# Has epson stopped the printhead sales?



## Robert72 (Aug 12, 2006)

Why is so difficult to buy a 4880 printhead?
It looks like nobody have them. Is it due to new Epson policies?


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Robert72 said:


> Why is so difficult to buy a 4880 printhead?
> It looks like nobody have them. Is it due to new Epson policies?



All American has them...

Epson 4880 Printhead


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

Epson changed policies on the 4800/4880 and larger machines last year and have recently changed their policies on the 1800/1900/2400 and similar units as well. The printheads and many of the other parts will only be available through authorized partners outside of the standard paper printer marketplace and those through the standard paper printers channels will require an original Epson serial number and will be limited as to number that can be purchased.


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Don-SWF East said:


> Epson changed policies on the 4800/4880 and larger machines last year and have recently changed their policies on the 1800/1900/2400 and similar units as well. The printheads and many of the other parts will only be available through authorized partners outside of the standard paper printer marketplace and those through the standard paper printers channels will require an original Epson serial number and will be limited as to number that can be purchased.


Which changes What? for all of us uses Epson based DTG printers? Not to appear stupid but (well no more than normal lol!) are you saying we are going to have a shortage of replacement parts or that Epson is putting tighter controls on the parts we use?


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

Epson is controlling the flow of parts to limit it to authorized partners. They are not making any more or less of the parts, simply controlling the aftermarket sales of these parts. They started with the Pro series printers last year. The smaller format 8 channel machines like the ones I mentioned were implemented recently. A quick check of the Compass Micro website will confirm this - you have to call Epson directly to order the print heads for the 1800, 1900, 2400 & 2880 (Epson is one of a few Epson authorized parts centers in the US).


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## Robert72 (Aug 12, 2006)

That's the matter. Might it be due to some sharks buying thousand of printheads and messing the market.

Here in Europe, you have to give the old printhead to the Epson service and tell them the serial number of the machine. So I cannot put, for example, a better 4880 printhead on my 4800 machine.


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

> That's the matter. Might it be due to some sharks buying thousand of printheads and messing the market.


It's pretty hard to buy thousands of print heads from Epson. Even those of us who are authorized partners have to make prety extended projections and then have a very small amount of flexibility in the projections (less than 10% either way). Epson is not a printer company - they are an ink company that sells ink delivery devices. When the printers are being re-purposed they (Epson) do not realize any residual ink revenues.


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Don-SWF East said:


> It's pretty hard to buy thousands of print heads from Epson. Even those of us who are authorized partners have to make prety extended projections and then have a very small amount of flexibility in the projections (less than 10% either way). Epson is not a printer company - they are an ink company that sells ink delivery devices. When the printers are being re-purposed they (Epson) do not realize any residual ink revenues.


Maybe they would like to give Dupont a run for it's money in the textile ink market....just a thought.

Thanks for the info Don.


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## FatKat Printz (Dec 26, 2008)

Don-SWF East said:


> Epson is controlling the flow of parts to limit it to authorized partners. They are not making any more or less of the parts, simply controlling the aftermarket sales of these parts.


What's aftermarket again?? Wait, I remember anything that isn't bought directly from SWF. Its either aftermarket, used or non-OEM products. 

I just called Epson and they assured me that any announcements about ANY of their products will be formally announced on their website. Not Compass Micro Not on T-Shirt Forums but from EPSON themselves

(562)276-1300 

give them a call ask for yourselves. Also, there are several authorized Epson dealers here are a few.. 

Replacement Parts for Epson Products (US Only) Compass Micro, Inc. (503)408-8725 or (800)388-8595 Micrologic Systems, Inc. (903)561-0007National Parts Depot (845)469-4800 or (800)524-8338 TSAworld, Inc. (770)417-2323 or (800)633-6626 Vance Baldwin Electronics (954)723-9191 or (800)432-8542
do your own research people..


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## 102557 (Mar 6, 2010)

I found the best way to get parts for the 1900 on the cheap!!! is buy a complete r1900 refurb printer from epson online usually for 349.00 (as of this post) total with free shipping!!!!!.. just pull the printhead!!! i think its the same head the 4800 uses!!

you get a complete printer with all the parts!!! capping station encoder strips etc etc, in fact i dont even pull the print head i just swap the whole printer out for new and keep the old parts!!! (however i have a diydtg) epson online always has deals for example right now they have brand new r1900 for 349 after rebate!!! just scroll down on the link below.. or go to epson store (weekly specials) or (clearance center) for the refurbs!!!
(CLERANCE CENTER)http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/BuyEpson/ccHome.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=0
(WEEKLY SPECIALS)http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/BuyEpson/Specials.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oi


generally if they dont have a refurb in stock they have a deal!!!!

this if your having trouble buying parts and or the better deal is the whole printer for what you need..like a printhead!!!

hope it helps


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## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

IYFGraphics said:


> Maybe they would like to give Dupont a run for it's money in the textile ink market....just a thought.
> 
> Thanks for the info Don.


You are more right than some people would like to admit. They have already moved into the wide format solvent market (both inks as well as printers), and I suspect it is only a matter of time before they try the garment market in one form or another.


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

Don-SWF East said:


> Epson is not a printer company - they are an ink company that sells ink delivery devices. When the printers are being re-purposed they (Epson) do not realize any residual ink revenues.


This is the real reason, Epson are interested in selling large quantities of ink to photographers. You with the DTG and me with film imagesetters are under their radar, it just doesn't register. Why should they be helpful to us?


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Printzilla said:


> You are more right than some people would like to admit. They have already moved into the wide format solvent market (both inks as well as printers), and I suspect it is only a matter of time before they try the garment market in one form or another.



Only makes sense from a business perspective for Epson, when you have licensed technology and parts being used by Roland and they see the success in that marketplace with their solvent based printers....it's really a no brain'r (which is why I had the thought..LOL!) If they are truly a ink company as Don says then textile ink must be a market they are looking at.

Question is.....do we really need another player in the textile ink market? one that can control parts and ink? DTG is still in it's infancy IMHO and as Don put it "re purposed" Epson printers dominate the DTG market what would keep Epson from shutting out say DTG Digital, Equipment Zone, All American, AnaJet and others and creating their own printer?

You know in some R&D lab somewhere on Epsons property there is a DTG printer either being dissected, or engineered.

JMHO


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

> what would keep Epson from shutting out say DTG Digital


Simple answer - contracts.


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

> What's aftermarket again??


Actually, aftermarket to Epson is any printer that does not print Epson inks. I did not say that the parts would not be available - only that Epson was controlling the way they are being distributed and by whom they are distributed. 

Directly from the Compass Micro website (re: Espon R2400 Print Head - says the same for the other models I mentioned):
"*Note:* Epson no longer allows the distribution of this print head. They have instructed us to have customers looking for this print head to contact Epson directly at 800-442-2035"

The idea of purchasing refurbs for parts is not a bad idea - sort of like having a spare tire for your car.


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

> This is the real reason, Epson are interested in selling large quantities of ink to photographers. You with the DTG and me with film imagesetters are under their radar, it just doesn't register.


Actually my understanding is that one of the main reasons for doing this is the sublimation marketplace. There is far more sublimation ink sold in the world every year than there is direct to garment ink. I would guess that film positive ink even sells more worldwide than direct to garment ink at this time as well. I think that there will be some collateral damage to our industries based on this. Epson doesn't make any real money on printers - they make it on ink - why else would a print head cost more than a refurbished printer with the same head in it? 

I'm sorry if certain folks think I am lying about this, I base it on the changes we have seen over the last year in regards to these parts and from seeing the actual contract that is in place.


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Don-SWF East said:


> Simple answer - contracts.


Agreed...in the world of big business and global partners contracts are essential, but....contracts need to be reviewed, renewed, and renegotiated as they expire they are not perpetual, never ending, to me the first step in market domination is to control supply which it would look like Epson is putting their ducks in line for, you can bet they have a game plan.

It would appear to me that formulating a water based textile ink would be simpler than a solvent or pigment ink, Epson certainly has the resources to do so, degassing and micro-filtering is a process they already do, they own the pezo technology...all they really lack is the hardware to distribute the ink on a substrate and as you pointed out they are a ink company that sells delivery devices.

JMHO


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

> It would appear to me that formulating a water based textile ink would be simpler than a solvent or pigment ink,


I can't answer that question for certain but I do know that the majority of big players in the direct to garment ink market over the past 6 years have been large polymer and monomer manufacturers like DuPont, Rohm & Haas and BASF. The polymer component is very critical in direct to garment inks as it is what makes the inks "stick" to the garments. That being said, I think that Epson may have a "guy or two" who might could "figger it out". An educated guess would be that Epson still sells more ink for models like the Epson 3000 or the 2200 than is sold worldwide for all direct to garment printers (and at about 3-4X the price) - so it may not be as much on their radar as we might think.


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

...plus the DTG is quite support heavy, there are a lot of things that can go wrong, it really needs training and support as part of the package. Epson are a marketing company, they won't want to hand hold.
Their printers always work, it doesn't feel like their market, though that doesn't mean they haven't had a look at it.


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## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

PositiveDave said:


> ...plus the DTG is quite support heavy, there are a lot of things that can go wrong,


Which is why they will go the same route as Brother. Their first model will be CMYK only. They have already developed new white ink technology for some substrates, and it is just a matter of time before they do it for garments/textiles.


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Printzilla said:


> Which is why they will go the same route as Brother. Their first model will be CMYK only. They have already developed new white ink technology for some substrates, and it is just a matter of time before they do it for garments/textiles.


You know Marc......Brother is a fantastic example which I hadn't considered (l'il short on computing power today), you know Epson has studied Brothers business model seeing the strengths in controlling not only the printer but the ink being used.....comparatively Epson based DTG printers are the "Wild West", maybe Epson can corral that market, they could easily absorb 50-70% of the competition by shutting off the parts/licensing and let the lawyers fight out the contracts in court.

Might be all fantasy in my mind...but much stranger things have happen before.....think about how Microsoft came into being with DOS and where it came from, and how stupid IBM was for paying licensing fees for the operating system instead of buying it when they had the chance.

JMHO


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## renbis (Dec 15, 2010)

Robert72 said:


> Why is so difficult to buy a 4880 printhead?
> It looks like nobody have them. Is it due to new Epson policies?


try a search on alibaba i had the same problem and bought epson 1400 head print


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## Jeru Johnson (Jul 24, 2009)

We appear to be in the same tight spot at the moment.
We're located in Belgium and work with a DTG Viper, Epson stylus pro 4880 printhead.

I've been looking all around town for a reasonable priced printhead, since our DTG Digital dealer in Germany charged us 546 euros last time. Which is about 786 US dollars...
Now from what I read here on TSF, that seems kinda like gettin' ripped off and having to take it.

I tried calling Epson Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg. And various printer parts dealers. And all had the same vague story that Epson blocked these heads for sale.
Found this one on Alibaba, that wasn't on the Asian market;
F187000 PRINTHEAD EPS STYLUS PRO 4880 - Detailed info for F187000 PRINTHEAD EPS STYLUS PRO 4880,F187000,F187000 PRINTHEAD EPS STYLUS PRO 4880,F187000 on Alibaba.com
But the seller had the same story. Not available. (eventhough he had'm for sale online...)

Anyway, I'm thinking I could pay a lot less than 786 US dollars if I buy it online from a USA dealer, transport included.
I would like to ask if any of you know trustworthy companies who could help us out?
I found these;
EMB Supplies : Embroidery Machines : Embroidery Supplies: DTG Parts
Epson 4880 Printhead
Equipment Zone Online Store : Printhead - T-Jet Blazer Pro and Express - PRINTHEAD-BLAZER
Fast T-Jet® Printhead
CMB - Blazer Printhead
I read a lot of good things about Welcome to DTGInks.com
but I can't find it on the site, and they appear to be located on the US Westcoast, so shipping costs to Europe might add up...

Any tip would be welcome!
And thanks in advance!

Jeru


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## spiderx1 (Oct 12, 2009)

Try Compass Micro http://www.compassmicro.com/parts.cfm
Or American Screen Supply
http://americanscreensupply.com/
However a lot of truth to epson cutting off supplies. Prices have sky rocketed. I believe the 4880 uses same printhead as the 1900. Worst case find a used R1900 that works and can produce a good nozzle check. Or even a refurb which would have a new head. Epson sells refurbs on line. However if machine is under warranty this will void warranty perhaps.


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## YoDan (May 4, 2007)

> However a lot of truth to epson cutting off supplies


Not really the truth! They have put a choke hold on the print heads BUT they can still be found, heck not even Compassmico can get or sell the 8 channel Epson print heads any longer and they are a main Epson Distributor.
Dan
*"HAPPY PRINTING"*


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## spiderx1 (Oct 12, 2009)

YoDan said:


> Not really the truth! They have put a choke hold on the print heads BUT they can still be found, heck not even Compassmico can get or sell the 8 channel Epson print heads any longer and they are a main Epson Distributor.
> Dan
> *"HAPPY PRINTING"*


Da sounds like truth to me if compass micro cannot get. But agree they have choked the supply down to almost impossible to get. Not a lot of diff there.


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## renbis (Dec 15, 2010)

i found this for 4880 seems to be cheaper than the other shop

Boutiques eBay.fr - Achat et vente epson printer head, dtg printer parts, neuf ou d


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

Epson has not cut off supplies, they have, however taken control of them. The print heads are still available, just not through the channels that folks have used in the past.


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## allamerican-aeoon (Aug 14, 2007)

spiderx1 said:


> Try Compass Micro CompassMicro.com: New Epson Parts
> Or American Screen Supply
> American Screen Supply - Best Prices on Inkjet Film and DTG Products!
> However a lot of truth to epson cutting off supplies. Prices have sky rocketed. I believe the 4880 uses same printhead as the 1900. Worst case find a used R1900 that works and can produce a good nozzle check. Or even a refurb which would have a new head. Epson sells refurbs on line. However if machine is under warranty this will void warranty perhaps.[/quote
> ...


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## Theinkjetdoctor (Apr 5, 2008)

Epson has in fact started controlling print head sales . I rebuild epson 3000 and had to jump through hoops to buy a quantity of epson 3000 dx2 printheads. I had to supply serial #s and talk with the senior tech ops manager. to get the sale of 90ea black and color printheads. They are discontinuing all parts for the 3000 . alot of people using this to make films. we were scrambling to get parts to rebuild the printers we had. I did buy some from a guy in china seems they dont have the same restrictions as he has more now and doesnt ask for serial numbers there. They especially dont want them goin in other brand printers and dtg printers. Regards Paul K


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## Theinkjetdoctor (Apr 5, 2008)

Epson is now scrutinizing all print head sales. Any pro series head must be installed by an authorized epson repair dealer. They wont sell these heads anymore to anyone but a repair dealer. Non Pro series printheads can be purchased but you need a valid epson serial #. Even then any quantities of more than 1 or 2 heads Must be approved by Epson Management. I had one hella time buying 90 black and 90 color for the epson 3000. I had serial #s and had to get it approved by the senior tech ops manager. It took weeks. They dont want their heads going in DTG Machines or some of the solvent printers made by mimaki, mutoh and roland. Im installing the heads i got in 3000s and it took many phone calls and pleading. So thats the story. I guess they didnt know people were buying printheads by the hundreds and building printers around the heads. Now youve got a problem if you need a new printhead in a non epson printer. I saw huge price increases in the last month on dx4 and dx5 heads. if you have one of these printers i would try to get a spare before they get all the scalping stopped. Hope this enlightens everyone Paul


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

Thanks for the input Paul. You are correct about Epson cracking down, however incorrect about their concern for Mimaki, Mutoh, Roland (and you can add Stork, Mastermind & Impressions Technology) using Epson print heads/print engines for other than paper printing. The companies mentioned are strategic Epson developement partners who purchase directly from Epson Japan and are acknowledged by Epson as re-purposers/developers. 

Hope this clarifies things.


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## rowdy moose (Jun 18, 2008)

I have a feeling that many are jumping to conclusion quickly. I think this is Epson's way of cutting production cost and running more efficiently. You have to consider the shape that the global economy is in and what all companies have to do to make it thru successfully, even the really big ones. Not to mention now they have a horrible earthquake to deal with.


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## erich (Apr 15, 2009)

No Epson is most certainly not doing this as a way to rationalise production and sales channel.

Only manufacturers with a license are able to freely obtain parts. 

we get calls all the time from other Epson converters looking to purchase hundreds of heads and main boards at a time and willing to pay premium prices for them too.

The previously posted comments are all very true and accurate.

Jerry
DTG Digital


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

rowdy moose said:


> I have a feeling that many are jumping to conclusion quickly. I think this is Epson's way of cutting production cost and running more efficiently. You have to consider the shape that the global economy is in and what all companies have to do to make it thru successfully, even the really big ones. Not to mention now they have a horrible earthquake to deal with.


Hi Moose,

We (DTG Digital group) deal directly with Epson and have a pretty good handle on how they are handling the situation at hand. As Jerry stated above, it is about Espon working with licensed manufacturers, who they know and have contractually bound. The earthquale happened long after Epson implemented this policy.


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## rowdy moose (Jun 18, 2008)

Don-ColDesi said:


> Hi Moose,
> 
> We (DTG Digital group) deal directly with Epson and have a pretty good handle on how they are handling the situation at hand. As Jerry stated above, it is about Espon working with licensed manufacturers, who they know and have contractually bound. The earthquale happened long after Epson implemented this policy.


I realize the that its not because of the earthquake. But you do realize that by only working under contract they will be able to run more efficently right?


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

> But you do realize that by only working under contract they will be able to run more efficently right?


I do realize that, however, you are way over estimating the relative impact that direct to garment printers have on the global Epson market.


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## rowdy moose (Jun 18, 2008)

The topic is about an epson part that is in several different types of printers not just converted DTG printers.


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

You are right and the majority of the Epson world uses a service technician to replace print heads - thus the average page printer user does not even notice these changes. Espon sells ink, the folks that buy parts and repair their machines themselves, are, for the most part, not using Epson ink. Epson is cracking down on that channel - across the board. As mentioned earlier in this thread it is not a direct to garment specific thing - it is folks doing film positives, sublimation (and a few I'm sure I don't know about). We know this stuff (Jerry, myelf and others who are authorized by Epson) becasue we deal with them directly. We are not making this stuff up.


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

Rowdy,

I think the majority of the people responding in this thread are talking about DTG printing in general since the thread is posted in the DTG board. Although I can see where you are coming from about other Epson printers, I am willing to bet that more print heads and other components are replaced with either a DTG printer or a direct-to-substrate / solvent printer because of the ink chemistry used and the increased wear-n-tear we put on the parts to do this type of work. Sublimation would be the other type of ink chemistry that is hard on the Epson parts as well.

I think it is safe to say if you buy the equipment from an authorized Epson modifier or distributor, you should not have a difficult time getting replacement components - although the price might be more. The ones that will be affected the most are the DIY users. But most of them are buying refurbed printers (with all the parts) for the same price they could get just a print head.

Mark


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## JeridHill (Feb 8, 2006)

rowdy moose said:


> The topic is about an epson part that is in several different types of printers not just converted DTG printers.


I understand your thought process, but think about this, I don't know how many direct to garment printers are on the market. I'm going to estimate 10,000. I could be high, I could be low, but it's most likely in that vicinity. How many of those are Epson? Don't know, but let's play along and say every single one is.

Now take a city of 1 Million people. Over estimate to 4 people per household, so 250,000 households. Now say 75% of the houses have computers and 50% of those have printers and 25% of those have Epson inkjet printers. That's still almost 23,500 Epson printers in just one larger city. Who knows if these numbers are even slightly accurate, but you can see how what Don is saying has merit. The DTG realm is just a drop in the bucket compared to the overall Epson market.


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## Theinkjetdoctor (Apr 5, 2008)

It all seems silly you cant buy a 4880 head unless your an authorized repair dealer but you can buy an R1900 head which will fit theyre both DX5 heads. Now people are buying the r1900 and stripping the heads. there a guy has a ton of r1900 on ebay selling them with no heads. Go Figure


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## rowdy moose (Jun 18, 2008)

Well next time you talk to them Don tell them to use my reason. It sounds a lot better.

I'm completely aware of the size of the DTG industry. Just because I don't have alot of posts does not necessarily mean I'm new to the industry. Appreciate all the inside info.


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

Paul,

No one said it makes sense. The realities are what they are however. Generally folks won't buy a $400-500 printhead to fix a $700 printer. They will, however, buy a $500 printhead to fix a $1700 printer. I am not going to try to second guess Epson in regards to why they differentiate between the platforms (professional vs. desktop). They sell the printers, they sell the parts, they can control how those items are sold - we have to play by their rules.


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

rowdy moose said:


> Well next time you talk to them Don tell them to use my reason. It sounds a lot better.
> 
> I'm completely aware of the size of the DTG industry. Just because I don't have alot of posts does not necessarily mean I'm new to the industry. Appreciate all the inside info.


Rowdy,

Sorry if my statements offended, they were not meant to. Anonymity may lead more to one questioning credibility than number of posts - I usually look at time on the forum before I look at number of posts if I question knowledge/experience level. 

Perhaps a little insight into your experience/qualifications might prevent someone from making the same error regarding your grasp of the full direct to garment marketplace that I made in my previous post.


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## rowdy moose (Jun 18, 2008)

I've been an inkjet printer tech for about five years. I've worked on all types of printers, but mainly DTGs. I come on here on my own free time to keep up with news in the industry and help people when I can. By no means am I saying I know everything about the business side of things. But I do know how young this industry is and how frustrating that can be.


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## vinyl signs (Dec 26, 2007)

All I know, is that I have heard that the latest print heads comming from Japan now have glow in the dark capabilities hehehehehe


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

vinyl signs said:


> All I know, is that I have heard that the latest print heads comming from Japan now have glow in the dark capabilities hehehehehe


But only when printing with flavored inks!


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## vinyl signs (Dec 26, 2007)

Don-ColDesi said:


> But only when printing with flavored inks!


Don I even heard that the print head itself glows in the dark! Is ColDesi now making flavored inks?


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

vinyl signs said:


> Don I even heard that the print head itself glows in the dark! Is ColDesi now making flavored inks?


They are already flavored - the flavor is not very good however!  *

* note the statement above is meant to be humorous and is in no way intended to infer that direct to garment inks are indeed edible. Please do not attempt to eat or drink your direct to garment inks.


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## erich (Apr 15, 2009)

Don-ColDesi said:


> note the statement above is meant to be humorous and is in no way intended to infer that direct to garment inks are indeed edible. Please do not attempt to eat or drink your direct to garment inks.


 
Thanks for the warning Don, I will remember that next time I am feeling a bit thirsty 

Jerry
DTG Digital


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