Ink usage

[Grafix USA]

I notice that when I finally pull my cartridges out they still have a good amount of ink left in them. They slosh around a bit inside. My printer tells me I am at 2% or so left. This made me wonder...

How far do you push your ink cartridges? When the beep goes off for low ink do you silence it and keep printing? If so, for how long?

It just seems like I throw away a good amount of usable ink. I'm curious what others do.

 

[GAC05]

I notice that when I finally pull my cartridges out they still have a good amount of ink left in them. They slosh around a bit inside. My printer tells me I am at 2% or so left. This made me wonder...

How far do you push your ink cartridges? When the beep goes off for low ink do you silence it and keep printing? If so, for how long?

It just seems like I throw away a good amount of usable ink. I'm curious what others do.

I asked this earlier on the 1304 and got the answer that you can keep on printing until the "Ink End" error pops up and stops the printing - change out the "empty" cart and continue on without messing up the job in progress.
I've tried this and it has worked several times.
Then just last week I got the low ink warning - continued to print and the low cart ran dry - printer did not stop - no ink end warning - ruining a 10 ft banner in the process.
Now I am not sure if I want to try and use those last few ounces of ink at the risk of wasting a good deal of print time and media.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[trakers]

After the low ink beeper fires I pop open each cart the observe the remaining ink. As a general rule I find about a tablespoon is left, most pillowed up at the rear of the cartridge. (I tore one open initially to see how the little ink out tab works).

If you squish it towards the front you can get quite a bit of printing still. I've never let one go until the printer stops because of all the FUD that is spread about letting that happen. (Air in lines, other colors sucked in, time running backward, corpses coming to life and killing us, etc.)

One time recently it was a false economy though because my Exacto slipped and cut the ink bag during surgery.

Also, it makes your stomach ache when you see just how little ink is in there even when the cart is new. The ink bag is nowhere near as big as the skeleton of the cart.

 

[copythat]

I hear that!

Lately, I've been feeling like there is less ink in the cartridges. I just weighed all the the colors. They are all 13.2 ounces X-actly. Going to contniue this process with every order.

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[customcreations]

when it beeps low I silence and run it till it ends and switch out then. You will be amazed how long you can print on a low one. I have never had a problem doing this in the last 2 years!

 

[Grafix USA]

Ok, glad to here that. I think what I will do is use the end of the cartridges for the smaller jobs so if it does mess up I'm not having to redo a 10' or 12' banner.

 

[Ken1f]

I agree, let it beep and print until the machine stops. Done this with my machine for 2+ years without a problem.

 

[Dallas Banners]

In the last two years I've not had a problem letting the ink run out. When it does, the printer stops and I put in a new cartridge. The printer picks up right where it left off and finishes the print job.

 

[Stealth Ryder]

Lately, I've been feeling like there is less ink in the cartridges. I just weighed all the the colors. They are all 13.2 ounces X-actly. Going to contniue this process with every order.

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Seriously??? What in the world would make you think a 220 ml cart would have anything less than 220ml... They are sold by volume (220 ml), not weight... Have just a little faith in your fellow man... Personally, I have way too many things to be doing than sitting around wondering about a ml or two of ink... Ink is the cheapest ingredient of the printing process... Instead of spending time weighing carts why not spend that time printing something that you can make money by selling... Just my 2 cents worth... To each his own I guess...

The 48" and 54" Mutoh Printers do not have sub-tanks like the 64". If you let the carts run dry you will eventually have a problem, I see it very often...

 

[HaroldDesign]

I haven't had any problems with letting it run until it stops. This typically happens with overnight unattended runs. Even if it sat most of the night crying for ink, it picks up where it left off in the print.

 

[J Hill Designs]

gotta love sub-tanks!