Epson 3800 maintenance

[NigelC]

Eric Chan's resources site for the Epson 3800 has a reference to Epson recommending taking the ink cartridges out and and shaking them if you don't use it for a couple of weeks. This is opposite to what an Epson person at a trade stand told me - he said the inks would then leak out of the cartridge. Which is correct?

[AaronPhotog]

I've been following Eric's advice since I got my 3800 about a year ago with no leakage whatever.  In fact, it's absolutely essential at times.  The 3800 ink indicator will show X's in the little pictures of the cartridges, and it might be just one of them that's shutting down the whole bunch after it.  Take them out and shake them, and put them back.  Voila!  Now they are showing ink levels again!  It will take a little time to pack the lines after you hit "print," and then everything works fine.  Pigment eventually settles in the pigment ink, so for best results shake them if they've been sitting awhile whether they indicate "no cartridge installed" or not.

This is even in their online advice somewhere.  I wonder what beach they got the "Epson Person" from for the trade show.

Aloha,
Aaron

[Schewe]

Which is correct?
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Eric is correct and it's what the pro printer product managers (not some guy at a trade show booth) would tell you...but it's not so much a "shake" as it's a gentle agitation rocking the cards front to back–just as you would do when first loading the carts. (you do that, right?)

[Wayne Fox]

As Jeff pointed out, the word shake isn't very accurate.

I take 2 or 3 out at the same time, turn them upside down as a group, and agitate them gently for about 90 seconds.  I then set them on the table upside down so gravity continues to help me while I do the next set.  So each gets agitated for 90 seconds, sits upside down for 90 seconds, and the entire process only takes about 5 minutes.

I've always felt once a month was enough.  I've seen lots of comments about this, but don't remember ever seeing an official statement.

[Doombrain]

Yep, "Gentle movement" is all you need because the pigment will settle. Just enough to swill the liquid about.