Need help, Ink Jet Printers.

[John B.]

My Epson C-86 printer is on the fritz after less than a hundred transfer copies.
I only used it to make transparency copies for Transfer Magic.
The black ink nozzle is clogged and Epson tech help info did not work to clear it.
I hate to spend more money on a service call than the darn thing cost.
Any ideas ? Or should I just dump it, new cartridges and all?
I have excellent service from my Epson CX5200 combo unit but it's ink does not work for transfers.
Has anyone used a Lexmark printer for Tom White's type transfers ???
I like the fact that the Lexmark nozzles are in the cartridges I believe, not the printer.
What printers and ink work for you, please.
Sorry for all the questions but your input will be welcome.
Thank you, John B.

 

[Sam]

John: Sorry to hear about your c86. I dumped two of them and a c88 as well. They all died after a very short life, and the c88 started printing so crooked that copies were useless. I feel your pain. / Sam

 

[TallGary]

John,

Try one of the methods suggested in the following links:

http://www.inkjetart.com/tips/cleaning.html
or
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/178

for home made fixes or:

http://www.squaredot.com/flushkit%20web/headflush2.html

for a commercial type fix.

Gary

 

[Mike Cirelli]

John I use a lexmark Z23 and it works fine when set on black only. That's what I hated about Epson. It used to be the only printer I would buy, but the print head is built into the printer not the cartridge. When they get plugged up you may as well throw the printer in the garbage. Not that lexmark is so great but if the head gets plugged you can go get new cartridges and it will work, because the print head is in the cartridge. Another option is to go to the office supply store buy some transfer sheets and tell the sales person you would like to run them through some inkjets in the black test mode. Take them home and see which works the best. They don't care as a mater of fact they'll be more than glad to help because there fascinated by what your going to do.

 

[gail.m]

John,
It is my understanding that any HP inkjet printer that uses the #27 black cartridge will work with this transfer solution. I am sure I read it on this forum, but I cannot vouch for it. Maybe someone will chime in that remembers when/where this was posted. I believe that it has something to do with the fact that it it pigment based ink.
gailm

 

[monk]

print transfers

john, i think the gods have smiled upon me. my hp inkjet prints on the transparency ok with nothing added there. if you wait a few minutes for sufficient dry time, the transfer will burnish onto an untreated surface. no solution used, no sharpie, no nothing ! best results occur for me if i use the transfer within a day or so. if i wait too long, the pigments get dry or whatever and wont transfer. good luck..

 

[Andy]

Like Gail said. The HP line is the way to go. Their cartridges house the print head. Far less to go wrong. When my Epson dies, as I am sure it will, I will go back to using my old HP 5550. It uses a #56 black cartridge and it worked well for transfers. So any HP that uses the 56 cartridge should work John. Hope this helps.

 

[beegee]

I had an Epson and it kept clogging while sitting unused for several days. I went to a Canon, but it finally had paper pickup problems. I bought an Epson 3-1 machine and it runs out of ink too quickly. My next printer will be a laser, but I will never buy another Epson. HP seems to be the way to go for inkjets.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

HI John

Yip, the HP works very well with the #27 black cartridge. I took my colour one out and it's perfect prints everytime with the proper transparancies.

The HP I've got is an old one now, but it was the cheapest I could buy at the time.


Cheers
Andrew

 

[Dave London]

John
No more epson products for me either mine died in less than a year. Some one had mentioned the HP #45 ink any help out there on this . thanks Dave Tom White where are you

 

[Tim Wells]

John,
I am setting up to do a mess of those William Henry knives and guess what! My C66 Epson quit right when I needed it for a transfer and it ain't been used much at all. I think sitting kills it. Mine has the very same problem yours does, that clogged black nozzle.

I will tear into it and see if I can clean it somehow. Until then I'll just have to draw it on the part the good old fashioned way. Damned computer age... uuuugggghhh

Good luck.

My Epson C-86 printer is on the fritz after less than a hundred transfer copies.
I only used it to make transparency copies for Transfer Magic.
The black ink nozzle is clogged and Epson tech help info did not work to clear it.
I hate to spend more money on a service call than the darn thing cost.
Any ideas ? Or should I just dump it, new cartridges and all?
I have excellent service from my Epson CX5200 combo unit but it's ink does not work for transfers.
Has anyone used a Lexmark printer for Tom White's type transfers ???
I like the fact that the Lexmark nozzles are in the cartridges I believe, not the printer.
What printers and ink work for you, please.
Sorry for all the questions but your input will be welcome.
Thank you, John B.

 

[mdengraver]

Epson CX4200

For what it's worth my Epson CX4200 still seems to be working ok.

 

[John B.]

Thank you for all the help.
Much appreciated by a Luddite like me.

Thanks Tall Gary, I will try your cleaning methods first.
Mike C, thanks for the confirmation about Lexmark print heads in the cartridge.
Gail, Andy, Mike, Beegee and Andrew thanks for the information about the HP working for transfers.
Maybe that's the way to go if I can't clean the heads with Gary's methods and have to buy one.
Tim, sorry to hear that yours fritzed out too right when you needed it.
And Sam, thanks for your message. My three-in-one Epson CX5200 has done a great job for 4 years.
Must be the different type of ink.
Great input thanks, best regards, John B.

 

[PS_Bond]

On an Epson 895, I found that using a plastic pipette and isopropanol cleared out the nozzle - not much pressure required, but a bit of mopping up with some tissue afterwards - oh, and give the IPA time to evaporate too.

I've done this a few times now with that setup.

 

[Tom White]

Hi all,

I have been very busy these days with my plasticized wood production and some engraving jobs and have not done a good job at keeping up with the forums, printers, and inks, I plan to test the display units this weekend at the local office max and will post the results the first of the week. I too have had to replace my epson and hope to find other units that will work. I am also working on a source for good working less costly films. I will keep you all as updated as I can.

Tom White

 

[rod]

John B,

I have had some success in unclogging Epson print heads by tearing up a half inch wide strip of velvet cloth, wrap it around a thin metal, or stiff strip, and feed it under the print head with the velvet side up. You need to switch the printer on, then have it start to print a page, notwithstanding it will not be doing this well. While the ink head is sliding back and forth, pull the plug out of the electic socket to stop the printer with the print head in mid position, allowing you access to insert the velvet. Add acetone to the velvet and pull the cloth back and forth like polishing the underside of a shoe. If you see ink starting to stain the velvet, that is a good sign. This has dissolved clogged ink, and after asking the printer to print a full sheet of black, it started to work again. Cheap and easy and worth trying before you dump the printer. I did this on an Epson 880 but should work for the C86.

The problem with the new designs, is that they are very, very good at fine resolution, and need tiny ink jets to accomplish this. Ink jet nozzles clog much easier, and so the printer is becoming like a disposable camera. Bad news for a Scotsman...

Rod

 

[John B.]

To Tom White, glad you are back with us and have just been busy.
I emailed you a few time and was concerned by no reply.
Look forward to hearing about your new printer tests.

Rod, thanks for that.
I tried the Windex treatment that Tall Gary mentioned.....no joy.
Will give the acetone that you mention a try also, nothing to loose at this stage.

Kevin M. is sending me details on a completely different system to try.
Thanks Kevin, and I let folks know how it works for me.

Again, thanks for all the help, John B.

 

[Dave London]

Tom
Welcome back, dont you just hate it when work gets in the way, looking foward to your results. Dave

 

[alfrisillo]

What does Sam use?

Sam,
What printer are you currently using and are you using the Alcohol/Damar varnish transfer mix?

 

[John B.]

HP D4260 printer?

While waiting for input from Tom White I got impatient and started hunting Office Depot.
I think it was Marty told me the HP 3740 works well but it's a discontinued model.
Did find a model D4260 for $69.00.
Any one know if this one works for transfers, please????
The store manager said I could take one home and try it and return it if it didn't work.
But I hate to do that to them.

Best, John B.

PS. None of the cleaning methods worked on my epson C86 but thanks anyway.