Epson printer with Ink dry!

[Anthony]

Dear colleagues,

I have a Epson Stylus printer 660 and it doesn´t
transfer the Ink (with a new Ink Cartridge) to the paper,the mechanical part
is working fine but the result is a blank paper.I think that the nozzles
are dry "blocked" with INK on the head of the printer (Epson doesn´t include
the head on the Cartridge it is mounted on the printer mechanisms).I search
for cleaning kits for printers heads but it does´t exist,even Epson tells me
that I should buy a new printer because a new head is too expensive and it
doesn´t compensate (a new printer crazy $$$?!?!)
Note:The Ink Cartridge hasn´t any chip on it, it´s a clean system!
I heard that alcohol could help me on this but I am not shore what kind
of alcohol?
It would be very polite if someone help me on this,what should I do?


--

Name:Anthony
E-mail:girasol@vizzavi.pt
Thank you ))))
Thank You )))

 

[Anthony]

"Anthony" <Girasol@viz....pt> wrote in message news:...

Dear colleagues,

I have a Epson Stylus printer 660 and it doesn´t
transfer the Ink (with a new Ink Cartridge) to the paper,the mechanical
part
is working fine but the result is a blank paper.I think that the nozzles
are dry "blocked" with INK on the head of the printer (Epson doesn´t
include
the head on the Cartridge it is mounted on the printer mechanisms).I
search
for cleaning kits for printers heads but it does´t exist,even Epson tells
me
that I should buy a new printer because a new head is too expensive and it
doesn´t compensate (a new printer crazy $$$?!?!)
Note:The Ink Cartridge hasn´t any chip on it, it´s a clean system!
I heard that alcohol could help me on this but I am not shore what kind
of alcohol?
It would be very polite if someone help me on this,what should I do?


--

Name:Anthony
E-mail:girasol@vizzavi.pt
Thank you ))))
Thank You )))

 

[Jerry G.]

You can try to use regular rubbing alcohol, but pure alcohol would be best.
This should clear the nozzles if they are not damaged. You can then blow dry
them with a hair dryer to dry them, after cleaning them. You may have to
repeat the process a few times. If this does not work, then you will have to
buy a new printer.

Next time, buy an HP DeskJet. They have some very good models for the price.
Each time you change the cartridge on these DeskJet printers, you get a new
set of heads. The cartridges are about 5% to 10% more expensive, but it is
worth it. This means you get a new set of nozzles each time you put in new
cartridges. I strongly recommend you never refill HP cartridges. You will
then be keeping the old nozzles, and they were not designed to have refills
done. There are less smudging and other associated problems with this
system of having new nozzles with each cartridge change.

The new printers that are out now, are very high in resolution for the
amount paid. They offer a lot of performance for the price. Their results
are also outstanding.

--

Greetings,

Jerry Greenberg GLG Technologies GLG
=========================================
WebPage http://www.zoom-one.com
Electronics http://www.zoom-one.com/electron.htm
=========================================


"Anthony" <Girasol@viz....pt> wrote in message
news:1082293573.338857@news.iol.pt...
Dear colleagues,

I have a Epson Stylus printer 660 and it doesn´t
transfer the Ink (with a new Ink Cartridge) to the paper,the mechanical part
is working fine but the result is a blank paper.I think that the nozzles
are dry "blocked" with INK on the head of the printer (Epson doesn´t include
the head on the Cartridge it is mounted on the printer mechanisms).I search
for cleaning kits for printers heads but it does´t exist,even Epson tells me
that I should buy a new printer because a new head is too expensive and it
doesn´t compensate (a new printer crazy $$$?!?!)
Note:The Ink Cartridge hasn´t any chip on it, it´s a clean system!
I heard that alcohol could help me on this but I am not shore what kind
of alcohol?
It would be very polite if someone help me on this,what should I do?


--

Name:Anthony
E-mail:girasol@vizzavi.pt
Thank you ))))
Thank You )))

 

[Engineer]

[Top posted only to follow suit!]

I had an HP DeskJet 500 (I think) for years - good machine, and you
can get them for a one dollar at church bazaars (saw one yesterday!)
I figured out quickly that I could both clean blocked print heads and
re-fill the HP cartridge. I use to wash the head under warm water and
blot it dry on a lint free cloth (no heat, it might dry ink in the
small holes.) After a while it would fail to print a full character
and did not respond to washing, and only then would I buy a new
cartridge.

I now run an HP LaserJet 6L at home and a 5L at the office - both have
paper feed fault so I have to feed single sheets but, since I'm not a
volume printer, I do this to avoid replacement cost (it's not worth
repairing these units.)

Now I've just acquired a used Samsung MJ-4500C fax/printer. It uses a
Lexmark inkjet cartridge so I expect I'll be back to washing and
filling it!

Cheers,

Roger

"Jerry G." <jerryg50@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c5u0f6$ks2$1@news.eusc.inter.net...

You can try to use regular rubbing alcohol, but pure alcohol would
be best.
This should clear the nozzles if they are not damaged. You can then
blow dry
them with a hair dryer to dry them, after cleaning them. You may
have to
repeat the process a few times. If this does not work, then you will
have to
buy a new printer.

Next time, buy an HP DeskJet. They have some very good models for
the price.
Each time you change the cartridge on these DeskJet printers, you
get a new
set of heads. The cartridges are about 5% to 10% more expensive, but
it is
worth it. This means you get a new set of nozzles each time you put
in new
cartridges. I strongly recommend you never refill HP cartridges. You
will
then be keeping the old nozzles, and they were not designed to have
refills
done. There are less smudging and other associated problems with
this
system of having new nozzles with each cartridge change.

The new printers that are out now, are very high in resolution for
the
amount paid. They offer a lot of performance for the price. Their
results
are also outstanding.

--

Greetings,

Jerry Greenberg GLG Technologies GLG
=========================================
WebPage http://www.zoom-one.com
Electronics http://www.zoom-one.com/electron.htm
=========================================


"Anthony" <Girasol@viz....pt> wrote in message
news:1082293573.338857@news.iol.pt...
Dear colleagues,

I have a Epson Stylus printer 660 and it
doesn´t
transfer the Ink (with a new Ink Cartridge) to the paper,the
mechanical part
is working fine but the result is a blank paper.I think that the
nozzles
are dry "blocked" with INK on the head of the printer (Epson doesn´t
include
the head on the Cartridge it is mounted on the printer mechanisms).I
search
for cleaning kits for printers heads but it does´t exist,even Epson
tells me
that I should buy a new printer because a new head is too expensive
and it
doesn´t compensate (a new printer crazy $$$?!?!)
Note:The Ink Cartridge hasn´t any chip on it, it´s a clean system!
I heard that alcohol could help me on this but I am not shore what
kind
of alcohol?
It would be very polite if someone help me on this,what should I do?


--

Name:Anthony
E-mail:girasol@vizzavi.pt
Thank you ))))
Thank You )))

 

[John Jardine]

Anthony <Girasol@viz....pt> wrote in message
news:1082293573.338857@news.iol.pt...

Dear colleagues,

I have a Epson Stylus printer 660 and it doesn´t
transfer the Ink (with a new Ink Cartridge) to the paper,the mechanical
part
is working fine but the result is a blank paper.I think that the nozzles
are dry "blocked" with INK on the head of the printer (Epson doesn´t
include
the head on the Cartridge it is mounted on the printer mechanisms).I
search
for cleaning kits for printers heads but it does´t exist,even Epson tells
me
that I should buy a new printer because a new head is too expensive and it
doesn´t compensate (a new printer crazy $$$?!?!)
Note:The Ink Cartridge hasn´t any chip on it, it´s a clean system!
I heard that alcohol could help me on this but I am not shore what kind
of alcohol?
It would be very polite if someone help me on this,what should I do?


--

Name:Anthony
E-mail:girasol@vizzavi.pt
Thank you ))))
Thank You )))

Unfortunately, you've had it. (I say this having junked my four stylus
printers over the past four years).
The Epson stylus printers are renowned (quite rightly so) . for the heads
fatally clogging up if they are left unused for more than a 10 days.
Occasionally you may get away with only 3 or 4 blocked nozzles after 5 or 6
cleaning cycles. As the cartridges cost the equiv' of $40 (UK) and 6
cleaning cycles can empty a cartridge, continual head cleaning is not an
option.
Occasionally a couple more of the nozzles may be recovered by the
application of hot isopropyl-alchohol under pressure and vacuum via a
syringe.
On my last printer (C82) I even tried various soaks and applications of hot
ammonia solution in a (futile) last ditch effort. After junking it I found
the piezo droplet driver block had partly dissolved, so wouldn't suggest
this as a viable method .
The Stylus printers give a magnificent print quality but only if used
continually. Used as a real printer, they are rubbish and should be banned.
Far too clever for their own good.

Nb: Epson have now found their final solution to prevent users from buying
those cheaper ink refills. ... Make the new printers only capable of working
with the special Epson 'pigment' inks. The printers are now guaranteed to
clog up if you use anyone elses ink refills.

Buy any printer except Epson. You won't get that superb photo-like print
quality but you won't have the galling reliability problems.
regards
john

 

[WEBPA]

"Anthony" <Girasol@viz....pt> wrote in message news:...
Dear colleagues,

I have a Epson Stylus printer 660 and it doesn´t
transfer the Ink (with a new Ink Cartridge) to the paper,the mechanical
part
is working fine but the result is a blank paper.I think that the nozzles
are dry "blocked" with INK on the head of the printer (Epson doesn´t
include
the head on the Cartridge it is mounted on the printer mechanisms).I
search
for cleaning kits for printers heads but it does´t exist,even Epson tells
me
that I should buy a new printer because a new head is too expensive and it
doesn´t compensate (a new printer crazy $$$?!?!)
Note:The Ink Cartridge hasn´t any chip on it, it´s a clean system!
I heard that alcohol could help me on this but I am not shore what kind
of alcohol?
It would be very polite if someone help me on this,what should I do?


--

Name:Anthony
E-mail:girasol@vizzavi.pt
Thank you ))))
Thank You )))

Cut a narrow strip of (soft) open-cell foam rubber that will fit between the
print carriage and the fixed part of the mechanism. Works best if one end is
tapered for about 3 inches (5 cm). Moisten the foam with Windex (or any other
light ammonia-containing soap). Move the printhead to the center of the platten
and thread the wet foam under it. Let it sit for a few minutes...move the head
left-right a couple of inches. Run the head-cleaning utility as many times as
necessary to get all nozzles working.

Remember that if this is one of their US$60 printers, that's about 3 (factory)
cartridges...so weight the cost/benefit.
webpa

 

[exray]

My 2 cents....
I had a Stylus Color 740 that simply quit doing b/w. I did all the
screwing around with new cartridges and alcohol and Windex swabs. A bit
of Googling revealed this b/w scenario to be most common but as usenet
comments go, there was no authorative solution beyond the fact that the
b/w must have crapped out.
Out to the kit it went and my hands remained stained long after the
kitterers hauled the printer to its final demise.
I liked the 740 (at the time) enough to buy another used one off of ebay
since I had plenty of spare ink carts in stock. Another 2-3 years of
life so far for $30. Off-name cartridges only cost about 2 or 3 bux as
opposed to those nice HP guys who may run as high as $20. After all the
fuggups I had with my last HP printer I vowed never to go back. But it
changes over time.
You really can't bother fixing these things if you have other things to
do. Get a new printer and move on to something productive.

-BM

 

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

In article <_iCgc.751$616.3717@newscontent-01.sprint.ca>, Engineer wrote:

I now run an HP LaserJet 6L at home and a 5L at the office - both have
paper feed fault so I have to feed single sheets but, since I'm not a
volume printer, I do this to avoid replacement cost (it's not worth
repairing these units.)

Try cleaning the feed rollers with "simple green" (as it's called in the
U.S.). Here in Israel it's called "green cleaner" or "American green cleaner".

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson gsm@mendelson.com

 

[Ken Weitzel]

Anthony wrote:

Dear colleagues,

I have a Epson Stylus printer 660 and it doesn´t
transfer the Ink (with a new Ink Cartridge) to the paper,the mechanical part
is working fine but the result is a blank paper.I think that the nozzles
are dry "blocked" with INK on the head of the printer (Epson doesn´t include
the head on the Cartridge it is mounted on the printer mechanisms).I search
for cleaning kits for printers heads but it does´t exist,even Epson tells me
that I should buy a new printer because a new head is too expensive and it
doesn´t compensate (a new printer crazy $$$?!?!)
Note:The Ink Cartridge hasn´t any chip on it, it´s a clean system!
I heard that alcohol could help me on this but I am not shore what kind
of alcohol?
It would be very polite if someone help me on this,what should I do?

Hi...

I have a utility that takes the place of the epson
software that may be helpful... It's called SSI; the
author placed it on his website for free use by any
and all, but it's disappeared. I'm thinking perhaps
Epson didn't like it.

Anyway, it offers both regular cleaning and a
power cleaning mode. You may also clean your color
heads and b&w heads independently, thus not wasting
ink in the one that doesn't require cleaning.

It also allows hot-swapping of cartridges.

It will let you reset to full the ink counter,
or even "stall" it.

I think the beauty of this is that you could buy
one real cheap cartridge, hot swap it in, then
power clean with it to see the results.

I've used it for a couple of years, and wouldn't
be without it.

The only criticism I could have is that when you
install it it wants to start when you turn on your
computer. That means if your printer is turned off
it waits a while and then complains. So uncheck that
check box.

If you'd like a copy, write me with a good email address
and I'll send it to you.

Take care.

Ken

 

[Alex Bird]

webpa@aol.com (WEBPA) wrote in message news:<20040418180751.28874.00000076@mb-m18.aol.com>...

Cut a narrow strip of (soft) open-cell foam rubber that will fit between the
print carriage and the fixed part of the mechanism. Works best if one end is
tapered for about 3 inches (5 cm). Moisten the foam with Windex (or any other
light ammonia-containing soap). Move the printhead to the center of the platten
and thread the wet foam under it. Let it sit for a few minutes...move the head
left-right a couple of inches. Run the head-cleaning utility as many times as
necessary to get all nozzles working.

This really works wonders sometimes, but if it doesn't the best thing
you can do is throw the bastard away. I say that as someone who is
bad at throwing things out and hates waste. Unless your patience
needs a workout, chuck it.

To add to the advice above(copied from an earlier post of mine):

Epson would no doubt say not, but window cleaner, or the ammonia it
contains, is a popular cheap solvent for inkjet ink. This would seem
to be better for modern printers than isopropyl alcohol, in fact
personal experience suggests alcohol can damage parts of the printer.
As you cannot reach the printheads without considerable faff in
epsons, a common internet suggestion is to remove power from the
printer when the printhead is at the far LHS. You can then apply some
window cleaner to the sponge pads where the printhead rests on the
RHS. Plug the power back in to allow the printhead to return.
Allow this to soak for a couple of hours, run the head cleaning (hold
down paper feed when powering on), leave overnight etc.
You can buy 'genuine printhead cleaner as used by epson
service centres' online. I didn't think there were epson service
centres, I thought they wanted you to throw them away and buy
another...

Good luck,
Alex

 

[Jerry Greenberg]

There are many Epson service centers. Epson makes some very expensive
high end printers that are worth to service. The lower end consumer
printers are generaly not worth to service.

If you have an inkjet printer, you should do atleast one full page
with black and white and colour, about once every 6 to 10 days when it
is not being used. If you wait longer, the nozzles can get clogged up.
The service and replacement will be more expensive.


Jerry G.
http://www.zoom-one.com

--


alex@redbeastie.fsnet.co.uk (Alex Bird) wrote in message news:<c133d118.0404190603.1a536b9d@posting.google.com>...

webpa@aol.com (WEBPA) wrote in message news:<20040418180751.28874.00000076@mb-m18.aol.com>...

Cut a narrow strip of (soft) open-cell foam rubber that will fit between the
print carriage and the fixed part of the mechanism. Works best if one end is
tapered for about 3 inches (5 cm). Moisten the foam with Windex (or any other
light ammonia-containing soap). Move the printhead to the center of the platten
and thread the wet foam under it. Let it sit for a few minutes...move the head
left-right a couple of inches. Run the head-cleaning utility as many times as
necessary to get all nozzles working.

This really works wonders sometimes, but if it doesn't the best thing
you can do is throw the bastard away. I say that as someone who is
bad at throwing things out and hates waste. Unless your patience
needs a workout, chuck it.

To add to the advice above(copied from an earlier post of mine):

Epson would no doubt say not, but window cleaner, or the ammonia it
contains, is a popular cheap solvent for inkjet ink. This would seem
to be better for modern printers than isopropyl alcohol, in fact
personal experience suggests alcohol can damage parts of the printer.
As you cannot reach the printheads without considerable faff in
epsons, a common internet suggestion is to remove power from the
printer when the printhead is at the far LHS. You can then apply some
window cleaner to the sponge pads where the printhead rests on the
RHS. Plug the power back in to allow the printhead to return.
Allow this to soak for a couple of hours, run the head cleaning (hold
down paper feed when powering on), leave overnight etc.
You can buy 'genuine printhead cleaner as used by epson
service centres' online. I didn't think there were epson service
centres, I thought they wanted you to throw them away and buy
another...

Good luck,
Alex

 

[gothika]

On 19 Apr 2004 15:13:53 -0700, jerryg50@hotmail.com (Jerry Greenberg)
wrote:

There are many Epson service centers. Epson makes some very expensive
high end printers that are worth to service. The lower end consumer
printers are generaly not worth to service.

If you have an inkjet printer, you should do atleast one full page
with black and white and colour, about once every 6 to 10 days when it
is not being used. If you wait longer, the nozzles can get clogged up.
The service and replacement will be more expensive.


Jerry G.
http://www.zoom-one.com

The cleaner used by Epson service centers is Sulfynol.
They load up an empty cartridge with it and run several cleaning
cycles to purge the heads.
If you have mechanical ability you can remove the printhead and clean
it in denatured alchohol followed by distilled water.
Blank cartridges can be bought from most of the inkjet refill
companies. I used to deal with Nujet at Nujet.com.
Also MIS Associates sells blanks. www.inksupply.com.

IMHO most of the Epsons are crap, both commercial and consumer.
I have a closet full of them from the 1530 Colorado down to a Epson
Stylus pro XL. All garbage!
constant clogs or seal loss resulting in more bad prints than good
ones.(I used to have to run several pages of clean ups and test
patterns before could get one good of print.)
After struggling with Epsons for years I tossed them all in a storage
closet and went out and got a good Novajet. It now handles all my
inkjet needs and couldn't be easier to refill.(Pour in tanks that are
a breeze to fill.)
If you want an alternative to Epson try Lexmark. My wife runs a Z45 on
her system, it gives better quality than Epson with NONE of the
problems.

 

[jakdedert]

Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:

In article <_iCgc.751$616.3717@newscontent-01.sprint.ca>, Engineer
wrote:
I now run an HP LaserJet 6L at home and a 5L at the office - both
have paper feed fault so I have to feed single sheets but, since I'm
not a volume printer, I do this to avoid replacement cost (it's not
worth repairing these units.)

Try cleaning the feed rollers with "simple green" (as it's called in
the U.S.). Here in Israel it's called "green cleaner" or "American
green cleaner".

Geoff.

I've read all the suggestions, mostly good, some bad. The only thing I
would add, is my standard advice that: all ink is not created equal!

Spill a little of the ink involved on a piece of glass, let it dry, then try
your various solvents on 'that.' When you find the solution that works
best, use it to clean the print head. If your particular solvent--be it
alcohol, ammonia, Simple Green, gasoline (just kiddin') or just plain hot
water--won't dissolve the dried ink on a piece of glass, it won't dissolve
the ink clogging the head, either.

I've owned Hp, Epson, Canon, Brother and a couple of brands I can't even
think of now....

No two ink formulations--even different models of the same brand--seemed to
dissolve using the same solvent. Experiment.

jak

 

[BeefJerky]

gothika wrote:

On 19 Apr 2004 15:13:53 -0700, jerryg50@hotmail.com (Jerry Greenberg)
wrote:


There are many Epson service centers. Epson makes some very expensive
high end printers that are worth to service. The lower end consumer
printers are generaly not worth to service.

If you have an inkjet printer, you should do atleast one full page
with black and white and colour, about once every 6 to 10 days when it
is not being used. If you wait longer, the nozzles can get clogged up.
The service and replacement will be more expensive.


Jerry G.
http://www.zoom-one.com



The cleaner used by Epson service centers is Sulfynol.
They load up an empty cartridge with it and run several cleaning
cycles to purge the heads.
If you have mechanical ability you can remove the printhead and clean
it in denatured alchohol followed by distilled water.
Blank cartridges can be bought from most of the inkjet refill
companies. I used to deal with Nujet at Nujet.com.
Also MIS Associates sells blanks. www.inksupply.com.

IMHO most of the Epsons are crap, both commercial and consumer.
I have a closet full of them from the 1530 Colorado down to a Epson
Stylus pro XL. All garbage!
constant clogs or seal loss resulting in more bad prints than good
ones.(I used to have to run several pages of clean ups and test
patterns before could get one good of print.)
After struggling with Epsons for years I tossed them all in a storage
closet and went out and got a good Novajet. It now handles all my
inkjet needs and couldn't be easier to refill.(Pour in tanks that are
a breeze to fill.)
If you want an alternative to Epson try Lexmark. My wife runs a Z45 on
her system, it gives better quality than Epson with NONE of the
problems.

Only get a Lexmark if you want to spend enourmous amounts money on
cartridges. Their cartridge prices are ridiculous. At least HP's
cartridges are decently priced nowadays. But, really if you want a
printer that prints at least as well as the Epson's, get a Canon (I have
the i960). Their photo quality printers produce beautiful prints, they
have the least expensive running cost out of the major brands (ie HP,
Epson, Lexmark), and, they DON'T clog! I had an Epson before that which
was a piece of garbage, and before that an HP. The HP still works though
on my mother's computer, but it still costs more for ink than my Canon.
IMHO, Canon printers are the best value for your money these days.

 

[James Sweet]

Only get a Lexmark if you want to spend enourmous amounts money on
cartridges. Their cartridge prices are ridiculous. At least HP's
cartridges are decently priced nowadays. But, really if you want a
printer that prints at least as well as the Epson's, get a Canon (I have
the i960). Their photo quality printers produce beautiful prints, they
have the least expensive running cost out of the major brands (ie HP,
Epson, Lexmark), and, they DON'T clog! I had an Epson before that which
was a piece of garbage, and before that an HP. The HP still works though
on my mother's computer, but it still costs more for ink than my Canon.
IMHO, Canon printers are the best value for your money these days.

I had a Canon that clogged *constantly*, if I didn't use it for a few weeks
the cartridge was shot. HP has been the most clog resistant for me so far, I
finally got a compact laser printer that I use for most of my printing,
clogs are a thing of the past.

 

[BeefJerky]

Hrm, what model was that Canon. I only started using Canon a couple of
years ago with the S820. I had an Epson Stylus 850 before that (CRAP)
and an HP 720 before that, and a Panasonic dot matrix before that. Both
the Canon S820 and i960 have had NO problems with clogs. I wonder if
either yours was an older model Canon (they didn't always make good
printers), or simply bad luck.

James Sweet wrote:

Only get a Lexmark if you want to spend enourmous amounts money on
cartridges. Their cartridge prices are ridiculous. At least HP's
cartridges are decently priced nowadays. But, really if you want a
printer that prints at least as well as the Epson's, get a Canon (I have
the i960). Their photo quality printers produce beautiful prints, they
have the least expensive running cost out of the major brands (ie HP,
Epson, Lexmark), and, they DON'T clog! I had an Epson before that which
was a piece of garbage, and before that an HP. The HP still works though
on my mother's computer, but it still costs more for ink than my Canon.
IMHO, Canon printers are the best value for your money these days.


I had a Canon that clogged *constantly*, if I didn't use it for a few weeks
the cartridge was shot. HP has been the most clog resistant for me so far, I
finally got a compact laser printer that I use for most of my printing,
clogs are a thing of the past.

 

[James Sweet]

"BeefJerky" <beefjerky@houston.rr.com> wrote in message
news:8unhc.5147$NR5.4796@fe1.texas.rr.com...

Hrm, what model was that Canon. I only started using Canon a couple of
years ago with the S820. I had an Epson Stylus 850 before that (CRAP)
and an HP 720 before that, and a Panasonic dot matrix before that. Both
the Canon S820 and i960 have had NO problems with clogs. I wonder if
either yours was an older model Canon (they didn't always make good
printers), or simply bad luck.

Actually I don't recall, it was new about 6 years ago (jeez time flies
huh?), 1200 comes to mind but I could be wrong. It was my only Canon
experience, they may be much better now. I have had a couple Epsons too, the
Stylus IIs was great, it could go for months without use and not clog, the
Stylus 700 was crap, it printed nicer but clogged constantly. Inkjets have
been so hit or miss (mostly miss for me) that I have a hard time trusting
them anymore, they do print very nice color when they work though.

 

[BeefJerky]

James Sweet wrote:

"BeefJerky" <beefjerky@houston.rr.com> wrote in message
news:8unhc.5147$NR5.4796@fe1.texas.rr.com...

Hrm, what model was that Canon. I only started using Canon a couple of
years ago with the S820. I had an Epson Stylus 850 before that (CRAP)
and an HP 720 before that, and a Panasonic dot matrix before that. Both
the Canon S820 and i960 have had NO problems with clogs. I wonder if
either yours was an older model Canon (they didn't always make good
printers), or simply bad luck.



Actually I don't recall, it was new about 6 years ago (jeez time flies
huh?), 1200 comes to mind but I could be wrong. It was my only Canon
experience, they may be much better now. I have had a couple Epsons too, the
Stylus IIs was great, it could go for months without use and not clog, the
Stylus 700 was crap, it printed nicer but clogged constantly. Inkjets have
been so hit or miss (mostly miss for me) that I have a hard time trusting
them anymore, they do print very nice color when they work though.

6 years, yeah, they definitely have improved a LOT since then. Canon
really only started to make good printers 2-3 years ago when they came
out with the S-series printers. As for Epsons, I had pretty much the
same experience with my 850 that you had with your 700, could give
decent prints, but would clog like a mofo if not used for more than a
few days, and would take a half an ink cartridge to clear. Eventually
the black head clogged beyond the ability to fix (yes, I tried ALL the
suggestions on the net). And, from reading newsgroups and talking to
other Epson users, the current Epsons are still just as bad in the
clogging dept. And, the heads on Epsons are NOT user replacable, but
they are on the Canon's (though I never needed to replace one). As far
as the HP's, up until some very recent models they were REALLY lagging
in the photo-quality printing department, but they're finally catching
up. But, their ink is still significantly more expensive than the
Canon's. But, the HP's from my experience are reliable (as Canon's seem
to be). Lexmark OTOH are not very reliable, and their ink prices are sky
high. Really as far as inkjets go, Canon and HP's are the only ones
really worth considering these days.

 

[gothika]

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 06:13:32 GMT, BeefJerky <beefjerky@houston.rr.com>
wrote:

James Sweet wrote:
"BeefJerky" <beefjerky@houston.rr.com> wrote in message
news:8unhc.5147$NR5.4796@fe1.texas.rr.com...

Hrm, what model was that Canon. I only started using Canon a couple of
years ago with the S820. I had an Epson Stylus 850 before that (CRAP)
and an HP 720 before that, and a Panasonic dot matrix before that. Both
the Canon S820 and i960 have had NO problems with clogs. I wonder if
either yours was an older model Canon (they didn't always make good
printers), or simply bad luck.



Actually I don't recall, it was new about 6 years ago (jeez time flies
huh?), 1200 comes to mind but I could be wrong. It was my only Canon
experience, they may be much better now. I have had a couple Epsons too, the
Stylus IIs was great, it could go for months without use and not clog, the
Stylus 700 was crap, it printed nicer but clogged constantly. Inkjets have
been so hit or miss (mostly miss for me) that I have a hard time trusting
them anymore, they do print very nice color when they work though.

I find that difficult to believe, I have 2 Stylus printers. A stylus

pro and a pro XL, both crap. Virtually identical to the stylus just
better software and a bit more internal ram to move a tick faster.
Both are doing duty as dust magnets in a back closet.
I have a Canon BJ1000 that does great text printing and works every
time I fire it up, no matter how long it's sat.
I also have a 1530 Epson as well as an 800 and both are shit.
After letting Epson screw me for about four grand I figured never
again.
My Novajet(Encad) is a commercial plotter that is a trooper.
and only cost me 2,300.
Nice to be able to do poster size prints and never have to buy vastly
overpriced cartridges ever again.

6 years, yeah, they definitely have improved a LOT since then. Canon
really only started to make good printers 2-3 years ago when they came
out with the S-series printers. As for Epsons, I had pretty much the
same experience with my 850 that you had with your 700, could give
decent prints, but would clog like a mofo if not used for more than a
few days, and would take a half an ink cartridge to clear. Eventually
the black head clogged beyond the ability to fix (yes, I tried ALL the
suggestions on the net). And, from reading newsgroups and talking to
other Epson users, the current Epsons are still just as bad in the
clogging dept. And, the heads on Epsons are NOT user replacable, but
they are on the Canon's (though I never needed to replace one). As far
as the HP's, up until some very recent models they were REALLY lagging
in the photo-quality printing department, but they're finally catching
up. But, their ink is still significantly more expensive than the
Canon's. But, the HP's from my experience are reliable (as Canon's seem
to be). Lexmark OTOH are not very reliable, and their ink prices are sky
high. Really as far as inkjets go, Canon and HP's are the only ones
really worth considering these days.

My wife's Lexmark has worked flawlessly. Photo-quality printing, sharp
text and NO clogs.
We don't buy Lexmark cartridges. I buy aftermarket blanks and fill
them myself. Ink cost for us are about a tenth of conventional costs.
Also buying the ink myself I can get archival inks and pantone inks as
well, resulting in even better curves/accurate rendition.

 

[gothika]

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 05:40:55 GMT, "James Sweet"
<jamessweet@hotmail.com> wrote:

"BeefJerky" <beefjerky@houston.rr.com> wrote in message
news:8unhc.5147$NR5.4796@fe1.texas.rr.com...

Hrm, what model was that Canon. I only started using Canon a couple of
years ago with the S820. I had an Epson Stylus 850 before that (CRAP)
and an HP 720 before that, and a Panasonic dot matrix before that. Both
the Canon S820 and i960 have had NO problems with clogs. I wonder if
either yours was an older model Canon (they didn't always make good
printers), or simply bad luck.


Actually I don't recall, it was new about 6 years ago (jeez time flies
huh?), 1200 comes to mind but I could be wrong. It was my only Canon
experience, they may be much better now. I have had a couple Epsons too, the
Stylus IIs was great, it could go for months without use and not clog, the
Stylus 700 was crap, it printed nicer but clogged constantly. Inkjets have
been so hit or miss (mostly miss for me) that I have a hard time trusting
them anymore, they do print very nice color when they work though.

Stay away from piezio printers and go to thermal.

Alot of the crappy Canons you're probably talking about actually used
Epson print engines. Just look at the specs. If the dpi is 720x720 or
1440x720.(or something similar) it's most likely not a Canon at all.
Look at the Epsons in the store first. If the Canon dpi stats match
the Epsons ditto, they're not Canons.
Real Canon printers use thermal(hot ink) transfer not piezio.
The HP's use hot ink as well but HP customer relations suck and the
ink cartridges are WAY to costly.(They've had a history of fusing
their cartridges to blow as well as using elaborate pressurizing
schemes. All to keep the user from refilling easily and aftermarket
manufacturers from making low cost refills.)
I find that Canons do the best text and are easy to refill.
Lexmarks do very good imaging and are easy to refill. As well have
almost no tendency to clog.
We have a Z45 that has been perfect.
If you really want reliability best to get away from inkjets
altogether. Try dye-sub, dry thermal ribbon, or laser.