Any hope for Stylus Color 900?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Miss Perspicacia Tick
  • Start date Start date
M

Miss Perspicacia Tick

I would love to be able to resurrect the above to use as a text/spot colour
printer. However, whilst the colour prints perfectly the black only produces
a partial printout. I bought a set of commercial cleaning tanks and run them
dry, but I can still only produce a partial black nozzle check (and, yes,
I've run three cleans with fresh ink tanks).

So, must I consign this to the scrapheap, or has anyone any bright ideas?
USB connection, if it matters.

I'd hate to have to spend more money.
 
Hi,
I have a 1997 or 1998 vintage Epson Stylus Color 800 printer, which at one
stage started to show "Banding" on colour prints.

The following method fixed my problem and it might well work for you.

I had not been using colour printing much and Nozzle checks showed some
blockages that no amount of "Head Cleaning" would clear. (In my case, the
black nozzle
check was perfect) I am otherwise very happy with the printer but had
decided to replace it because of the above problem. However as this
decision left me with nothing to loose, I decided to try desperate measures.

First, I filled an old empty colour cartridge with Windex (using a syringe
as you would if re inking it). I put this cartridge into the printer and ran
8 or 9 cleaning cycles on the Colour cartridge only.

Next, I made up a test sheet, using Excell, I selected a page sized range of
cells and used the "Colour Fill" facility to fill the page with Yellow, I
did the same for red and blue.

Next I kept printing these pages, until they were printing as almost clear.
I had to refill the cartridge with Windex a second time before I was
satisfied. Note: if the blockage is particularly stubborn, you could leave
the Windex in the printer system for an hour or so between cleaning cycles,
but I would be reluctant to leave it there for an extended period.

Then I removed the cleaning cartridge, replaced it with a new one and did
the usual Nozzle Cleaning a number of times to flush Windex out of the
system.

So far, this has fixed the problem in my printer and I would expect it would
work on most printers.
 
Bob said:
Hi,
I have a 1997 or 1998 vintage Epson Stylus Color 800 printer, which
at one stage started to show "Banding" on colour prints.

The following method fixed my problem and it might well work for you.

I had not been using colour printing much and Nozzle checks showed
some blockages that no amount of "Head Cleaning" would clear. (In my
case, the black nozzle
check was perfect) I am otherwise very happy with the printer but had
decided to replace it because of the above problem. However as this
decision left me with nothing to loose, I decided to try desperate
measures.

First, I filled an old empty colour cartridge with Windex (using a
syringe as you would if re inking it). I put this cartridge into the
printer and ran 8 or 9 cleaning cycles on the Colour cartridge only.

Next, I made up a test sheet, using Excell, I selected a page sized
range of cells and used the "Colour Fill" facility to fill the page
with Yellow, I did the same for red and blue.

Next I kept printing these pages, until they were printing as almost
clear. I had to refill the cartridge with Windex a second time before
I was satisfied. Note: if the blockage is particularly stubborn, you
could leave the Windex in the printer system for an hour or so
between cleaning cycles, but I would be reluctant to leave it there
for an extended period.

Then I removed the cleaning cartridge, replaced it with a new one and
did the usual Nozzle Cleaning a number of times to flush Windex out
of the system.

So far, this has fixed the problem in my printer and I would expect
it would work on most printers.
Click to expand...

Did you not read my post properly?! I have already done that. The commercial
cleaning carts are filled with a Windolene equivalent. I'm too lazy to fill
my own, and they were only £2 each.

It didn't work, obviously.
 
I would love to be able to resurrect the above to use as a text/spot colour
printer. However, whilst the colour prints perfectly the black only produces
a partial printout. I bought a set of commercial cleaning tanks and run them
dry, but I can still only produce a partial black nozzle check (and, yes,
I've run three cleans with fresh ink tanks).

So, must I consign this to the scrapheap, or has anyone any bright ideas?
USB connection, if it matters.

I'd hate to have to spend more money.
Click to expand...



Take the Print head out and soak it in Spray & Wipe, only a little in a flat
tray say 2mm.

Do that twice for say a hour at a time then do it again with water, then wipe
dry..

You will also need to clean up the parking station as that get messed up with
dry ink and paper dust, and does not seal the print head when its parked..

This sealing is important as it used when purging the print head..
 
I had the same printer and brought it back to life with the techniques that
Arthur Entlich showed in a monograph he will email to you. His email
address is (e-mail address removed) Just email him and ask for his information on
cleaning Epson printer head clogs.

You weren't clear in how you used the cleaning cartridges until they were
empty. I used a four color purge file that I got from MIS inks website.
They also have info on how to clear clogged heads. A combination of their
techniques plus Arthur's did the job. I used the MIS info first and got it
to print better. Then used Arthur's approach to cleaning the underside of
the print head plus the cleaning cartridges and finally had it printing
almost like new. Most people in the know will tell you to NOT remove the
print head. Cleaning the underside while still installed in the printer
(per Arthur's instructions) may be nearly as good as removing itl. (???)

If you REALLY want to know how to improve your color prints, read Neal
Slade's web site at http://www.neilslade.com/papers/inkjetstuff.html Then
go out and buy a canon I960 (Amazon.com $150), Cartridge plugs from Computer
Friends, refill inks and syringes from MIS, and glossy photo paper from
Costco (anything but Kodak). The quality of your color prints and the
savings in cost will more than make up for the cost of the printer in no
time! The Epson stylus color 900 is a real workhorse inkjet printer and the
color prints are good when the print head has absolutely no clogs, but side
by side the canon I960 color prints are unmistakenly superior. I compared
them with an 8x magnification jewelers loupe (used to examine gemstones) and
the difference in dot size, proximity, and appearance of continuous tone as
opposed to the half tone technique for photo printing in magazines and
newspapers was amazing. The canon is faster, does borderless prints, has
cartridges that are a snap to refill, and is nearly silent to operate. Go
for it!
 
As I'm sure you know by now, I have a cleaning manual for Epson printers
available for free which most people find helps them to successfully
clear Epson clogs. The 900 is a good machine and worse keeping going.
It is relatively fast, has, as I recall, six variable dot sizes, and the
smallest is 3 picolitre.

If you do not yet have a copy, email me, and I'll gladly send you one,
and I promise I won't make any unwarranted, insulting comments (as some
have been known to do on this forum) ;-) The recommendations use
regular home cleaning fluids, so cost is minimal. It's worth a try,
most people report back with good results.

Art
 
You know "Miss" (whatever gender you are, you truly don't deserve to use
such a title).. more like MISanthrope (look it up in the dictionary).

No matter if people try to help you, or you "try" to help others (even
when your information is wrong) you have to treat people disrespectfully
and with contempt.

Why should anyone bother to attempt to help you?

This person was relating how he was successful in clearing the printer
he had.

He also suggested things you DID NOT indicate in your original posting.

You did NOT say what was used in the printer cleaning cartridges you
purchased

You did NOT state if you allowed the printer to soak with the cartridges
in it for a long period of time.

All you stated was, and I quote:

"I bought a set of commercial cleaning tanks and run them
dry,"

That could have happened in a few hours.

You didn't mention how you "run" them dry... was it by cleaning cycles
or by printing test pages, or what?

The gentleman who responded suggested trying to run some pages of large
areas of ink color on paper.

Anyway, my offer for my manual still stands, but if you keep on treating
people as you do on this forum, don't be surprised if you are eventually
just completely ignored. It wouldn't be inappropriate.

Art
 
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