Epson printers - lines across images

[Alice Mutasa]

(2nd attempt to post this!). Has anyone else had this problem with Epson printers? Fine parallel lines across any area of clear colour in the images - e.g. sky, walls, etc. It's happened to me twice now, with both my Epson printers (think my last one was a R800?); current printer is a R2400. It always happens after about 2-3 years. Have been onto Epson technical support & tried everything - hopeless. It's also now started to dribble black ink across the back of the paper. I now have a quote for around £200 to fix it. Are Epson printers really so rubbish that we should expect to have to fork out around £300-£400 every 2-3 years for a new one?!

[GfK]

The problem with Epson printers is that the print head is on the printer itself. With other brands like HP its on the cartridge, so you get a new head each time you replace it.

The Epson ones get blocked over time. Its made up of tiny holes and some get blocked with dried up ink, hence the striping. You can run the Epson nozzle cleaning program in your printer settings but eventually it reaches a point where even that won't work.

The only solution is cleaning the head manually with some isopropyl alcohol (which is basically cassette head-cleaning fluid). You can also get (or you used to be able to) ink cartridges full of isopropyl rather than ink, so you print with that onto waste paper and it flushes the whole system out.

[edit] For example: http://www.internet-ink.co.uk/epson-cleaning-cartridges/

[Kenny]

Blimey Alice!!

if youve had three years out of an A3 printer thats good going. The 200 will be for new heads and a plattern cable. The dribbling ink is a sure sign that the heads have been worn. Have you been using cheap carts in it by any chance????? If you use cheap water based carts in a pigment printer- which the R800 and the R2400 are then you have only yourself to blame for damaging the heads. You should always either use genuine inks in this type of printer OR alternative carts that are definately pigment carts.If not what happens is, the heads dont have the alcohol carrier to cool the heads and the nozzels get bigger and bigger until one day they leak and you get lines all over your print.

Bessy regs

Kenny

[Alice Mutasa]

Thanks. I have ALWAYS used NOTHING but Epson inks & paper in this printer! (Not sure what you even mean by 'cheap water based carts' - never heard of them). If I'd been using something else I think I'd have realised that was the problem & wouldn't be wasting your time here..... I don't even use the printer that much & don't consider 3 years, using nothing but those extortionately priced Epson ink cartridges, to be particularly good value...

[GfK]

If as you say, you don't use it much, then that just lends more weight to the theory that the print head is partially clogged with dried up ink.

I'd check out some cleaning cartridges and give them a try. Seriously, in all likelihood you really don't need to spending two hundred quid on this - its probably just routine maintenance.

[mini_mad]

Simple, switch to slow speed printing

[Bandit]

Blimey Alice!!

if youve had three years out of an A3 printer thats good going. The 200 will be for new heads and a plattern cable. The dribbling ink is a sure sign that the heads have been worn. Have you been using cheap carts in it by any chance????? If you use cheap water based carts in a pigment printer- which the R800 and the R2400 are then you have only yourself to blame for damaging the heads. You should always either use genuine inks in this type of printer OR alternative carts that are definately pigment carts.If not what happens is, the heads dont have the alcohol carrier to cool the heads and the nozzels get bigger and bigger until one day they leak and you get lines all over your print.


Bessy regs

Kenny

+1 on this. I fix these things at work. 3 years is deffo time for new print head.

[StuartHurst]

yes - gotta agree - heads first.
get a replacement yourself as it's cheaper - and remember to realign it again when you've changed the head.

[Kenny]

oops..forgive me for posting on this thread...if Id known you were going to go off on one I wouldnt have bothered. Maybe if you'd read the instructions which say if the printer isnt used for a long time to do periodic head cleans then it might have solved the problem.I'll make sure not to comment on your threads again for fear of getting my head bitten off for a second time. Good luck with the printer!

[Alice Mutasa]

I'd check out some cleaning cartridges and give them a try.
Thanks all - Can you advise where I can get 'Epson-approved' cleaning cartridges? Since it seems anything non-Epson is bound to mess it up even more. I don't understand why the Epson support people didn't advise me of this? (Been speaking to them for weeks about it).


get a replacement yourself as it's cheaper - and remember to realign it again when you've changed the head.
I assume this is if the cleaning cartridge doesn't work? I have no idea how to replace the heads - can anyone direct me to a handy website? NB: I've attached a scan of the issue, as I'm not sure I described it clearly - very neat lines all across any large areas of colour - does this still look like the heads have gone to you? The rest of the printing - colours etc - is fine, which is what has confused me; it doesn't look like anything's worn out!

[carlb40]

you can get service cd's on ebay that are only a few pounds and may work, it wont harm the printer in anyway

[StuartHurst]

that banding - have you done an alignment check??? it looks like it's overprinting slightly...

[Kenny]

the epson SSc reset uitility can be found for nowt if you google for it. Wont work on the R2400 though. Print looks like printer overstrike as Stuart said.run a full printer clean and alignment cycle and the print out will show if this is the case.lt prints out a series of squares consisting of 64 blocks each and a line test at the end. You then have the opportunity to set the printer driver to the alignment( at least this is the case on the R1800- which is the A3 version of the R800) Also, in some cases, if the printer has been kepot in an area of direct sunlight where it can get warm, or near a source of heat, the ink can dry in the delivery tubes and cause this. For cleaning carts if you look up Lyson and get a set of their empty carts, they are highly reccomended and they also supplu cleaning fluid.By running a set of these carts through the printer this might sort it if it isnt an overhanding issue.

[carlb40]

permajet also do cleaning cartridges
http://www.permajet.com/product/419/Epson_R2400_Cleaning_Kit.html

[photograffex]

Tools: 6+ baby wipes LOL. Fire print head away from it's standing/cleaning point (by powering up and then unplug from mains when it moves) and clean the rubber wiper and storage blocks. Also wipe round the edges of the print head, and leave to dry for a few mins. Now power printer back up and run a full clean and alignment.

Or just hit it with a big hammer LOL

[Alice Mutasa]

Very many thanks to all who replied; I really appreciate the time you've all taken to help with this; I will try all of these suggestions!

[Bazza]

just had the same bother and went and bought another printer, i use a cis system with mine and its printed over 150 x 24 page contact sheets, 150x 10 a4 prints, countless dvds for customers and for advertising, plus all my paperwork it seems it is the head problem and not really fixable apart from trying a good clean the proper way. Got the slight banding horizontally rather than vertically (that is alighnment problems i was told) so didnt waste time, bought a new one, delivered next day and back into production.

[Chris Hawkins]

I have the same problem with the HP B9180 - it's 3 years old and is now for the bin - very sad to say the least. 4 x printheads = £240 + set of new cartridges, £240 = £480, about the same price as a new printer.