
use a special kind of pigment-based ink, whereas suppliers of third
party replacement carts don't. Is this true? I therefore (probably
naively) assumed that this discrepancy would result in some kind of
problem due to the properties or viscosity of the ink or something
along those lines.

The trouble is though it is hard enough trying to find the original
carts for this printer here in Malaysia (very, very few people buy
high-end stuff here, so parts for high-end devices are quite hard to
come by), let alone any third party alternatives. I would however be
more than happy to order online and get it shipped from abroad in bulk
if it meant a considerable saving in cost. Can you guys recommend
specific brands that you have good experiences with so I can Google
them out?

Once again, thanks everyone - you've been very helpful.

R

True, the R800/R1800 use a pigment ink rather than a dye base variety. Using
pigment ink helps to inhibit fading among its other virtues.
For my own use in the R1800 I've had good results with ink from MIS
(www.inksupply.com ). One of the fortuitous things about the R800/R1800 is
that spongeless cartridges are made for it. They are like nothing else that
has been developed to use for refilling in the last 15 years and can be
filled with ink in less than a minute and reset with a chip resetter.
These cartridges are see through and literally have no sponge to
saturate while filling. That makes refilling a totally different story than
what the traditional refilling procedures would dictate. Both the spongeless
cartridges and chip resetter can be checked out at the MIS website. If you
have an interest in them or the ink I would imagine there should be a closer
source to you than the U.S. that would have them available. The only trick
is to find a reputable location.

 

[measekite]

Jan Alter wrote:

<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...



Thanks to everyone here for your useful advice, and especially to Art for sending me the manual. At least two of the last three cartridges in the screenshot are less than three months old (can't remember exactly), and exhibited the same problem both before and after the change, so I Steve's theory is the problem in this case. I will read the cleaning guide and let you guys know how I get on. Regarding third party cartridges, I always thought that the R800/R1800 use a special kind of pigment-based ink, whereas suppliers of third party replacement carts don't. Is this true? I therefore (probably naively) assumed that this discrepancy would result in some kind of problem due to the properties or viscosity of the ink or something along those lines. The trouble is though it is hard enough trying to find the original carts for this printer here in Malaysia (very, very few people buy high-end stuff here, so parts for high-end devices are quite hard to come by), let alone any third party alternatives. I would however be more than happy to order online and get it shipped from abroad in bulk if it meant a considerable saving in cost. Can you guys recommend specific brands that you have good experiences with so I can Google them out? Once again, thanks everyone - you've been very helpful. R



True, the R800/R1800 use a pigment ink rather than a dye base variety. Using pigment ink helps to inhibit fading among its other virtues. For my own use in the R1800 I've had good results with ink from MIS (www.inksupply.com ). One of the fortuitous things about the R800/R1800 is that spongeless cartridges are made for it. They are like nothing else that has been developed to use for refilling in the last 15 years and can be filled with ink in less than a minute and reset with a chip resetter. These cartridges are see through and literally have no sponge to saturate while filling. That makes refilling a totally different story than what the traditional refilling procedures would dictate. Both the spongeless cartridges and chip resetter can be checked out at the MIS website. If you have an interest in them or the ink I would imagine there should be a closer source to you than the U.S. that would have them available. The only trick is to find a reputable location.


Now thats the RINGER

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Hi Rudi

You are correct that the R1800 and R800 use a special ink set that is
only used in those two printers. What is special about them is:

1) The ink color components: CMYRedBlueGreyBlackGLOP

2) The higher gloss nature of the inks

3) The inks use pigment colorants, are slow drying and use a resin in
the base ink fluid

4) they use a gloss fluid as a separate cartridge that can coat the
image to different degrees based upon the driver settings

There are 3rd party options offered, but you access may be limited to
mail-order. This is pretty much the case anywhere, but the distribution
system is mainly from the US and England, and perhaps some in Australia.

Your inks could potentially be counterfeit. It is a major problem
overall, and particularly in your area of the world, since there are
less stringent import regulations, laws regarding counterfeiting, and
the counterfeits come from parts of Asia (China and the like).

It is probably worth your while to try the clean processes mentioned in
the manual I sent you, and see if that resolves things.

Art

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Just to add to Jan's comments, the OEM Epson cartridges for the printer
which use the individual color cartridges are all (to the best of my
knowledge) without any sponge (they do have a small plug that works as a
filter). However, Epson certainly didn't want to make an easy fill
cartridge, so they designed them to be made up of a complex labyrinth
that makes them nearly impossible to refill fully successfully.

Epson would tell you that these convoluted designs are to keep the ink
from getting oxidized, and to better control ink delivery, and it is
true that the cartridge has a complex air exchange membrane, diaphragms
and valves to control for these, but it is also true that some much
simpler designs have been developed by 3rd party companies, using a
basic ink damper design, which seems to work just fine.

Art