3880 won't switch inks

[JohnBrew]

I guess I've been bragging about the reliability of my 3880 too much. It now fails to switch from photo black to matte black. Tried all the usual (and even unusual) tricks and nothing works. The manual isn't any help either. I hope someone has run into this same problem and has an answer.
Thanks for all replies.

[Farmer]

Manually on the printer or via the driver/LFP remote panel etc?  If you haven't tried it, disconnect it completely from computer/network/etc and try to initiate the change.  Make sure no paper is loaded and cycle the power first.

Failing that, double check that you have enough ink in all your carts - if any of them are really low, particularly the matte black and either the LLK or LK (whichever it is paired with, I don't remember) then it might not let you switch if it thinks it doesn't have enough ink to do it or not enough to run a clean if required.

[JohnBrew]

Thanks, I'll give that a shot tomorrow.

[JohnBrew]

Phil, thanks for the tip. It worked. Apparently disconnecting from the computer, something which I had not done, did the trick.

[Farmer]

That's great.  I can only guess that it might have had a job or part of a job queued up that was set to PK and so the printer refused to go to MK.  Glad it's resolved anyway :-)

[Jason Thompson]

i just get some procedure on 7600 and 7900,hope it is also useful to yours

PROCEDURE TO SWITCH BLACK INKS ON EPSON 7600 AND 9600 PRINTERS
1. Make sure your printer is not switched on.
2. Open the ink cartridge lever in the ink cartridge bay.
3. Replace the photo black cartridge with the matte black cartridge (or vice versa).
4. Leave the ink lever open !
5. Using the printer control panel go into Maintenance Mode 2 by by switching power ON while
pushing the 'Paper source', 'Cut/Eject', and 'Paper Feed down' buttons.
6 . Press the 'Paper Feed down' button until you see "SERVICE CONFIG" on the display - press
the 'arrow right' button. It then shows 'XXD' in the lower part of the display.
7. Press the 'Paper Feed down' button until you see "NPD" - press 'arrow right' button. A value
of '1' appears in the display.
8. There are 3 possible value settings for NPD:
0 no ink check
1 pigmented ink (there should be s star "*" at this setting)
2 dye inks
9. Change NPD setting to '0' (no ink check) and press "Enter" - a star should now show next to
the '0' value.
10. Switch printer off.
11. Switch printer on.
12. Close the ink lever in the ink cartridge bay.
13. Printer and driver shows the matte black ink is installed (or photo black ink)

http://www.dtgweb.com/support/Black%20Ink%20switch_7600_9600.pdf

[Farmer]

Jason - that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand, sorry :-)

Those are very old machines and nothing like the 3880.

[Gary Damaskos]

Just a quick check in - image printed out on glossy paper showing gray where blacks would normally be - that is highly likely from E3880 using Mk/matte ink would it not? Printer was switched from Mk to PK and this is my glossy results. Time for Epson tech (still under warranty), or another step. Hate using much ink figuring this out.
Thanks

[Farmer]

Do a nozzle check on plain paper.

[Gary Damaskos]

Photo black was totally missing. Epson tech had me do 3 cleanings and it came back and now it prints wonderfully. The ~6 weeks I was using Matte black, resulted in Pk clogging, hence the strange print, and I did not count columns on first nozzle check - only 7 showed on review - but no trace what-so-ever of the 8th until after cleaning. I will remember - 8 nozzles! next time.
Thanks

[Farmer]

Glad you're back and printing!