Epson 4900-Recovering lost Vivid Magenta Channel

[ThomasR99]

I have a very lightly used E-4900 printer.  I keep a small plastic tray filled with water and a utility sponge in it to keep the internal humidity high and reduce (but not eliminate)  drops/clogs.  You can reference some of my earlier posts for pics and details.  I usually am able to recover any line gaps with a regular cleaning.  However today, after noting a couple of gaps in my Cyan and VM channel, after the paired channel cleaning run Cyan was perfect, and the VM was totally gone.  I sent from just a few gaps to 100% blank.  I ran a letter-size print of the VMchannel-only file from marruttusa.com.  I do not yet have the service program, and wasn't yet at the point where I felt I needed to run a line-charging to try to recover, so this seemed like my best option to try to get the line recharged, or the air bubble cleared.  I'd considered doing the printer off-on cycle again to try to re-pressurize the carts, but wanted to try this first.  Marruttusa has a series of files that print an image of a single color channel only.  Interestingly, this print was perfect-no banding, nice solid color throughout.  I ran another nozzle check, and again the VM channel was completely blank.  Having run a couple of prints now , I did another cleaning and had the image seen in 1520 below, and again using a file from marrutusa com that prints a row of single-channel colors I wound up with what's seen in 1521.  I did not run the single-channel file again.  Clearly issues with banding from the VM channel.  Ran another cleaning of the Cyan/VM pair, and got the much better (but not yet perfect) nozzle check result in 1522 (note the gap in the top row just off center and the bottom row at the very right side), and the marrutta file print seen in 1523.  This still shows some banding, but is much improved.  Ran a 4th paired cleaning after these prints and now have perfect results.

My take home lesson here would be if after a cleaning you have a dropped channel...don't panic.  Run test prints (I have several others that I use on a randomly rotating basis), continue to cycle 1 or more prints followed by cleaning cycles and nozzle checks, and have some patience.

[Mark D Segal]

Your procedure is correct - clean-print-clean-print ad nausem, focusing on the troubled channel(s). The first sentence of your post is probably the root cause of the problem. This printer needs to be "printed with" every few days.

And your post coincides with an issue I have just this moment finished dealing with: if you are using rag paper that may also cause it. For the first time ever, as I write, I'm testing a rag paper and it created a multiple cleaning issue for me part way through the printing session. This is a first for me (multiple clogs during a print session) in 3+ years using this printer. Nothing else is different in the workflow apart from the paper being put through the printer.

[ThomasR99]

Hi, Mark:

I do print every 2-4 days with it, even it it's just a 'test print', but you make an excellent point.  The lighter the use of this machine, the more important it is to regularly exercise it.

FYI and for others, I use a 17" wide roll of Epson single matte as it's (relatively) inexpensive $30-odd US$ and comes in 131 foot-long roll lengths.  A test print of any one of the cleaning image below uses only a few mL total of inks, so it's pretty economical, and exercises all the colors.  I'm also attaching the maruttusa  printer purge file as well.  I'd like to give and acknowledge proper credit to those who developed these files for us.  If you are the original owner of these and want me to remove them PM me and I'll do it at once, but I thought it might be useful to share them again as I've found them extremely useful.

Thanks again Mark!

[hugowolf]

...I keep a small plastic tray filled with water and a utility sponge in it to keep the internal humidity high and reduce (but not eliminate)  drops/clogs.  ...

I really doubt that this does much at all. Have you ever used a hygrometer with and without the tray and sponge. I really doubt it will raise the relative humidity more than couple of percentage points.

My humidifier goes though 2.5 gallons of water a day during the recent could spell. One room, 15' x 15' x 12', set at 40% RH.

Brian A

[ThomasR99]

No, I never have, Brian.  However, I do need to refill the tray (I fill it approx 2/3 full) about once a week.  I'm in Seattle where our RH doesn't drop all that low.  However, my home has an open layout so no doors to close off the area where the printer is.  So I'd need either a whole-house humidifier, or one whopper of a portable unit for the approx 1500 sq ft area.  I can only speak to my personal experience that I only have very minor gaps from time to time, and they're usually cleared by a standard cleaning.  I've never used a 'powerful' clean.  I will add the caveat though that this is a refurb unit as my original suffered a fatal electronic failure literally a couple of weeks after the warranty expired.  However, Epson was kind enough to let me purchase an extended warranty on the original one and get it replaced under that.  The reason I state this is that others have contended that refurbs get a more careful assembly and pre-shipment testing than a standard assembly line unit might.  Whether that or just sheer luck accounts for my lack of major clogging issues is unknown.

Thomas.

[hugowolf]

I would be interested in seeing data from anyone who has tried this oft suggested method of trying to raise the humidity - sponge in tray of water. I could see it possibly working if the printer is enclosed with something like plastic, and the tray underneath. But open, I can't see it. It is just not enough water volume being evaporated.

I filled my humidifier on Friday evening, and it was empty this evening. 5.5 gallons with the door openned and closed once during the 48 hour period. It has however, been very cold here in Virginia recently, -14C just a couple of nights ago. It is raining at the moment, and outside RH is at it peak fo r the last two weeks, It is 34%.

What is it in Seattle? >80%. The water tray may make you feel better, but otherwise, I don't think it is what is keeping your printer going.

Brian A

[Mark D Segal]

I tried this years ago with my previous Epson 4800 and it was useless.

[Mark D Segal]

No, I never have, Brian.  However, I do need to refill the tray (I fill it approx 2/3 full) about once a week.  I'm in Seattle where our RH doesn't drop all that low.  However, my home has an open layout so no doors to close off the area where the printer is.  So I'd need either a whole-house humidifier, or one whopper of a portable unit for the approx 1500 sq ft area.  I can only speak to my personal experience that I only have very minor gaps from time to time, and they're usually cleared by a standard cleaning.  I've never used a 'powerful' clean.  I will add the caveat though that this is a refurb unit as my original suffered a fatal electronic failure literally a couple of weeks after the warranty expired.  However, Epson was kind enough to let me purchase an extended warranty on the original one and get it replaced under that.  The reason I state this is that others have contended that refurbs get a more careful assembly and pre-shipment testing than a standard assembly line unit might.  Whether that or just sheer luck accounts for my lack of major clogging issues is unknown.

Thomas.

I've had very poor experience with Epson refurbs of the Workforce Pro office machine (model 4530). After three in a row suffered the same defect straight from their warehouse, Epson was good enough to send me a new one, which has since been working fine. Everything I've heard suggests they manufacture the professional printers to a very high standard including for uniformity, but like any electronic/mechanical device, there is going to be a failure rate, the only question being whether or not it is within their standard tolerance, and of course only they know that.

[tsjanik]

I really doubt that this does much at all. Have you ever used a hygrometer with and without the tray and sponge. I really doubt it will raise the relative humidity more than couple of percentage points.

My humidifier goes though 2.5 gallons of water a day during the recent could spell. One room, 15' x 15' x 12', set at 40% RH.

Brian A

Brian, I have used hygrometers to compare RH inside the printer when using a tray with sponges next to print head to that in the surrounding room.  Typically the humidity is 10-15% higher inside the printer.  My current room RH is 36% and RH inside my 4900 is at 49%.  My printer is not covered and of course the moisture from the tray will diffuse, but the inside of the printer is a very small volume and very confined.
I also occasionally use a room humidifier during very dry periods; nonetheless, I suffer my share of clogs.   

Thomas, thanks for posting the files, they will be useful.

Tom

[Stefan Ohlsson]

I really doubt that this does much at all. Have you ever used a hygrometer with and without the tray and sponge. I really doubt it will raise the relative humidity more than couple of percentage points.

My humidifier goes though 2.5 gallons of water a day during the recent could spell. One room, 15' x 15' x 12', set at 40% RH.

Brian A

And we get less problem if we have a humidity of 60% in our printer room. Not only less clogging, also a softer paper which reduces head strikes when you use the last meter of paper on a roll. Even sheets have less of a problem, as it is flatter.