# Ricoh SG3110 DN prints are faded using visi-sub inks and appear faded on product after heat pressing



## dinkmon360 (Oct 19, 2012)

Hello there, I'm new to the world of sublimation and I'm in a bit of a pickle. I recently bought a Ricoh SG3110dn and I was also supplied with visi-subR inks for it as well. Each time that I print anything the results are always faded. The black appears to look like a really dark shade of grey at best. And it's the same with the other colors.

I read that the results were supposed to look a little faded until they were heat pressed but they still still look faded on the product. I have ruled out it being the press at fault because it manages to do the job fine when it comes to transfer paper.

After contacting my supplier they referred me to a company called saw-grass who admittedly were really helpful and installed something called a power driver which to be fair did improve the results a little but still not to the point of satisfaction.

I then contacted Ricoh and they told me that it was down to the inks, also now that I have used inks other than their official brand I have now voided the warranty or the printer which was nice of my vendor to let me know. So it would seem that I'm left to sort out my own problem.

I'm not sure what else to try and was hoping that someone else had encountered the same problem and managed to tackle it. Appreciate your time whether you can help me or not.

Many thanks
Dan


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

dinkmon360 said:


> Hello there, I'm new to the world of sublimation and I'm in a bit of a pickle. I recently bought a Ricoh SG3110dn and I was also supplied with visi-subR inks for it as well. Each time that I print anything the results are always faded. The black appears to look like a really dark shade of grey at best. And it's the same with the other colors.
> 
> I read that the results were supposed to look a little faded until they were heat pressed but they still still look faded on the product. I have ruled out it being the press at fault because it manages to do the job fine when it comes to transfer paper.
> 
> ...


Hopefully you didn't install the OEM cartridges first before you installed the Visi-subs?

Also, you didn't mention your substrates you transfered to. Dwell and temp matter. Press at too low temp or time you will not get any "pop".

Make sure you have sublimation paper made for Ricoh, for example .... 

Texprint R


----------



## helenh (Dec 30, 2007)

dinkmon360 said:


> Hello there, I'm new to the world of sublimation and I'm in a bit of a pickle. I recently bought a Ricoh SG3110dn and I was also supplied with visi-subR inks for it as well. Each time that I print anything the results are always faded. The black appears to look like a really dark shade of grey at best. And it's the same with the other colors.
> 
> I read that the results were supposed to look a little faded until they were heat pressed but they still still look faded on the product. I have ruled out it being the press at fault because it manages to do the job fine when it comes to transfer paper.
> 
> ...


Hi Dan,
I am/was in the same boat. I bought a Ricoh 7000 and used sawgrass inks. After a long time I eventually got great colors, my problem was my pressure on the heat press was not on high, it needs to be very strong pressure for fabric, less for hard goods, then our brown/grey blacks went to black. But yes everyone who uses Sawgrass or inks that Ricoh does not made VOIDS their machine, of course I learnt this after the 1,000 printer fried. They work pretty good, but you have to use them quite a lot, I left my ink in the machine too long, after the void date. What I was never told by the distributor is that the ink degrades and separates and corrodes the print head and you are out of a printer. The void by date is at the back of the cartridge and on the box, so after you have put it in it is not in your face, and if I had know it corrodes the head I would not have let it stay in there, but oh well, I am out of the sub business for a while. I am not sure if visi Sub inks work the same, yes it does look grey on the paper but as it turns to gas it goes black, but I think it is all about pressure, heat and time, and yes you do have to use good branded paper that is not old.


----------



## minority1 (Nov 23, 2011)

anybody know the best paper to use with this printer?


----------



## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

The Ricohs need a fast-drying paper. When you purchase sublimation paper for it be sure it says it's for the Ricoh. Most all of the sub suppliers (Conde, Coastal, Best Blanks, etc.) carry it.


----------



## minority1 (Nov 23, 2011)

GordonM said:


> The Ricohs need a fast-drying paper. When you purchase sublimation paper for it be sure it says it's for the Ricoh. Most all of the sub suppliers (Conde, Coastal, Best Blanks, etc.) carry it.


yes iv just ordered some from the place i purchased my printer from to be safe


----------



## suzamac (Mar 18, 2008)

Gordon, your situation is different from Dan's because his printer uses gels and I can attest that these gel printers *do not have to be run frequently* to stay functional. In fact weeks could pass and we never had a single clog, banding or anything near to the problems we used to have with the many Epson printers we had. I think your printer is not a gel printer and thus the problems you referred to. We always used Sawgrass inks and 100% polyester garments. The pressure issue mentioned above was something I was never aware of. For laser or inkjet non-sub transfer printing pressure can definitely affect durability but honestly I don't think pressure is an issue with sublimation. Faded results can be from under-sublimation or over-sublimation. The advice to contact Conde, Best Blanks, or Coastal Business Systems is excellent advice.


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

suzamac said:


> Gordon, your situation is different from Dan's because his printer uses gels and I can attest that these gel printers *do not have to be run frequently* to stay functional. In fact weeks could pass and we never had a single clog, banding or anything near to the problems we used to have with the many Epson printers we had. I think your printer is not a gel printer and thus the problems you referred to. We always used Sawgrass inks and 100% polyester garments. The pressure issue mentioned above was something I was never aware of. For laser or inkjet non-sub transfer printing pressure can definitely affect durability but honestly I don't think pressure is an issue with sublimation. Faded results can be from under-sublimation or over-sublimation. The advice to contact Conde, Best Blanks, or Coastal Business Systems is excellent advice.


The reason that Ricohs are said to "not have to be run frequently" is that the printers firmware is designed to run a trickle amount of inks thru the printheads when sitting idle but powered. In others words, as long as they are in "standby" then they really are being "ran" frequently.

An Epson user can do the same thing but would have to do so manually and requires user intervention .... run nozzle checks occasionally ie. Ricoh effectively does that automatically.

Now having said that, the vast amount of Ricoh users having catastrophic failures were nearly all those who _did not run the printers frequently_. So while it is true that most Ricoh owners have reported that they didn't need to print frequently to avoid clogs (because the printer still ran inks thru the heads anyway without the user having to do anything), it is also true that if they didn't print often the odds of having a non-repairable defect increased.

The data here is overwhelming on that issue, you can see in the "dead ricoh" threads 

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/dye-sublimation/t176950.html#post1047905

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/dye-sublimation/t190265.html#post1122127

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/dye-sublimation/t142943.html#post847477

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/dye-sublimation/t128167.html#post754536


----------



## minority1 (Nov 23, 2011)

ive just got my Ricoh SG3110 DN today and i think it is brilliant


----------



## ypooj (May 18, 2009)

Hi Suzumac

Just in case, make sure you have the white (bright white) side of the paper downwards in the printer. If you print with the paper in the wrong way, it will still work, but all will be faded.


----------



## navystitcher (Oct 19, 2009)

So I have a Ricoh SG3110 DN i just bought and when I downloaded the power driver it won't work. Come to find out the driver doesn't work with Windows 7 Home Premium version I have to have professional. Well that is great but you can't get that anymore only 8 and 8 isn't supported either. Ugh Guess I have a 10lb paperweight until something changes...


----------



## brydges (Oct 26, 2012)

Hey,

Yes we have just bought a setup today from Marvell Press. Visi sub inks and the same printer. 

The install went smooth apart from setting the paper size, that was a night mare. 

We have tried printing with the Power driver but some colours such as blue and red are way off. But blacks are a lighter colour not solid. We got supplied a visi sub disk but they provided us with the old one and it does not have the ICC profile for this printer.

Is it possible some one could send me the ICC as Marvell press is closed until Monday


----------



## navystitcher (Oct 19, 2009)

Are you not using sawgrass ink?


----------



## brydges (Oct 26, 2012)

We are using Visi-Sub which is sawgrass licensed but we only have the power driver. Visi-Sub supplied us with a CD it has every profile on for Epson's and 3 Ricoh printers but not 1 for the Ricoh SG3110 DN


----------



## navystitcher (Oct 19, 2009)

I downloaded the powerdriver on the sawgrass website but it doesn't support window 7 home premium


----------



## brydges (Oct 26, 2012)

navystitcher said:


> I downloaded the powerdriver on the sawgrass website but it doesn't support window 7 home premium



It should support it? Strange why it wouldn't. Did Visi-Sub not supply you with an ICC CD with all the profiles and instructions


----------



## pisquee (Jan 8, 2012)

VisiSub is rebranded Sawgrass ink, rather than another manufacturer licensed to make thier own inks.


----------



## brydges (Oct 26, 2012)

pisquee said:


> VisiSub is rebranded Sawgrass ink, rather than another manufacturer licensed to make thier own inks.


When i spoke to Marvell Press i was told this is their own formula and licensed by sawgrass. Which i believe to be true because my colours or off. My epson produced better colours

This is why i want the ICC profile

Cheers
Chris


----------



## shawngotti (Jul 28, 2012)

Hey guys, 
Does anyone know how I can get the ICC profile? I'm using the power driver with Windows 7 Home Premium, and it seems like it leaves much to be desired in terms of color saturation. I'm using sawgrass inks, and I purchased everything via Amazon, so no ICC cd was provided to me.


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

shawngotti said:


> Hey guys,
> Does anyone know how I can get the ICC profile? I'm using the power driver with Windows 7 Home Premium, and it seems like it leaves much to be desired in terms of color saturation. I'm using sawgrass inks, and I purchased everything via Amazon, so no ICC cd was provided to me.


Power driver has the color management built in. There should be nothing optional or added on. It's designed for the printer and inks it is designed for.

Unless the context of your "Power Driver" is not the same as mine. 

Power Driver is a software utility made by Sawgrass for printers using their ink formulation.

Unless you are confusing "Power Driver" with "Printer Driver".

"Power Driver" is a printer driver ... but a printer driver is not necessarily "Power Driver".


----------

