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Author Topic: 1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800  (Read 9846 times)

dgillilan

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« on: May 20, 2007, 07:52:24 pm »

Dear Fellow printers,
Well I have experienced my first nozzle clog with my new Epson R3800. Wow, I was suprised. I have used my printer for only a bit less than 4 weeks, and have printed nine 8x10, six 4x6, and one 16x20. I had my printer turned on from Friday till today(typically mine is turned off and I print on weekends) and did print some ea day. Wow. I noticed a nice tulip image printed with lines all over it, barely noticeable, from a scanned image. I printed also on a second type of paper, lines again very faint. I thought it was my scan. So I scanned it again, and printed it on third type of paper, and this time, boy, the lines were terrible, really unacceptable. SO I thought, I must have a clog. I then referred to the manual and ran the "auto" nozzle check and it printed its result, and then I printed a 2nd "print" from the nozzle check, and it looked clear. I have now printed another tulip print and this one is gorgeous, so I did have a clog. I checked my job ink usuage, and boy, it used 10.5 ml of total ink for that test and auto correction(print head cleaning). That's a lot of ink, and it was not the "power cleaning cycle". Gosh. Anyone have suggestions on how to avoid this? I was printing once a week, that is not enough???  Do I need to turn it on for a few minutes each day to let it run the print cartridges across the row and loosen up the inks??? Suggestions?
Well, at least I know what indicates a clogged nozzle which I have not encountered to date(lines on prints); perhaps this will help others new to pro printers,
Thanks, Debra
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Nill Toulme

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2007, 08:26:45 pm »

On my 4800 I just run a nozzle check (not an auto, just a nozzle check) before each print job, and visually inspect.  I use plain paper for this, and I use each piece four times.  Kind of a PITA, but not really a big deal.

I don't know what causes clogs.  I haven't been able to discern a clear pattern.  Sometimes I think it's a change in the weather (humidity, barometric pressure, who knows); sometimes I think it's just gremlins.

One thing I know for sure — if I queue fifty prints to the printer without running a nozzle check first, I will definitely have a clogged nozzle.  ;-)

Nill
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picnic

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2007, 08:28:46 pm »

Quote
Dear Fellow printers,
Well I have experienced my first nozzle clog with my new Epson R3800. Wow, I was suprised. I have used my printer for only a bit less than 4 weeks, and have printed nine 8x10, six 4x6, and one 16x20. I had my printer turned on from Friday till today(typically mine is turned off and I print on weekends) and did print some ea day. Wow. I noticed a nice tulip image printed with lines all over it, barely noticeable, from a scanned image. I printed also on a second type of paper, lines again very faint. I thought it was my scan. So I scanned it again, and printed it on third type of paper, and this time, boy, the lines were terrible, really unacceptable. SO I thought, I must have a clog. I then referred to the manual and ran the "auto" nozzle check and it printed its result, and then I printed a 2nd "print" from the nozzle check, and it looked clear. I have now printed another tulip print and this one is gorgeous, so I did have a clog. I checked my job ink usuage, and boy, it used 10.5 ml of total ink for that test and auto correction(print head cleaning). That's a lot of ink, and it was not the "power cleaning cycle". Gosh. Anyone have suggestions on how to avoid this? I was printing once a week, that is not enough???  Do I need to turn it on for a few minutes each day to let it run the print cartridges across the row and loosen up the inks??? Suggestions?
Well, at least I know what indicates a clogged nozzle which I have not encountered to date(lines on prints); perhaps this will help others new to pro printers,
Thanks, Debra
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=118734\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Who's to say?  I have not done much printing since early Spring---it has sat for almost a month without being turned on and still--when I ran the test before printing several large prints---just fine.  I live in the southeast with normally high humidity but it is very dry right now.  However--the printer lives in an AC environment so humidity may not contribute at all.

I have never had a clog since December--and only print sporadically--as I did with the 2200--never every day--and often it goes for a week or more between any printing at all--and then a fair amount.  

IMO---I always run a test print (through the utilities) before printing anything of importance.  That way you know if you have any clogged nozzles at all.  Waiting until you see a problem in a print  and then running a cleaning cycle isn't a good solution I don't think.  I'm not sure why you didn't print the nozzle test before cleaning---I haven't cleaned yet--and I bet a lot of others haven't either.  Check that first--and then you will know for sure.  This has been my normal approach to it since a 1280, through the 2200 and a number of other letter sized Epson printers.

I just saw Nill's post--I do the same--4 tests to a sheet of plain paper.  Its just good insurance.

Diane
« Last Edit: May 20, 2007, 08:30:29 pm by picnic »
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dgillilan

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2007, 08:30:02 pm »

Quote
On my 4800 I just run a nozzle check (not an auto, just a nozzle check) before each print job, and visually inspect.  I use plain paper for this, and I use each piece four times.  Kind of a PITA, but not really a big deal.

I don't know what causes clogs.  I haven't been able to discern a clear pattern.  Sometimes I think it's a change in the weather (humidity, barometric pressure, who knows); sometimes I think it's just gremlins.

One thing I know for sure — if I queue fifty prints to the printer without running a nozzle check first, I will definitely have a clogged nozzle.  ;-)

Nill
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Thanks Nil, I will have to start this practice, I wasted four glossy papers today as I was not performing this check as you have suggested, not a big deal, but not really good either to waste photo paper=money. Thanks again,
Debra
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dgillilan

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2007, 08:31:38 pm »

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Who's to say?  I have not done much printing since early Spring---it has sat for almost a month without being turned on and still--when I ran the test before printing several large prints---just fine.  I live in the southeast with normally high humidity but it is very dry right now.  However--the printer lives in an AC environment so humidity may not contribute at all.

I have never had a clog since December--and only print sporadically--as I did with the 2200--never every day--and often it goes for a week or more between any printing at all--and then a fair amount. 

IMO---I always run a test print (through the utilities) before printing anything of importance.  That way you know if you have any clogged nozzles at all.  Waiting until you see a problem in a print  and then running a cleaning cycle isn't a good solution I don't think.  I'm not sure why you didn't print the nozzle test before cleaning---I haven't cleaned yet--and I bet a lot of others haven't either.  Check that first--and then you will know for sure.  This has been my normal approach to it since a 1280, through the 2200 and a number of other letter sized Epson printers.

I just saw Nill's post--I do the same--4 tests to a sheet of plain paper.  Its just good insurance.

Diane
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Thanks Diane, I'll start running the nozzle check first, Debra
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madmanchan

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2007, 04:35:26 pm »

A couple of thoughts come to mind:

- Are you in a very dry climate? Or does the humidity fluctuate wildly? In my case, humidity changes a lot here in Boston, and when it dries out, clogs tend to develop. I have found that keeping a small humidifier near the printer helps a lot (no more clogs).

- What is the longest amount of time that goes by between successive prints? Do you leave your printer on during this period or turn it off?

I've posted the following info on my Epson 3800 FAQ (quoted directly):

Quote
Should I turn off my Epson 3800 when not using it or leave it on?

 Executive summary: If you print daily (i.e., the longest time elapsed between two successive prints is at most a day), then leave your 3800 on. Otherwise, turn it off.

The following more detailed explanation is summarized and paraphrased from a thread on the Epson Wide Format Yahoo newsgroup, where the original poster spoke on the phone with an Epson engineer in the wide format printer product group.

According to the engineer, assuming a properly functioning printer, there is no difference in the parked position of the print head, whether the printer is on and the head is parked or if the printer is shut off. The engineer recommends that if printers are used very frequently (hourly to daily at the longest) then it is fine to let the printer stay on because there isn't enough time between prints to let the print head dry out.

To avoid problems with print quality, you want to avoid the situation where ink dries in the print head. In other words, dried ink is the enemy: it can cause clogs, and because it doesn't seal nozzles as well as liquid ink does, dry ink can contribute to air bubbles. If the printer is not used at least daily, then it should be shut off between print runs. The reason is that when the printer is turned back on, it goes through a special type of head cleaning (using a supposedly "minimal" amount of ink) to clear off the dried particles, get rid of air bubbles, and get the liquid ink going again.

The frequency of this special cleaning mode is controlled by the printer itself. It will be done occasionally even if the printer is left on; however, it is not done frequently enough if the printer is simply left idling while powered on and not being used. Hence, the Epson engineer's recommendation is to turn the printer off when the time between two successive print runs is longer than a day.
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Eric Chan

picnic

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2007, 06:25:35 pm »

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Thanks Diane, I'll start running the nozzle check first, Debra
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There is a lot to assimilate with the printer.  I have a foot up having printed with Epsons for years and know that checking first with the nozzle check in the utilities saves me in the end *smile*

Again--not sure if my climate makes a difference but I have had little problems with any of my Epsons over the years with clogs.  Maybe luck--maybe humidity.

I read of someone on another forum that made a small plexi 'box' that he sat down in his printers with a moist sponge and covered the printers.  I've never tried it--just passing on the info.

Diane
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dgillilan

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2007, 07:07:55 pm »

Quote
A couple of thoughts come to mind:

- Are you in a very dry climate? Or does the humidity fluctuate wildly? In my case, humidity changes a lot here in Boston, and when it dries out, clogs tend to develop. I have found that keeping a small humidifier near the printer helps a lot (no more clogs).

- What is the longest amount of time that goes by between successive prints? Do you leave your printer on during this period or turn it off?

I've posted the following info on my Epson 3800 FAQ (quoted directly):
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=118894\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hi Eric,
I am in a humid climate, Williamsburg, VA; it has been cool but have had hot days two weeks ago.  I may dig out my 30-yr old humidifier - for my printer !
I usually print on weekends, so 6 days between prints. However, I printed a great B&W print on Friday, another on Saturday, printer still left "on", and then Sunday, whamo, clog city, terrible lines and grains on color prints(until I did Nozzle check-auto, which did clean it up). I was very surprised, with less than 24 hours since my last wonderful print, to have a clog.
I will take your advice and that of Diane, Nill, Ernesto, Hal, Carolyn, and others who advised me - leave printer off - run a test print ea time before printing !
Thank you, Debra
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tbonanno

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2007, 09:08:23 pm »

I second Nil's suggestion.  I always run a nozzle "check" prior to each print job.  I've had a 3800 in the studio since January and have only experienced four or five nozzle clogs (as seen on a nozzle check print).  Didn't take much to clear them out.  

I live in a low humidity environment though.  Humidity seems to help for sure.

Overall though, I find the 3800 much less prone to clogs than my older larger Epson printers.

Tony
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madmanchan

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2007, 11:23:33 pm »

Hi Debra,

One thing I'm not sure about from your post: when you say, 6 days between printing, did you leave the printer on during that time? Or did you turn it off for that period of 6 days?

Eric
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Eric Chan

dgillilan

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2007, 05:03:46 am »

Quote
Hi Debra,

One thing I'm not sure about from your post: when you say, 6 days between printing, did you leave the printer on during that time? Or did you turn it off for that period of 6 days?

Eric
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Hi Eric,
I do turn off the printer during the week, and leave it on for the weekend as that is when I print my photos. And I did print an 8x10 on Friday, on Saturday(both black and white), and then Sunday the clog occurred as I was printing color.  Very surprised to clog within 24 hours of getting a wonderful print.
Thank you, Debra
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madmanchan

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2007, 07:33:10 am »

Hi Debra,

Thanks for the clarification. I do agree that it's unusual.

Some other suggestions to try:

... If your work area surrounding the printer tends to get a little dusty, you might consider covering the printer when you're not using it. This is what I do, actually, since the small room in which the printer sits can get dusty. (Plus, my cats sometimes consider the 3800 as an interesting piece of furniture.) I just take a big plastic sheets and cover the printer to try to keep dust, cat hair, and other gremlins out.
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Eric Chan

Nill Toulme

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2007, 07:48:10 am »

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...  Very surprised to clog within 24 hours of getting a wonderful print.
Thank you, Debra
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I've had at least one major clog arise (on my 4800) within five minutes of a wonderful print.  But — knock wood — still only between jobs; I've never had a clog happen in the middle of a print job.  

Quote
... I just take a big plastic sheets and cover the printer to try to keep dust, cat hair, and other gremlins out.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=118962\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
[a href=\"http://www.compucover.com]www.compucover.com[/url] will make you a lovely custom cover for your printer (or anything else).  Highly recommended.

Nill
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dgillilan

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2007, 07:56:14 am »

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I've had at least one major clog arise (on my 4800) within five minutes of a wonderful print.  But — knock wood — still only between jobs; I've never had a clog happen in the middle of a print job. 
www.compucover.com will make you a lovely custom cover for your printer (or anything else).  Highly recommended.

Nill
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HI Eric and Nill,
I agree, dust can be the enemy, and I do now have a custom cover, a fabric quilted cover, ordered from: [a href=\"http://www.cigarcityarts.com/catalog1a.html]http://www.cigarcityarts.com/catalog1a.html[/url]
I will be digging out my old humidifier also, to "Pamper" my printer room.

Thanks again, I'll be running nozzle check-print tests every other day now !
Thank you, Debra
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Nill Toulme

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2007, 08:05:17 am »

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...I'll be running nozzle check-print tests every other day now !
Thank you, Debra
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The moral of my story was to run one before every job, even if the last job was five minutes ago!  ;-)

Nill
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dgillilan

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1st Nozzle Clog Epson R3800
« Reply #15 on: May 22, 2007, 09:33:28 am »

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The moral of my story was to run one before every job, even if the last job was five minutes ago!  ;-)

Nill
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Nill, Great, I will do that and also every other day, I want to try to avoid any more clogs at any point, will run test prints before every single important print !
Thank you, Debra
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