megan_stone Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 <p>My Epson 3800 has been working fine for years. In the past couple of months the quality of my prints showed a significant change and now .. I'm at a place where it prints blank pages.<br>I did all the required steps to clean the printer head and just ran a test .. Still blank.<br>One of the ink cartridges (LLK) is flashing as Low Ink … Could this be the reason?<br>I've just placed the order for a new cartridge. </p><p>Thank you. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_stone Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 <p>I've tried running a nozzle check and status sheet .. the first few times i loaded the paper it came out the other end immediately. Once it went through properly ... it came out blank as well.<br> Does low ink do this? Or would i still be able to run such checks with one cartridge at low ink?</p> <p>I'm trying to establish whether the problem is the low ink cartridge or a larger issue? I'm assuming it would still give me some results even with Low Ink flashing. no? </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Smith Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 <p>It should print with low ink flashing. It will only stop printing when a cartridge has run out. Sounds like a larger issue. Is this your only printer? If you have another you use for text, does the file print on this one?</p> Robin Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_stone Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 It's my only printer. I tried printer a word document .. Same thing .. Blank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven_clark Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 <p>It sounds like a completely clogged head. This might be from air in the lines. I'd try making like you're going to replace the cartridges and putting them back in (maybe replacing the low one) and then do a nozzle check again.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_stone Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 I've tried that .. Even did the overnight head cleaning from instructions I found online .. Using windex. The paper towels ended up with a lot of ink .. Perhaps I still need to do more to unclog... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_watson1 Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 <p>If you've not been printing much, that is, your printer has mostly been sitting, could be pigment settling.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_stone Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 <p>thank you Bruce .. how can i sort that out ?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_m Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 <p>I dont buy any of those explanations. It's really really unlikely that the head is TOTALLY clogged to the point of blank output or all 8 ink carts & lines are settled/clogged. Look for the common failure point which I'd be willing to bet is related to the pressurization system which squeezes the bag of ink in the cart so it comes out. W/o pressurization, there's really nothing driving the ink. Maybe it's the electronic head driver board which produces the electrical pulses to drive the nozzles. If that or it's power supply is dead, same thing. IMO, you're up for a major repair or replace.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_m Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 <p>it might be interesting if you could make a short good quality audio recording of the printer starting up and we could compare it to what mine/ours sound like, on the idea that if the pump is toast, we might hear that.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Smith Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 <p>I agree with Howard. Is it a printer driver issue? You could download the latest driver and reinstall.</p> Robin Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_m Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 <p>well, the OP says she ran 'a test' which I assume means a nozzle check from the front panel which would of course bypass any driver.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_watson1 Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 <p><em>thank you Bruce .. how can i sort that out ?</em></p> <p><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pigment+settling&t=ffnt">Let me search that for you</a> Megan. ;)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_stone Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 <p>I've taken it in to the local Epson rep where I currently am (dubai) - They said the print-head needs replacing and will cost the equivalent of $1,400 - I've had the printer for about 5/6 years now. I'm guessing it would make more sense to get a totally new printer rather than replace the head. Thoughts? What is the best printer on the market at the moment for high end photographic prints? </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_m Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 <p>certainly doesn't make any financial sense to replace the head and as an engineer, I still doubt that it's the head but you certainly dont want to go down the road of having them start replacing lots of parts.</p> <p>In that 17" class, the Epson P800 or the upcoming Canon PRO-1000 are really the only 2 players.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_stone Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 <p>Thank you Howard.<br> Now they're telling me that head MAY work ok but printing quality will be at 80/90% ... They're unable to complete the test as they need a new waste tank and asking me whether to go ahead or not. Do you reckon it's worth it? Or should i just replace...?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_m Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 <p>I'd probably spring for the waste/maint tank. Here in the US, thats about $18-20.</p> <p>Are you sure these guys know what they're doing? I'm not really understanding their 80/90% statement. It either prints w/ a good nozzle check or not. If the best they can do is give you (for example) 80% of the nozzles working, then toss it cause the output will look like crap.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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