Mimaki magenta help

[thesignstation]

Hi everyone,
We have 2 Mimaki printers, a JV100-160 and a JV150-130. Both machines have new dampers which were professionally installed.
Both run OEM mimaki inks.
We are experiencing the magenta ink disappearing from test prints. We have to either run a clean cycle or fill up the ink to bring it back. This just happens to the magenta color only.
Any thoughts?

 

[micadesign]

cap adjust needed??

 

[teampix]

Two different printers, same problem? Did this issue prompt the damper change in both machines? The only common denominator is the magenta ink.

 

[DL Signs]

Check the cap adjustment first since parts were just replaced, but I'm kinda on the same page as teampix, way too odd to have the same issue happen to two printers at the same time.

A while back, can't for the life of me remember which brand, may have even been Mimaki, one batch of ink, one color, had air in the bags and would do that. It happens.

Check the lot number on the cartridges and see if they're the same. If so, check the lines for air bubbles, throw in a cartridge from a different lot number, bleed any air bubbles out, and see if that brings everything back. If it does turn out to be the cartridges, let your vendor know, they should cover them.

 

[mishmash84]

Check the cap adjustment first since parts were just replaced, but I'm kinda on the same page as teampix, way too odd to have the same issue happen to two printers at the same time.

A while back, can't for the life of me remember which brand, may have even been Mimaki, one batch of ink, one color, had air in the bags and would do that. It happens.

Check the lot number on the cartridges and see if they're the same. If so, check the lines for air bubbles, throw in a cartridge from a different lot number, bleed any air bubbles out, and see if that brings everything back. If it does turn out to be the cartridges, let your vendor know, they should cover them.

What did you find here? I've got the same printer (JV150-130), and the same problem with the same Mimaki cartridge(s) - it was showing up now and then for the last couple weeks with one empty cart, now that I've thrown a second magenta cart in beside it, it's constant and nozzles have been unrecoverable thus far.

Both carts are expry 2025.09.17 / Lot no. L3000898

Eq provider wants to send me a new head after I've replaced dampers and pump. I don't feel like that's the issue and I'm in week 2 of down time - was just about to start pulling flushing liquid up through the head but I'm up for any recommendations!

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Sounds like a bad head. Had this exact scenario about a month ago on a client machine. Dude wanted to do everything possible to recover it, and gave it a strong shot, but just couldn't recover it. Was the right channel on a dual CMYK setup.

 

[DL Signs]

What did you find here? I've got the same printer (JV150-130), and the same problem with the same Mimaki cartridge(s) - it was showing up now and then for the last couple weeks with one empty cart, now that I've thrown a second magenta cart in beside it, it's constant and nozzles have been unrecoverable thus far.

Both carts are expry 2025.09.17 / Lot no. L3000898

Eq provider wants to send me a new head after I've replaced dampers and pump. I don't feel like that's the issue and I'm in week 2 of down time - was just about to start pulling flushing liquid up through the head but I'm up for any recommendations!

If it's the scenario I described with air in the bags in the cartridge, you would physically see air bubbles in the ink lines.
If it does have air in the lines you can get it out without suctioning, just pull the line, hang it over a container, and open the valves for both of that color by pressing on the relays, gravity will slowly feed it down, when you get no more air, re-connect it to the damper (or, better yet, a new damper).

 

[GraphixGirl79]

Hi everyone,
We have 2 Mimaki printers, a JV100-160 and a JV150-130. Both machines have new dampers which were professionally installed.
Both run OEM mimaki inks.
We are experiencing the magenta ink disappearing from test prints. We have to either run a clean cycle or fill up the ink to bring it back. This just happens to the magenta color only.
Any thoughts?

When i had this issue it was our pump. Mimaki JV33-130, had exactly the same issue as you're having. for some reason it wasn't pulling the ink 100% through the lines, and was only in the magenta channels, which i thought meant damper issues, but we changed the dampers and had same issue with the magenta channels still missing and a bit of cyan on one side, but once we changed out that pump it worked normal again. Hope this helps you with your trouble.

 

[gabagoo]

I just had my print head replaced over this issue. On a test print would have the right magenta channel either only printing half or nothing at all. The issue went on for a period of months and would come and go..started doing lots of hard cleaning and even ultra cleanings to keep it alive until it was unrecoverable. $5000.00 is a hard pill to swallow but its back up and running almost like new.

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Sometimes just a cap adjustment or pump will do it, and those are the typical steps a tech will try first.

 

[JTW]

Running into an issue that my Mimaki ink supplier is stocking less than they used to and telling us that if Mimaki ships direct they charge a $150 processing fee for orders under $2,600. Is anyone else experiencing this? Can you suggest a better supplier?

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

I use STS out of Florida and have had pretty good luck. So much so, we stock them here and I even support printers if it causes issues. Only issue so far was with too much pigment in a batch of UV ink and I flushed the customer's machine out, was a pain, but overall, very happy with their stuff. (I don't sell to anyone online, just stock it for some local customers.) Chips are also good with compatibility, so overall, a great experience.

Large & Wide Format Printer Inks - Inkjet & More | STS Inks

Buy large and wide format printer inks and more at STS Inks. We are a proven leader in the field of Inkjet inks manufacturing and technology based in Florida.

www.stsinks.com

 

[JTW]

Thanks for the lead. I've been reluctant to go off-brand, but maybe it's time to rethink that.....

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

We're exclusively UV in our shop and I service all sorts of printers; Aqueous, solvent, UV, toner, even edible inks. For our use at least, UV inks have a 1 year shelf life and Mimaki ink, on a good day might have 8 months left on the date by the time they get to me. Figured it just made more sense to get something that doesn't spend a month in an uncontrolled environment inside a shipping container. Plus, STS, on their UV inks, sets the chips for 2 years.

OEM inks are fine, and there are some nasty aftermarket inks to avoid, sure. But I still run into moments where someone has a bad printhead and they are just baffled as to how it can happen and look at me in a pitiful manner before saying "But we never used anything but OEM inks."

 

[sad_makaronchi]

Hi everyone,
We have 2 Mimaki printers, a JV100-160 and a JV150-130. Both machines have new dampers which were professionally installed.
Both run OEM mimaki inks.
We are experiencing the magenta ink disappearing from test prints. We have to either run a clean cycle or fill up the ink to bring it back. This just happens to the magenta color only.
Any thoughts?

Replace the damper with the problematic color with the neighboring one, fill up and print until the color is missing, if magenta missing on another head channel, then the problem in the damper, if the same head channel with a different color, then the problem is in the head or electronics.I buy new jv300 plus and have same problem because of damper