# Ricoh sg-3110dn vs dnw and generic sublimation ink



## dadda (Jul 29, 2015)

I have some sublimation ink imported from Korea, and a mug press, all i need is a printer and a sub paper. Read a lot about the ricoh sg 3110dn and dnw, my question is : Do you have any idea if ricoh sg 3110DNW can be used with refillable cartridges and generic sublimation ink, without the need for an ICC profile? Or is it only the Sg3110DN that i can use?
Planning to use the printer in wiring mode as i am aware of reported wifi issues. I do not want to use sawgrass ink.


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## dadda (Jul 29, 2015)

Is there anyone in the forum that uses the ricoh sg3110dn with sublimation ink other that sawgrass?

If so are you using ICC?

please share your experience as this will help me decide to go for ricoh vs epson as dye sub printer


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## Vitaman (Aug 8, 2014)

I use generic ink in a 3110dnw. I get it from a seller on eBay. When I first got the printer I started with a set of Sawgrass ink and installed the PowerDriver V4 and their ICC profile. I didn't change anything other than swapping out the Sawgrass carts for the refillable ones from eBay. I can't tell a difference in the prints at all.


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## Graphicsforme (Oct 29, 2016)

dadda said:


> Is there anyone in the forum that uses the ricoh sg3110dn with sublimation ink other that sawgrass?
> 
> If so are you using ICC?
> 
> please share your experience as this will help me decide to go for ricoh vs epson as dye sub printer


Espon will reuire you to keep the heads wet. If not the ink will dry out on the heads and you will have an issue. As for an ICC profile look to Conde Systems and see if they can provide you with an ICC profile. I have not heard of many folks using an specific ICC profile with their printer as many already come with one built into the software as ours did. We use only Sawgrass and have never had issues with it. Most of the folks we know that have a RICOH 3110 have had no problems with it. The only issue i have heard of from them is that the inks do not last as long as the SG inks and depending on the paper you use may not be as bright. We use TextR paper only have never had an issue. As for generic inks honestly i would not use them quality is one thing and also color is another.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Graphicsforme said:


> Espon will reuire you to keep the heads wet. If not the ink will dry out on the heads and you will have an issue.
> 
> *This is no different for Ricoh's. The difference is that Ricoh built in a feature in their firmware to automatically "trickle" a small amount of inks thru the heads during "park".
> 
> ...


I made markups to your comments above.


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## Graphicsforme (Oct 29, 2016)

mgparrish said:


> I made markups to your comments above.


_*This is no different for Ricoh's. The difference is that Ricoh built in a feature in their firmware to automatically "trickle" a small amount of inks thru the heads during "park".

With Epson you have to do it manually or you can get a 3rd party program for you to do this automatically, or in Windows you can use the Task Scheduler (free).*

As for an ICC profile look to Conde Systems and see if they can provide you with an ICC profile. 

*You really think Conde gives away their profile without buying their Sawgrass inks? 

( i know they give it away because i have several of them and have used them you have to ask them. Also i have downloaded templates from them again its just a matter of asking them. They will ask you for your printer type and also a few other things)*

I have not heard of many folks using an specific ICC profile with their printer as many already come with one built into the software as ours did. 

We use only Sawgrass and have never had issues with it. Most of the folks we know that have a RICOH 3110 have had no problems with it. The only issue i have heard of from them is that the inks do not last as long as the SG inks and depending on the paper you use may not be as bright. We use TextR paper only have never had an issue. 

As for generic inks honestly i would not use them quality is one thing and also color is another.

*

I know several people on this forum and elsewhere using non-Sawgrass Ricoh inks and very happy. 

Please advise YOUR bad experience with what specific non-sawgrass inks?

(We used Chineese made inks from China Sublimation webpage on an artisan 1430 with CISS the colors come out faded or do not print well had nothing to do with temp or pressure i attribute it to not using sawgrass inks. I eventually switched over to sawgrass but i guess everyone has a different experience ours was bad.)

Otherwise you are "painting with a broad brush" and making general statements without any actual experience with them. 

Another gentleman just posted in this thread he can't the difference between his "generic" non-sawgrass inks and sawgrass inks.

I know others have posted this as well here.*_


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Graphicsforme said:


> _*This is no different for Ricoh's. The difference is that Ricoh built in a feature in their firmware to automatically "trickle" a small amount of inks thru the heads during "park".
> 
> With Epson you have to do it manually or you can get a 3rd party program for you to do this automatically, or in Windows you can use the Task Scheduler (free).*
> 
> ...


If you are not using SG inks they are not going to give it to you for a different ink. _You were using Sawgrass inks._ Before Cobra had good profiles many were trying to use the Conde profiles instead and David from Conde system posted this was a big no no.

Wow, you assume that others cannot get good quality sublimation because you couldn't? I would attribute your "colors come out faded or do not print well" from lack of adequate color correction. There was your color problem.

I don't recommend anyone not sublimation without an ICC profile or other color correction for sublimation. But did you ever consider that if you use non-sawgrass sublimation inks it's possible to get a sublimation profile made even if the vendor is not offering one?

It's so lame to have to keep debunking the "Only sawgrass inks should be used" mis-information.


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## Signature Series (Jun 11, 2016)

"I don't recommend anyone not sublimation without an ICC profile or other color correction for sublimation. But did you ever consider that if you use non-sawgrass sublimation inks it's possible to get a sublimation profile made even if the vendor is not offering one?"

As mentioned above the ICC profile is probably more important than the ink itself. You can have the highest quality ink with an average profile and you will get average results. It is virtually impossible to compare ink brands without an industry expert willing to create custom profiles for each of the specific inks. Does paper make a difference? It can surely but over the years we have probably tested around 6-8 different paper brands and as far as colors - really could not tell the difference. The other issue is everyone has a different opinion of what great colors are. When we started out we used Sawgrass Artainum ink and thought the colors were great. When we switched to Sawgrass Sublim then we realized the Artainum colors were mute in comparison. When we later switched to J-Tek a whole world opened up with incredible colors. Was it the ink or was it that the profile for J-Tek was much better? I have no clue but the point is great colors is in the eye of the beholder.


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## Graphicsforme (Oct 29, 2016)

mgparrish said:


> If you are not using SG inks they are not going to give it to you for a different ink. _You were using Sawgrass inks._ Before Cobra had good profiles many were trying to use the Conde profiles instead and David from Conde system posted this was a big no no.
> 
> Wow, you assume that others cannot get good quality sublimation because you couldn't? I would attribute your "colors come out faded or do not print well" from lack of adequate color correction. There was your color problem.
> 
> ...



I guess we will agree to disagree because because i agree ICC profiles are needed but not in all cases and to tell someone that you don't recommend anyone not sublimation without an ICC profile is in my opinion is not the right thing to do. But i do agree color correction is needed and while i might not have added it prior i will say that yes we do use color correction to make sure colors are correct and with that i will end the reply because while you may say one thing i will say another and it will only continue.


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## Signature Series (Jun 11, 2016)

Graphicsforme said:


> I guess we will agree to disagree because because i agree ICC profiles are needed but not in all cases and to tell someone that you don't recommend anyone not sublimation without an ICC profile is in my opinion is not the right thing to do. But i do agree color correction is needed and while i might not have added it prior i will say that yes we do use color correction to make sure colors are correct and with that i will end the reply because while you may say one thing i will say another and it will only continue.


Yes we will agree to disagree. First if you could color correct and get the same results as with an ICC profile there would not be a real need for them. Second I do not know of one dye sublimation company that does this as their living that does not use an ICC profile. Last why waste so much time and energy trying to get decent colors when companies like Cobra or Sawgrass provide them? People are lucky that someone like mgparrish will spend hours trying to help with color correction but I would guess he would tell you the same thing - get a frigging profile if you want professional results. Dye sublimation is about colors that explode. Selling anything less is doing yourself and the market a disservice.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Graphicsforme said:


> I guess we will agree to disagree because because i agree ICC profiles are needed but not in all cases and to tell someone that you don't recommend anyone not sublimation without an ICC profile is in my opinion is not the right thing to do. But i do agree color correction is needed and while i might not have added it prior i will say that yes we do use color correction to make sure colors are correct and with that i will end the reply because while you may say one thing i will say another and it will only continue.


HUH 

It looks to me that you are both agreeing with yourself and also disagreeing with yourself. ???

It's real simple, 

I stated, "I don't recommend anyone not sublimate without an ICC profile or other color correction for sublimation." I did not pick out ICC profiles _only_. RIP software and other color correction software such as Powerdriver is included in "color correction".

Anyway, it's irrational and untrue to think that only Sawgrass can provide inks with good colors and color management.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Signature Series said:


> Yes we will agree to disagree. First if you could color correct and get the same results as with an ICC profile there would not be a real need for them. Second I do not know of one dye sublimation company that does this as their living that does not use an ICC profile. Last why waste so much time and energy trying to get decent colors when companies like Cobra or Sawgrass provide them? People are lucky that someone like mgparrish will spend hours trying to help with color correction but I would guess he would tell you the same thing - get a frigging profile if you want professional results. Dye sublimation is about colors that explode. Selling anything less is doing yourself and the market a disservice.


To your point , in cases where some are not using profiles (or RIP, Powerdriver, etc) I only mention using swatches and point out that only works for spot colors. I never spend much time helping someone without a profile or a legitimate color correction except to point them to a website where they can download swatches and watch a video on how to "swatch". Otherwise it it really is a fools errand, good color is everything.

I will take time and help someone setup if they have a sublimation ICC though.

The situation is getting better on the desktop, there are a few more vendors now beyond SG and Cobra with ICC's for both Epson desktop and Ricoh's, and 3rd parties that provide sublimation profiles as a service.


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## kmama2 (Mar 31, 2017)

Which Sawgrass PowerDriver did you download. I do not see a PowerDriver version for 3110DNW. Does the Sawgrass PowerDriver for SG 3110DN work with the 3110DNW printer?


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## bwdesigns (Aug 10, 2006)

I cannot install the powerdriver for my sg3110. It keeps telling me to get the printer driver for the 3110, which I have already installed. kmama have you rectified your situation?


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## mfatty500 (Jan 18, 2010)

Brenda, did you try to un-install all the ricoh & powerdriver programs and try to re-install, try that, but turn off your anti-virus & firewall, while doing so, then turn them back on when done. I think you should just be able to install the powerdriver from sawgrass, I believe the drivers for the ricoh are built in to it.


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## douss11 (Jul 13, 2017)

Vitaman said:


> I use generic ink in a 3110dnw. I get it from a seller on eBay. When I first got the printer I started with a set of Sawgrass ink and installed the PowerDriver V4 and their ICC profile. I didn't change anything other than swapping out the Sawgrass carts for the refillable ones from eBay. I can't tell a difference in the prints at all.


Im about to buy a SG 3110DNW GelSprinter Wireless Color. I saw you replied in another post about the drivers...

if I buy the printer do you think i will have problems when trying to print or drivers or application


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