Piezography
BW Flushing / Installing Piezography BW inks
Please
report errors or omissions to Bill Bergh - bill@cone-editions.com
We highly recommend that you first start up a new printer using the
Epson inks. Print some color prints and just make sure that the printer
is working well. If there are any problems at this point, it is easier
to deal with Epson Support when you using their inks and papers.
Install the Epson software, read the printer manual and get used to
the new printer.
Installing third party inks meant to be archival can be more difficult
for some people than using the Epson inks. The Epson inks are formulated
to never clog, and they contain anticlogging agents that the manufacturers
of archival ink avoid. We are switching the printer from the Epson
dye based inks to a pigmented inkset. For the majority of people
this change is painless. For a few, the changeover is harder.
Switching inksets always carries the risk that the two different inksets
may not react well when combined. Some combinations (i.e. Epson dyes
and Lysonic E color dyes) are known to cause clogging problems.
For the smaller desktop printers, (1160, 1200, etc.) we recommend
as general rule that you use the flushing cartridges to flush out
the print head before installing the PiezographyBW inkset. We have
no way to know what inks the customers have had in the machines prior
to switching, so this is our generic advise. We have tested putting
the PiezographyBW inks directly into the machine following the Epson
dye based inks and have not seen any problems.
For the larger printers (Epson 3000, 7000, etc.) it is mandatory that
you flush the system prior to installing the inks. These printers
have lots of ink in the tubing that leads from the ink cartridge to
the print head. You must flush the ink out or there will be color
contamination of the prints for 40 to 60 prints.
PROCEDURE:
For the smaller Desktop Printers (760, 860, 1160, 1200 etc.)
1 - Turn on
the printer.
2 - Press and hold the paper button for 3 seconds. This moves the
cartridges to the left for changing inks when you haven't run the
first set out and the ink button lights are not flashing.
3 - Lift the lids to the ink cartridges and pull them out. There
is a switch that senses that the lid has been raised and the printer
knows you have taken the cartridges out. It is not a good idea
to leave the printer in this condition for a long time. The insides
of the printhead are exposed to air. You don't have to be in a
great hurry - but this is not a good time to go have lunch.
4 - Install the cleaning ink cartridges. Press down the lids, which
pierces the cartridge and locks the lid. The lid catch pushes on
a switch that tells the printer that a cartridge is installed.
5 - Press the ink button - and the cartridge will return to the
right. The machine will enter a cleaning cycle.
6 - To save the inks that you took out (which may not be empty)
- take some Windex and clean off the bottom of the cartridge. Use
some clear tape to seal the cartridge. We also clean and tape over
the vent holes on the top of the cartridge. These were uncovered
when you tore of the top of the label during the first installation.
My experience is that if you do not use the Windex to clean the
plastic prior to taping, the cartridges eventually leak. Having
a hole on the top (vent hole) and bottom (large holes) makes these
cartridges hard to store unless you seal them well.
7 - Launch Photoshop on your computer and print the "Flush
Image.PSD" located on the Piezography BW CD disk, using the
Epson driver as you would print a normal image. We advise that
you print twice to clear jets of all residual inks from previous
inkset.
Repeat steps 2-7 to remove the cleaning cartridges and install the
PiezoBW inkset. (Cartridges or CIS system).
PROCEDURE:
For the larger Desktop Printers (Epson 3000)
The 3000 and
larger printers are a little more tricky because they have tubing
from the remote cartridge to the printhead and there is a large
volume of ink in the tubing. We have essentially married the Epson
initial charging procedure (the instructions on how to install the
Epson ink for the first time), with the flushing procedure in the
manual (instructions on how to remove the ink and pack up the printer
to send it in for repair) into a purging procedure.
1 - Turn on the printer.
2 - When the printer has finished its start up cycle and is ready
to print, remove the four (4) ink cartridges.
3 - Turn off the printer. The printer will begin purging the ink
into the waste pads. This takes around a minute or so.
4 - Turn the printer ON. The printer will know all ink positions
are empty.
5 - Install the four (4) ConeTech flushing cartridges. As the last
cartridge is inserted the printer will start the initial charging
routine. This process takes about 8 minutes. Epson cautions at
this point to make sure that the power is not interrupted or the
process may not complete and the tubing will be half full of air.
6 - To save the inks that you took out - take some Windex and clean
off the nipple on the top of the cartridge. Use some clear tape
to seal the cartridge. My experience is that if you do not use
the Windex to clean the plastic and rubber nipple prior to taping,
the cartridges eventually leak.
7 - Launch Photoshop on your computer and print the "Flush
Image.PSD" located on the Piezography BW CD disk, using the
Epson driver as you would print a normal image. We advise that
you print twice to clear jets of all residual inks from previous
inkset.
Repeat steps 2-7 to remove the cleaning cartridges and install the
PiezoBW inkset.
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