Epson P5000 ink usage, switching black inks.

[funfoto]

Does anyone know how much ink the Epson P5000 uses to swap out the black inks...PK to MK  each way/round trip?
I've googled it until my fingers bleed and can't find anything.  Epson is being tight-lipped and doesn't say, at least anywhere I can find and it's not in the manual.
 

[mcrepsej]

Think that it is 3ml from photo black to matte black and 4 ml. when you change back.

[funfoto]

I called Epson to see if I could get the information out of them.  Here is what they said:  Switching from MK to PK uses 5ml.  Switching from PK to MK uses 3ml of ink.

Case closed!

[Wayne Fox]

Sort of answers the question but ...

from the Epson sales brochure for the p5000

"Auto Black Ink Type Switching
- With both Photo/Matte Black inks delivered through a single channel, Black ink type can be selected automatically based on the chosen media, or via user-prompted
- Two modes: “Normal” for assured print quality and “Quick” for faster switching and reduced ink usage”

I assume the amount quoted was for Normal, since this was the same for ink switching on a 4900.  Wonder how much ink is used for a “Quick” switch?

[funfoto]

...and I also wonder (too bad I didn't think to ask at the time), what the disadvantage is to using the "quick" method...  Residual ink from what you are switching from, left in the tubes that will then be transferred to the prints and affect print quality etc.?

Looks like another call to Epson in the morning!

[funfoto]

Epson confirmed this morning, that the "quick" switch of inks doesn't entirely flush out the previous ink, thereby affecting the print quality because the two inks are mixing to a certain degree until you've printed enough to have the switch complete.  Why anyone would who is concerned about print quality would do this is beyond me, but there you have it.

[howardm]

can you control normal vs. quick on a  per direction basis?

[funfoto]

Yes, like I said, but the "quick" method doesn't really flush the ink entirely.

[Wayne Fox]

can you control normal vs. quick on a  per direction basis?

yes.  before switching ink types you would go change the setting.

My guess it doesn't change much when going from PK to MK, but probably uses similar inks going back from MK to PK.  The real question is how much does it actually affect quality.  The vast majority of the ink on the paper is neither of those. Unless there are very obvious areas of very dark colors it may be unnoticeable.

But as was stated if needing the highest quality doesn't seem worth it.

I may test it by switching from one to the other then printing a fairly large black stripe to see if there is a change.  Just sort curious.

[funfoto]

I would be very interested in your findings, Wayne...please do report back.

Ink usage when you swap out according to what Epson told me:
Based on $86.95 per cartridge... .43 cents per ml

PK>MK = 3ml = $1.29
MK>PK = 5ml = $2.15

Total for round trip....$3.44

[Wayne Fox]

one other thought, seems switching blacks triggers a nozzle clean more often than not, meaning if you use the quick mode and then it does a nozzle clean you probably end up using about the same amount of ink as a normal mode.

If you use fast mode and the printer doesn't need a nozzle clean, you could easily initiate one for the channel, which would end up pushing about the same amount of ink through as the normal mode so you wouldn't have a quality problem.  But if you used normal mode and then the printer cleaned you end up using more ink.

That sound logical or is my lack of sleep showing?

[funfoto]

I like the way you think.  Makes perfect sense to me.  Now test it out and let us know!