Ink Loss During Black Swap in Epson 4800 Printers

[Thomas Michael Alleman]

A couple weeks ago I made 75 Black-and-White prints, !5" square on 17x22" Espson Premium Luster Paper, on a friend's Epson 4800 printer. Now we're trying to figure out how much I need to reimburse her for the ink I used.

I've read several of your older posts, regarding the cost of making various kinds and sizes of prints on Epson 3800 and 4800 printers. The calculations I've made from your input brings me to between $2.15 and $2.75 per 225 sq inch print. (You-all seemed to be talking about color prints, however; do black-and-white prints vary from those figures you proposed?) Do these figures seem correct?

Mostly, I'm unclear about the amount of ink lost during changeover from Matte to Photo Black ink. After I was finished doing my Photo Black prints, we changed back again to the Matte Black cartridge. (One commentator referred to "round trip" swapping; is that what they referred to?) Any ideas how much ink is lost during that swap, and then the second swap back?

Are there any variables I'm not considering? Does "charging the ink" come into play during these swaps?

My math tells me that, when one buys 220 ml cartridges, they're paying (here in LA) about 50 cents per ml. Does that ring a bell?

Thanks for your insights!

THOMAS ALLEMAN

   
 

[howardm]

I think common #'s thrown around are about 0.012mL/sq-in or at least that what my 3800 seems to consume. so from that, you
should be able to figure out how many mL you burned through, not including the swap.

I've heard the swapping is a killer on the 4800, something on the order of $40-60 gets thrown away, PK->MK->PK is a round trip

[jpegman]

I guess about 100ml or at your 0.50/ml about $50


According to Epson: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support...mp;subcat=53472


Selected FAQ

Q:
How much ink is used during the switching of black ink modes?

A:
The amount of ink flushed through the printer in the switching process varies, but we estimate the total ink usage (all cartridges combined) to be between 88 ml and 117 ml per switch.

Switching from one black mode to another (for example, from Photo Black to Matte Black) does use a significant quantity of ink. Part of it is used to flush all of the old ink type out of the printer’s tubing, damper, and head, and to prime those components with a sufficient amount of the new ink type. As part of the switching process, the printer also flushes a smaller amount of each of the other colors through the print head in order to prepare the head for printing again. All this is performed in order to ensure high-quality prints in the new mode after the switch.

[Ernst Dinkla]

I guess about 100ml or at your 0.50/ml about $50


According to Epson: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support...mp;subcat=53472


Selected FAQ

Q:
How much ink is used during the switching of black ink modes?

A:
The amount of ink flushed through the printer in the switching process varies, but we estimate the total ink usage (all cartridges combined) to be between 88 ml and 117 ml per switch.

Switching from one black mode to another (for example, from Photo Black to Matte Black) does use a significant quantity of ink. Part of it is used to flush all of the old ink type out of the printer’s tubing, damper, and head, and to prime those components with a sufficient amount of the new ink type. As part of the switching process, the printer also flushes a smaller amount of each of the other colors through the print head in order to prepare the head for printing again. All this is performed in order to ensure high-quality prints in the new mode after the switch.

And what should be counted in this case, an MK>PK switch or an MK>PK>MK cycle ?  If the friend has the 4800 on MK all the time ....


Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[David Duchesne]

I have an epson 9880.  I would love to swap inks but wonder about the cost  PK to MK and back to MK.  They (epson) supplies 3 drain cartridges.  I can't figure why you can't drain just 1 cartridge.  Anyone have an idea on the change cycle cost for this machine.  Must be more then a 4800-  longer feed lines to the head.

I also use colorburst RIP from time to time.  Should not a RIP be able to control the ink so that only one is drained and reinstalled- thereby greatly reducing  the costs.

[dgberg]

I have an epson 9880.  I would love to swap inks but wonder about the cost  PK to MK and back to MK.  They (epson) supplies 3 drain cartridges.  I can't figure why you can't drain just 1 cartridge.  Anyone have an idea on the change cycle cost for this machine.  Must be more then a 4800-  longer feed lines to the head.

I also use colorburst RIP from time to time.  Should not a RIP be able to control the ink so that only one is drained and reinstalled- thereby greatly reducing  the costs.

Michael Reichman says the switch for the blacks on your printer is $75.00 in ink.
Dan Berg