# Sublimation ink clogged or dried up???



## tim3560 (Jan 7, 2007)

I just bought a set of sublimation ink cartridges and an epson c88 in January. I've only printed with them about 10-15 times and now it says that I'm out of black ink when I can clearly see that there is some in the cartridge. Does anyone know a simple way to get the cartridges to print again?? I promised someone some shirts by Thursday night and did a test run on their image and everything seemed fine, and now this.


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## te (Nov 25, 2006)

hey tim,
don`t know how to get your machine unclogged, but i was told that you should run at least one print a day so your machine won`t have any problems.
maybe one of the other members can help with your problem.
best of luck
te


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## mrpintor (Apr 30, 2007)

hey tim.. here's what i did when my machine clogged up. i have an epson 1280 that clogged on me few months ago. i get clogs every once in a while and when i do i usually just run the "head cleaning" utility about six times in a row and that works just fine. this last time around the self head cleaning approach didnt work so i asked around about other cleaning methods. i read about how adding a few drops of Windex to the little sponge (where the heads rest when not in use) can clear up even the most stubborn clog. i was a bit hesitant to go near that small sponge since i was told how fragile it is and how easy it is to knock it of its base. then a friend of mine told me about way to do it without going near the little sponge. this is what he told me to do. 

1. turn off and unplugg printer.

2. manually move the heads near the left of the printer..but not all the way over. 

3. lift the heads all the way up using the small lever on the side of the printer. (its the small 
lever that raises and lowers the heads to allow for different thicknesses of paper).

4. cut a square piece of paper towel and fold it over about three times until its about the thickness of two stacked quarters...and about 2"x1" in size. 

5. dampen the folded paper towel with Windex. squeeze out excess liquid..you just want it damn not soaked. 

6. place the damp paper square under the heads.

7. gently lower the heads on to the paper until it makes contact. 

8. let it sit there for a couple of hours.

9. raise heads and remove towel.

10. give it a few minutes to dry and plug printer back in.

then i turned printer back on and ran one head cleaning...then a test sheet. that method worked very well for me. 

please note..if you do decide to use this method..be advised that you do so under your own risk. i am not suggesting you clean your heads in this manner..i am only sharing my own experience using this method.


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## Eastdsm (Mar 10, 2007)

Buy an Epson chip resetter. Epson cartridges always say they are out before they really are. I got about 20-30 extra prints out of a black sublimation cartridge when printing only black text. Worth the cost of $20 or so for the resetter. Mine came with my refillable cartridges.


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## uncletee (Feb 25, 2007)

if your carts have auto reset chips just take out the cartridge, and put it back in this should fool the printer, if no reset chip you'll have to get a chip reseter. good luck


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## chonkymonky (Apr 1, 2007)

i have a chip on my cis system that i use with my epson 1280. the epson has the tendency to clog if not used regularly though. i read that before i even bought mine..and its true. i dont mind the maintenance though..its worth it. i always run at least three head cleanings before printing for the first time each day. that helps alot. since the epson works using a "suction" method (instead of spraying) everytime you run a head cleaning..the force of the suction increasing with each head cleaning. three or four in a row are enough to clear most clogs.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

Yeah, it sounds like you need a chip resetter. You can get one off Ebay for under $10. It will save you tons of money, especially if you are using sublimation cartridges.


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