R2400 PK/MK swap - just how much ink is wasted?

[bdb]

I'm the very happy owner of a new R2400. For the first couple of weeks I

printed exclusively on matte papers since that is what I've preferred in the

past. But then I decided I wanted to try the new F-type glossies (Silver Rag,

Harman FB, Innova Ultra Smooth, etc.) and it turns out I love them too.

 

Ideally I could print on both glossy & matte papers depending on the image I'm

working with. However, I'm a "starving artist" and can't afford to spend a lot

of $$ on ink cartridges. I've heard so much about the ink wasted when swapping

PK/MK, but I'm wondering if anyone has tested how much ink is actually consumed

in the swap?

 

I have tried Premier's Platinum Rag, which is a luster paper which uses the MK

cartridge. The results are good, but I find Silver Rag and Harman FB to be much

better.

 

Thanks,

Chris

[ellis_vener_photography]

The most consistent number I've seen from 4800 users is about $75.00 of ink worth per swap ( + time) .

[patricklavoie]

To be honest with you, i once use a epson 2200 that look similar..and i just swicth cartridge in need, doing a test print after the change that contain a lot of black..so you loose a page : ) I read somewhere at that time that printing a 8x10 in black only will be more than enough to clean the rest of the black MK or PK..i just print a BW image myself, and keep it as a test.

[patricklavoie]

Dont forget Ellis that a epson 4800 have a long tube fill with ink..the 2400 is way smaller, but you are right switching black on a 4800 cost around a brand new 110ml...not good, thats why many people decide to buy a 3800 instead.

[jrsmith]

Chris

 

I have never found any way around the PK/MK swap. When you do this, the printer purges the ink lines for all the installed cartridges, just the same as if you had changed an empty one. However, here is the trick - it doesn't matter how many carts you change in one go, the purge routine is the same. So, if you time your MK/PK swaps to coincide with an empty cartridge change, and then print on either matt or glossy paper until the next cartridge runs out, you can swap blacks at no additional cost.

 

John

[KenPapai]

What John Smith said -- I try to use up my PK before I switch out to MK and the matte papers on the 2400. Wow, all print lines are purged even on swapping just one cartrdige? What an extraordinary waste. Makes me sick now that I know that.

[patricklavoie]

mmm, im surprise a bit?! i remember i just remove the cartridge, put the new one, flush the driver (on mac if you dont do that the driver will not recognizze the new cartridge) reload the printer and voila...1 min, no purge, a test print and i was ready to go.

 

maybe that was a not good method to change my K...but i dont recall my printer purging all my ink?

 

i live dangerously maybe : )

[godfrey]

I've never used a PK ink cart. I standardized on matte surface papers and use the MK black

exclusively. The tiny differences in papers that need the PK seem overwhelmed by the cost of

swapping carts.

 

Someday I'll fit a PK cart and try some Lustre paper ... ;-)

 

Godfrey

[patricklavoie]

i think you will love it Godfrey : )

 

i was a long time matte paper users, until i found the richness, the black depth, and the fine detail that luster paper could hold...i will not go back. Send me a image i will print one for you and ship it back.

 

email me.

[shutterdrone]

This site shows a screenshot of before/after ink levels with MK/PK swap. I'd say that's about as true an answer as you're going to get: http://www.outbackphoto.com/printinginsights/pi036/Epson_R2400.html

[bdb]

C.A.,

 

Thanks for that link. Unless I'm missing something, the amount of ink wasted is not that much. It's hardly noticeable, really, according to the picture. I had the impression it was something like 1/8 or even 1/4 of the total capacity... but it's nowhere near that. I'd say it's more like 5% or perhaps even less. Each notch on the scale is 25%, and it looks like the ink level dropped less than 1/5th of a notch after the switch, so that tells me it's 5% or less.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't want to switch cartridges every day, but I don't think I'm going to worry about doing it every now and then - especially since there are so many wonderful matte and glossy papers to enjoy now.

 

John, I like your idea of waiting until one of the cartridges runs out to swap MK and PK. I may shoot for that, but if I have to print a series of images that demand matte paper and PK is installed, I don't think I'll have qualms about swapping.

 

Chris

[Brad_]

Or better yet, use PK with Crane Museo Silver Rag or Harman FB.

[bdb]

Brad,

 

Actually, when I have PK installed those are exactly the two papers I'm using - Silver Rag & Harman FB. Nevertheless, there are images that I prefer to print on matte papers like Photo Rag, William Turner, Harman Matte & Velvet Fine Art. (Incidentally I look forward to trying Hahnemuhle's new Bamboo paper).

[bobmichaels]

Confirming what has been said earlier: the same amount of ink used when you replace any empty cart.

[wojtek_kalinowski]

3% of all ink.W

[jrsmith]

Yes, that is correct. The amount of ink used for any cartridge change or cartridge swap is around 3-4% of every cartridge installed. As you have 8 installed cartridges, that is 4x8 = 24% of one cartridge. Here in the UK, a 2400 cartridge is around 10 GBP, so the MK/PK swap costs you 2.50 GBP (around 5 USD). So if you swap to MK and back to PK in one evening, as you might well wish to, it has just cost you a fiver (GBP) or ten USD. Being thrifty, I tend not to do this too often.

 

John

[jrsmith]

Dear oh dear, great maths - that of course should have read 3x8 = 24%. Too early in the morning for the old brain cells, I'm afraid.

 

John

[john_newell2]

As a brand new R2400 owner, this is a very helpful discussion - I had wondered about this before I went ahead with the purchase.

 

$5 - I guess you could think of it as a little more than the cost of a fancy coffee product at your local Starbucks? ;-)

[patricklavoie]

I will like if someone could use my unregular method that i use on my epson 2200 and where no ink where discard, on there 2400 and give me some news about it please : )

[jrsmith]

Patrick

 

there are fundamental differences between the Epson 2200 and the R2400. I have tried every method I could think of to fool my R2400 into ignoring the ink swap, including powering down during startup etc etc, but it always knows a cartridge has been changed and runs the purge routine.

 

John

[patricklavoie]

did you try mine : ) im curious.

[jrsmith]

Patrick

 

you cannot change cartridges on the R2400 without moving the print heads to the cartridge exchange position. This cannot be done manually because the print head is locked in the park position, power on or power off. Even if you do manage to fool the printer by powering off at the mains when the carriage is moving during the power-up checks, and then move the head manually to the exchange position, the printer still senses that a cartridge change has taken place when you apply power again because it reads up the cartridge chip data. It then runs a purge routine. This is actually all for your own good, because otherwise you run the risk of air bubbles in the print head and dead print nozzles. The only point where we could criticise Epson is that the printer is unable to purge just the print head colour which has been changed, it has to purge all eight. Just be grateful you didn't buy a 4800, where the waste of ink is totally unnaceptable.

 

John

[patricklavoie]

As a matter of fact i have a 4800! but i dont need to switch black, i use exclusively photo K since i print on luster paper only...now.

 

thanks for the info John.