Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: soboyle on June 01, 2013, 07:14:44 am

Title: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: soboyle on June 01, 2013, 07:14:44 am
Printing for a portfolio review next weekend, everything is going fine printing 17x22 prints, then a print comes out with areas where no ink is laid down, and banding. The printer was not sitting idle for a prolonged time when this clog occurred, it happened in the middle of a very active print run. It seems to be the deep black areas that are most effected. See attached image.
I've had minor clogs before with the 3800, nothing a quick head cleaning wouldn't fix. This time I've been through about 8 head cleaning cycles (and a fair portion of the ink), alignments, and even went for the overnight Windex treatment (paper towel soaked with Windex below the print heads), with no success.
Any suggestions for reviving this printer?
Are there any software or firmware issues that might cause similar symptoms?
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: JohnBrew on June 01, 2013, 07:20:49 am
After three trouble-free years with a 3800 I finally developed a clog. I tried all the tried and true methods and even some that weren't but to no avail. I called Epson and they said I needed to send it to a service center which was many miles away. I passed and bought a 3880.
I know this isn't much help but if you have a service center where you live then you are probably saved. If not, the less expensive and less-frustrating option could be to take advantage of one of the rebate offers and get a new machine.
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: soboyle on June 01, 2013, 07:44:07 am
The 3800 is 4 years old, with quite few miles on it, so I can't complain too loudly. I'm under the time pressure of having prints for next weekend, so was considering just that, order a new 3880.
Having said that - any other suggestions for cleaning?
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: dgberg on June 01, 2013, 08:56:54 am
No more suggestions,sorry. I went through the exact same thing and ordered the 3880 as well.
You can have one in 2 days if that is the direction you go.
I only use mine for proofs so it sits weeks sometimes between printing and just works,every single time.
Remember to keep all your 3800 inks as most can be used in the 3880.
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: soboyle on June 01, 2013, 09:21:35 am
Is it OK to pull partially used ink cartridges from the 3800 to use in the 3880?
I probably have $300 worth of ink in the 3800 now.
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: Dale_Cotton2 on June 01, 2013, 09:45:33 am
The 3800 is 4 years old, with quite few miles on it, so I can't complain too loudly. I'm under the time pressure of having prints for next weekend, so was considering just that, order a new 3880.
Having said that - any other suggestions for cleaning?

This is far from my area of competence, but if the entire colour section is missing -- such as all LK -- from a nozzle check print, I would think the problem could be other than clogging. If there are even a few nozzles reporting in for the affected colour, you could check with companies that sell inkjet cleaning supplies. I've seen on this forum where one or more people have reported success calling such-and-such a number, ordering a kit, and following instructions. (One such is http://www.americaninkjetsystems.com/symphonic_inkjet_cleaning_fluid.html.) But time seems to be running out. If that fails, then you would still have to order the 3880.

I replaced my five-year-old 3800 with a 3880 about a month ago. The transition was absolutely painless and seamless in my case (Win7, 64-bit, simple USB connection). But I only use Epson paper profiles and, in a few cases, those from a paper mfg's web site. If you are working with a custom profile, I'd imagine that would be a different story.

In counterpoint I've seen people report on this forum receiving a defective 3880 and having to return it. So maybe you should pursue both options simultaneously just to be safe. ;) Just as a pro photographer always carries a back-up camera, someone who does exhibition or for-sale printing should have a back-up printer? ;) (Hmm -- any chance there is someone in your area who does custom inkjet printing?)

Remember: you get a full set of inks with the new printer and can use all but the two magentas from your 3800, so the cost of upgrading is not as bad as might appear at first blush.
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: soboyle on June 01, 2013, 11:22:27 am
The fact that the clog happened in the middle of a print run, not after sitting idle for months, leads me to think that it may be a problem other than a clog. Just a hunch. After $250 rebate the 3880 is $879 and comes with $500 worth of ink. Not bad, only regret is this model is fairly long in the tooth, and very likely to be replaced soon. But what can you do, need a printer today.
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: dgberg on June 01, 2013, 11:45:01 am
Is it OK to pull partially used ink cartridges from the 3800 to use in the 3880?
I probably have $300 worth of ink in the 3800 now.
Of course.
It was probably the biggest reason I bought a 3880 for backup.
There are one or two that will not work. One of the magentas for sure.
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on June 01, 2013, 02:35:37 pm
My 3800 (a good three years old) had its first major clog a couple of weeks ago. I was printing black-and-white prints using ABW, and they came out pale and with purple splotches (ugh!). Nozzle check showed that all inks were fine except black (PK at that point) which showed nothing at all. I did a couple of cleaning cycles and nozzle checks, no change. I removed, shook, and returned the PK cart. No change. I switched to MK and got the same result.

By this time I was panicking and expecting to have to buy a 3880, but I decided to try to RTFM first, instead. The manual suggested a "Power clean," which I have never done before. You can only do the power clean from the printer console, not from the utility software. So I tried a Power Clean and one more nozzle check:

Everything was now perfect!

So, before you buy a 3880, do try ONE Power Clean and a nozzle check, if you haven't already. It worked for me.

Eric M.

Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: nikonuser on June 01, 2013, 06:58:36 pm
This video on head cleaning may help
http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.362672/it.I/id.222/.f
Dave
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: MBrew on June 02, 2013, 03:21:54 am
My 3800 did the same thing.  I tried the Windex trick and cleanings.  Ink levels showed good.  I finally wised up and checked the PK cartridge which was reporting 50%.  Surprise, surprise, it was bone dry.  There are other threads here that explain a valve sticks or fails and ink mysteriously disappears (into the maintenance. I've since upgraded to the 3880 and not looked back.
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on June 02, 2013, 09:56:26 am
My 3800 has been working just fine since that one Power Clean (knock on wood).

Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: soboyle on June 03, 2013, 10:36:32 am
I ordered a 3880, shipped from b&h today, arrives tomorrow.
If I wasn't under such time constraints I would have tried the power clean, but I'm nearly out of black ink (after the many head cleaning attempts) and the power clean will not run without enough ink. No time to order it and try,  if it fails I won't have time to get a new printer and make prints for this weekend's portfolio review in Boston.
I think I will order black ink and give the power clean a go, if it works I may sell the printer at a cheap price, if not it becomes landfill, which is a sad end to such a great printer. I've mounted several shows with prints from the 3800, and sold many prints from that printer.

Any other thoughts on what to do with the printer it the heads are gone? Anyone (besides epson) taking these in to repair them? I did find a service manual online. If only I had time to tinker with it.
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: soboyle on June 10, 2013, 05:41:27 pm
Epson 3880 is working out well. Only issue is it turns itself off after a number of hours.
Can't find a reference to this in the manual so far. I used to leave my 3800 on all the time.
Thoughts on this, and where to adjust the shut down time for the 3880?
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: NancyP on June 10, 2013, 06:08:10 pm
OK, I know NOTHING about printing. I set up my new 3880 this weekend, and before doing so I looked at online tutorials at Epson. The maintenance video for 2xxx and 3xxx series printers stated that the printer should be turned off at the end of the day, so the head can be put back in the "zero" position where it is protected from drying out (?). If the 3880 powers down after inactivity, that would accomplish the same thing. Just a wild guess.
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: AFairley on June 10, 2013, 07:16:40 pm
Any other thoughts on what to do with the printer it the heads are gone? Anyone (besides epson) taking these in to repair them? I did find a service manual online. If only I had time to tinker with it.

My 3800 started laying down back ink spludges (technical term  ;) ), given the cost of trying to repair with no guaranty it would fix the problem, I opted for a 3880.  I sold the 3800 (with full disclosure) on Craigslist for $100 to someone who was willing to tinker with it.  I kept all the part-filled inks (except Magenta) for the 3880.

You can use the 3800 inks (except magentas) in the 3800 for the initial charging, BUT, only use them if they are more than 1/3 or so full.  I had one cartridge that was too low in ink when I tried this with the 3880, it ran out of ink during the charge and the charge aborted.  Then I had to run the charge a second time with a new cartridge, and the charging cycle used as much ink as an initial charge even though now there was a bunch if ink in the lines, resulting in wasted ink and more of the waste tank being used.  You also can use the waste tank from the 3800 for the initial charging, but again, I would only use it if it is 60% used up or less.
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: soboyle on June 11, 2013, 07:43:51 am
Just wondering how to control the auto shutoff timing. Anyone know where that is hidden?
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: greyscale on June 11, 2013, 01:02:06 pm
FWIW, you have FREE tech support from Epson on the 3880. Call and ask about the timeout.

greyscale
Title: Re: Epson 3800 clog from hell
Post by: elolaugesen on June 12, 2013, 03:06:16 am
auto timer look at the power management features on the printer itself.  I changed mine easy to do....

"Hold down the Pause/Cancel button, then press the button to power on the printer. Release the Pause/Cancel button when the Maintenance Mode menu is displayed."  all timer features are then available
Worked for me....