# film ink for Epson r2400



## fooledbyfresner (Feb 24, 2008)

I have an epson r2400 that I print my film positives through using fast rip. I don't want to use Fastink or anything produced by Us Screenprinting. I have put together a bulk ink system that I want to run all black through. For those that don't know, if you buy the Fast ink cartridge to print positives, or any ink cartridge for that purpose, you still use up your color cartridges in ink charges ect. These are expensive to replace when you are not actually using them for any other purpose but to print films and the printer will not run with out full cartridges in it's slots. 
So- Having put together this bulk ink system I want to find an ink that will work. I have been using photo black but it usually only lasts for one exposure. I use a photosharp halide unit so I need opaque positives. Regular ink seems to print too light. 

Does anyone have any suggestions? Has anyone figured out what Us Screen is packaging as fast ink? I want to buy this stuff in bottles since I don't need cartridges.


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## adawg2252 (Dec 12, 2007)

they sell the dye ink in bulk bottles. you don't have to keep buying the cartridges.

you do know you can't just put black in all the cartridges and expect it to print from all the cartridges right? The RIP is what tells the printer to pull ink from each slot.


What do you mean by "regular ink prints too light." and "good for only one exposure"

You use an entire cartridge per positive? I don't understand what you mean.


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## fooledbyfresner (Feb 24, 2008)

"ou do know you can't just put black in all the cartridges and expect it to print from all the cartridges right? The RIP is what tells the printer to pull ink from each slot."
Yes, I have a bulk ink system that I can run black into each dummy cartridge and on fast rip I can select mutiple blacks so I can use 3 slots for black and leave the rest empty since they are chipped to always read full.

"What do you mean by "regular ink prints too light."
The normal inks you buy for the epson 2400 do not print dark enough.

and "good for only one exposure"
When I use photo black it prints dark enough but after one exposure the ink curls up and cracks so that I can not use the film again.

"You use an entire cartridge per positive?"
No.

"they sell the dye ink in bulk bottles."
Who does? which type of ink produces the most opaque lasting image?


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## Paul204 (Apr 21, 2007)

how do you chip your cartridges away so they always read full? i have to replace all my colour cartridges every so often and it's annoying because i dont even use them.


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## adawg2252 (Dec 12, 2007)

fooledbyfresner said:


> and "good for only one exposure"
> When I use photo black it prints dark enough but after one exposure the ink curls up and cracks so that I can not use the film again.
> 
> "they sell the dye ink in bulk bottles."
> Who does? which type of ink produces the most opaque lasting image?


Interesting. I wonder if its the ink that you're using when you shoot the film. Sometimes the ink comes off my positive onto the emulsion in my vacuum table but it's never completely useless. Have you ever tried putting a clear piece of the film inbetween film and emulsion when you shoot?


I'm not sure about lasting image, but US Screen sells their FastInk in a dye bottle. A few of the dealers have it on their websites as well, as it's the method of refilling when you use a bulk system on your printer. I would recommend using some sort of inkjet cleaning/purge solution in the "empty" slots so that the print head can stay moist, because that's why it uses ink from the other cartridge slots.

I'm sure if you google or search the forums there are other dye ink supplies for film positives, I just know what most use the FastINK as it contains (apparently) the most UV blockers for exposure.


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## fooledbyfresner (Feb 24, 2008)

Paul204 said:


> how do you chip your cartridges away so they always read full? i have to replace all my colour cartridges every so often and it's annoying because i dont even use them.


If you go onto ebay you can find dummy cartridges that are programed to always read full. Alot of photographers use these printers too so they retrofit them numerous ways to handle heavy output. T-jet uses the same thing, the t-jet 3 has dummy catridges with resetable chips.


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## fooledbyfresner (Feb 24, 2008)

JUst an update on my quest to print cheap good quality positives. I outfitted both my and a friends shop with new epson r2400s. I then went on ebay and found an online store selling bulk ink systems for the r2400 targeted towards photographers. I e-mailed them and asked if I could buy them empty since they come with inks already in the ready to go. They were happy to oblige. You have to configure the printer first with the cartridges that come with it. Then following the instructions for the bulk ink flow system (I think I paid about 35 bucks for it) install is and set the resevoirs on the same level surface as the printer. You may have to elevate it or find a lower place for it depending on your elevation. If you get ink splatters then it is too high. Start low to be safe. Fill all your resevoirs with dye black pigment. You can buy this by the quart for about 60-90 bucks. Do about 4 head nozzle check/head cleanings until the printer pulls the ink from all the resevoirs into the dummy cartridges. I use accurip with this printer and I am able to select if I want the ink to come from head 4 5 or 6 I think. The rest of the cartridges only serve to supply ink for head cleanings. I suppose you could fill these with head cleaner but I have not tried it. You don't want to leave these empty though. I get film by the 100 foot roll from Davis films this works out to a bit less than a dollar a foot, but by adjusting my artboard size accordingly I can print smaller or larger prints with less wasted film. The roll is a bit too big to fit on the roll holder on the back of the printer so you have to unroll several feet and cut it off for use later. After installing the smaller roll onto the printer you have to feed it into the top like a normal sheet. The roll feed slot will not accept the film. 
I need to crunch the numbers on what I'm saving one day but for water proof film by the sheet is normally 1.90 each, I think the fastink 25 ml cartridges are about 40.00 and do not last very long. In addition you have to keep full cartridges of the other colors.


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## adawg2252 (Dec 12, 2007)

fooledbyfresner said:


> The rest of the cartridges only serve to supply ink for head cleanings. I suppose you could fill these with head cleaner but I have not tried it. You don't want to leave these empty though.



What are you filling them with then, if not a cleaning fluid?


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## fooledbyfresner (Feb 24, 2008)

I fill them all with black ink at the moment. Since I save so much by getting it by the quart, it's no big deal.


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## boneida (Aug 30, 2008)

this thread has been of great help, I bought R2400 and i've been using it to print some stuff but never realised that it can do films untill now... and im disparate to get new solution for films as I just used laser which is buggered now... can't find the dummy catrages yet, did you try using fast rip with this printer?


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## nsallo12345 (Sep 28, 2009)

fooledbyfresner said:


> I fill them all with black ink at the moment. Since I save so much by getting it by the quart, it's no big deal.




Hey man,
I recently accquired a R2400. I don't want to even begin to use it until I configure it to print all black like you have. I have FastRIP software with it (all given to me, so no complaints here).

You mentioned the "dummy cartridges" to go with it, and the "bulk flow system". where can these be obtained?


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## fooledbyfresner (Feb 24, 2008)

browse ebay for r2400 accesories, and look for bulk ink systems. Google accurip, they allow you a fully functionable 30 day trial by download. It was built from the ground up to be a rip for screenprinters. It's truely the best. Fastrip and anything from Scott Fresener is usually hacked technology that had a different purpose originally, hence the many bugs and all the time you have to spend configuring their products to even get started. There are several systems that have the chips included. Beware though that you need to clean your print head regularly. 
We have grown substantially since my first post and moved up to a epson 4880 almost a year ago. The roll feed feature on the r2400 is just too weak to not stretch films. I got every penny out of my r2400 though during the time I used it. 
Also, on accurip- you can select "all black" so that you can fill all your resevoirs with ink and pull from them equally.
Another important thing to remember is to not run the bulk ink system with any of the resevoirs empty, you can burn the vacume pump out.


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

The AccuRIP trial is 14 days.
AccuRIP Software


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## nsallo12345 (Sep 28, 2009)

fooledbyfresner said:


> Also, on accurip- you can select "all black" so that you can fill all your resevoirs with ink and pull from them equally.
> Another important thing to remember is to not run the bulk ink system with any of the resevoirs empty, you can burn the vacume pump out.




ok wow that was a lot of help there! thanks.
a couple more questions before i engineer this thing to workability. (i will eventually purchase the 4880 because of its rave reviews, but i can't really complain on inheriting a free printer right).

the bulk ink system is also available on e-bay? and would you request it empty? also, you fill all the bulk ink slots with the black dye ink right...what's a reliable source for the ink?
and lastly, you say you feed the bulk supply black ink into all the cartridges, and can select only black from accurip. does the ink then pull from only the three black cartridges, or all 8? 


thanks again, great help.


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## nsallo12345 (Sep 28, 2009)

fooledbyfresner said:


> Another important thing to remember is to not run the bulk ink system with any of the resevoirs empty, you can burn the vacume pump out.



and finally,
if/when i get the dye ink for the bulk system, i'm assuming i fill the cartridges with the 'photo black' dye?


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## nsallo12345 (Sep 28, 2009)

fooledbyfresner said:


> Also, on accurip- you can select "all black" so that you can fill all your resevoirs with ink and pull from them equally.



hey man i got one more question for ya and i'd appreciate greatly any help

I've gotten accurip on trial, with every intention of purchasing it in the next week. i'm still on the r2400, with a fitted in bulk-ink cartridge that i can fill with only black dye ink - a cis bulk ink system
Compatible new Ciss Cis bulk ink system for epson R2400 - eBay (item 360203966837 end time Dec-01-09 18:06:07 PST)

firstly, is the above system suitable? (i haven't purchased it yet)

if it is, let's say i select the 'multi-black' option from accurip, with all 8 resevoirs filled with the black dye ink, does the rip automatically know that all 8 cartridges are filled with black inkm and pulls from all 8?

thank you so much
nick


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