Printing error - how to fix it?

Hey there.

I’ve got an Epson printer at home, but I’ve hit a wall. Out of nowhere, these lines started showing up right through my photos and text. It looks like the colors are just dropping out or fading mid-print. How do I fix this?

I already tried running a Head Cleaning from my computer, but it didn't do a damn thing. I even tried selecting those little pattern squares—you know, the ones that show you how bad the print quality is—but still nothing. What am I supposed to do now?

The ink is brand new and full, and the printer isn't even that old, maybe 3 or 4 years max. Do I need to run some specific cleaning cycle on the computer, scrub something physically inside the machine, or did the settings just get totally trashed?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Robert Morales56 said:Hey there.

I've got an Epson printer at home, but things just went sideways. Suddenly, I'm getting these weird lines running right through my photos and text. It looks like colors are missing or just totally faded out. Any idea how to fix this?

I tried running a Head Cleaning from my computer, but it didn't do squat. I even picked some specific patterns—the ones that are supposed to show the quality best, I think?—but still nothing. What now?

The ink is fresh, and the printer isn't ancient either, maybe 3 or 4 years old. Do I need to run more cleaning cycles on the PC, physically clean something on the machine, or did the settings just get trashed?

Help please, thanks!

Pretty obvious you forgot to peel off the protective sticker, so air can't get into the cartridge.

If you're using those refillable tanks, grab a Q-tip and touch it to the ink inlet to see if any ink actually comes out. Pop the refill cap and check if anything flows through the tube. If it leaks, just put the cap back on and call it a day.

If nothing moves, take it back to the store where you bought them and ask for a replacement or help. There’s clearly some other blockage in there. Or, maybe the "new" ink sat on a shelf too long and turned into old ink. Basically, if it's too thick, it won't flow even after you pull the seal off. Same goes for refill ink.
Got it?

Also, you didn't actually clean or unclog the heads—you just ran an alignment. That just gets them positioned correctly, but it does absolutely nothing for clogs. You need to find the Head Cleaning or Deep Cleaning option on the printer's control panel and run that instead. If they're really badly clogged, you might have to run it a few times. Just a heads-up though: this eats through ink fast, and if you've got small tanks, you can drain them before you even realize what happened...

What’s the status on your print panel? Are you showing enough ink for all colors, or are there question marks and exclamation points popping up?

I actually did it! I cleared out those ink clogs and got rid of all those old air bubbles. At first, I ran a Nozzle Check and everything looked fine, but I decided to run a Deep Cleaning anyway, and that was the magic move. It’s printing like a dream again, so thanks for the help, guys. Only issue is, since I ran that one single Deep Cleaning, my black ink—which was totally full right after I bought it at Walmart—is already showing an error saying it's empty. Where the hell did all that black ink go? $30 Just vanished into thin air. When I shake the cartridge, it feels like there’s plenty of ink left, but the machine keeps insisting I need a replacement. Just great.

Orink replacement ink😬

darkowl72 said:Orink replacement ink😬

Where should I buy this stuff, and what’s the actual damage to my wallet? Since we're talking ink...😬

Like this one versus /0/']that one? Is there really a difference if one is $4 cheaper than the other? What kind of junk are we actually dealing with when it comes to these third-party replacements?

Robert Morales56 said:Where can I grab these and what's the damage on the ink? 😬

Like this one and /0/']this one? Is it really the same thing even if there's a $4 difference? Are those third-party ones actually any good?

Why aren't you promoting

They claim they offer a 30-day warranty.

https://www.nabava.net/tinte-za-inkj...enska__2878591

Most people have had good luck with them, though you'll always find some critics claiming the quality is subpar or that they'll wreck your printer. Personally, I've stuck with third-party refills my whole life and haven't run into a single issue with my Epson, Canon, or HP machines...

In my book, Orink is pretty reliable and much easier on the wallet. You can pick them up almost anywhere—even at places like Metro or Walmart. Just don't expect to see them sitting on the shelves at specialized computer shops that sell printers and OEM ink; those guys usually have exclusivity deals with the manufacturers...

By the way, price gaps can be massive, but keep in mind that one cartridge might just have a higher capacity than the other, which explains the cost. Or, honestly, sometimes it's just a pricing error. It happens...

hollowmarlin27 said:So why aren't you advertising this?

They boast about offering a 30-day warranty.

The problem is I don't have the box or anything anymore, and the seal is broken. How am I supposed to open that packaging without tearing it up?🤷

darkowl72 said:https://www.nabava.net/tinte-za-inkj...enska__2878591

Generally, people have good experiences, though there are critics who claim the quality is subpar and might damage your printer. Personally, I always use third-party refills and I've never had a single issue with my Epson, Canon, or HP machines...

In my opinion, Orink is one of the more reliable brands, and they're cheaper too. You can find them in almost any office supply store, even at places like Metro or Walmart. However, you won't always see them in dedicated computer shops that sell printers and OEM ink, because manufacturers often make that a condition of doing business...

By the way, price gaps can be huge, but sometimes it's just because the tanks have different capacities, making one more expensive than the other. And yeah, pricing errors happen... it's possible.

Thanks for the info. I might give it a shot; I don't have much to lose since the replacement ink is so cheap. When you look at the cost for $30 x 4 colors, it really adds up fast.

Thanks to everyone who jumped in to help.😉 🙂

If you're printing a lot, I highly recommend GO Inks

Shipping is just $5 regardless of how much you grab. Honestly, it ends up being cheaper than buying locally here in the States

The ink quality is solid. We’ve run tens of thousands of pages through our Brother and Epson printers using their stuff
We used to scramble and buy from local office supply shops when we were in a pinch, but GO Inks has proven to be more reliable and long-lasting

http://www.ebay.com/itm/16-Ink-Car...item84e514f442

- Capacity: 18.2ml (Bk) & 15ml (C/M/Y)

For comparison, the original T1801 only holds about 5ml of ink

wiredotter14 said:If you're printing a lot, I seriously recommend GO Inks

Shipping is just $5 regardless of how much you grab, so it ends up being cheaper than buying locally in the States

The ink quality is solid; we've run tens of thousands of pages through our Brother and Epson printers using their stuff
We used to buy from local office supply stores when we were in a pinch, but GO Inks turned out to be more reliable and longer-lasting

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16-Ink-Car...item84e514f442

- Capacity: 18.2ml (Bk) & 15ml (C/M/Y)

For comparison, the original T1801 only holds about 5ml of ink

That’s just a classic merchant's trick.

It's simple: it doesn't actually matter what the box claims the ink volume is. What matters is how many print cycles are programmed into the chip.

And how many cycles the manufacturer decides to hardcode into the chip's firmware? That's the real limit.

End of story.

That's why Option 3 was the only smart move from the start.

hollowmarlin27 said:It’s just a classic merchant's gimmick.

For one simple reason: it doesn't matter what the box claims about ink volume. What actually matters is how many print cycles are programmed into the chip.

The manufacturer decides the maximum number of pulses allowed in the chip via their firmware.

End of story.

That's why Option 3 was the only smart move from the start.

Are you seriously suggesting every single cartridge will print the exact same number of pages?
In my experience, that's just not true. There are noticeable differences between third-party inks—not quite triple the yield, but you can tell, both in longevity and quality (how much they gunk up the Print Head, etc.).
With those cheap off-brand inks we used back in the States, we had nothing but trouble with Print Head clogging.

Anyway, I've had great luck with the Seller I linked. Shipping is reasonable; I'd definitely recommend them for orders over $10 or so.

wiredotter14 said:So you're actually suggesting every single cartridge yields the exact same page count?
In my experience, that’s just not how it works. There are noticeable differences with third-party ink—not quite triple the yield, but you definitely feel it in terms of longevity and quality (like how much it gunk up the print head, etc.).
We had some pretty bad luck with various "local" inks, including those refill kits, mostly because they kept clogging the printer heads.

Anyway, I've had great luck with the Seller I linked. Shipping is cheap, and I’d definitely recommend them if you're looking to place an order for something around $15 or $20.

What I'm trying to say is that the seller is basically pulling one over on people. Sure, there might be 13ml in the cartridge, but you can't actually use more than 5ml because the printer's software is hardcoded with such a limited impulse for that specific chip type.

There are plenty of these XL cartridges out there with different chips, but some Chinese manufacturer just prints one single type of packaging that says "13ml" because that's what the average consumer wants to see. It doesn't matter if it's objectively false.

Or, to put it simply, a Chinese merchant will pack the exact same box with a 13ml cartridge, a 7.5ml one, a 5.5ml one, or even a 3.5ml one. It's way more profitable for them to mass-produce one single box design and then just slap on whatever label or chip description fits what's actually inside.

It’s as simple as it gets for both the manufacturer and the retailer.

>>> At the end of the day, the customer sees whatever they want to see. <<<

hollowmarlin27 said:Look, I’m telling you, the merchant is basically baiting customers with lies. Sure, maybe there's 13 ml in the cartridge, but you can't actually use more than 5 ml because the printer's software is hardcoded with specific pulse limits for this type of chip.

There are plenty of these "XL" cartridges out there using different chips, but some shady Chinese manufacturer just prints one single box design that screams "13 ml" because they know gullible consumers will grab whatever looks best on paper. It doesn't matter if it's objectively false.

Or put simply: the Chinese manufacturer stuffs both 13 ml and 7.5 ml—or even 5.5 ml and 3.5 ml—into the exact same boxes. It’s way more profitable to mass-produce one type of packaging and just slap on a different label or chip sticker depending on what's actually inside.

It couldn't be easier for the manufacturer or the seller. They just

>>> give the customer exactly what they want to see.div>

True. I’ve dealt with random inks from eBay before, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the quality of the specific product you get.
So far, my experiences with inks bought here in the States (which are probably just Chinese ink anyway) have been terrible.

The stuff I linked on eBay isn't even the cheapest option available. You can find inks for a couple of bucks a piece, but they die faster and clog things up more.

I didn't link that seller for no reason; we've been ordering from them for years and the ink has always been high-quality and lasted a long time (their Brother inks are better than anything else we've tried).
The Seller is reliable, ships from the United Kingdom, and has responsive customer service. Plus, shipping is a $17 five-pound flat rate, regardless of how much you order.

As for whether his chip has specific pulse counts... I'm not an expert, but my experience tells me they are extremely reliable.

To each their own. Over the last four years or so, we've burned through about 15 to 20 large reams of A4 paper—lots of heavy, dense printing—and we haven't had a single issue with GO Inks.

That's the gist of it. I'm not trying to sell anyone anything or act like an expert; I'm just sharing my own positive experience.

wiredotter14 said:Look, it's true. I've messed around with random inks from eBay before, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to how good the specific product actually is.
So far, my experience with cheap inks sourced locally here in the States (probably just some generic Chinese ink)

The stuff I linked on eBay isn't even close to the absolute cheapest thing out there. You can find inks for just a couple of bucks a bottle, but they run out faster and make a bigger mess.

I didn't link this particular Seller for nothing; we've been ordering from them for years and the ink has always been solid and lasted a long time (their Brother inks are better than anything else we've tried).
The Seller is reliable, ships from the United Kingdom, and has responsive customer service. Plus, shipping is just 5 pounds ($17) flat-rate, no matter how much you grab.

Now, getting into the technicalities of how his chip handles pulses... I'm probably not qualified to weigh in on that, but my gut tells me they're extremely dependable.

Hey, if you don't like it, whatever. Over the last four years or so, we've burned through maybe 15-20 large bulk packs of A4 paper—lots of heavy printing included—and we haven't had a single issue with GO Inks.

That’s all I'm saying. I'm not trying to sell anyone a bridge or anything; I'm just sharing what's worked for me.

I checked out that link. It's definitely a Chinese manufacturer. Believe me or don't. Your call.

That doesn't mean Chinese companies can't make high-quality stuff when they want to. It's just that you're missing one key detail: a single Chinese merchant usually has at least three different tiers of quality and price for the exact same product. Once someone starts haggling with a Chinese merchant after being happy with the quality, that merchant becomes incredibly flexible on price because they've got two other versions tucked away that look identical but cost way less.

Basically, you might get a great product today as a trial, but tomorrow, once your dealer negotiates an even better price, you'll get something that looks exactly the same but costs the Chinese manufacturer 50% less to produce.

That's just how eBay works.

hollowmarlin27 said:I checked the link you sent. It's definitely a Chinese manufacturer. Believe me or don't. Your call.

That doesn't mean Chinese manufacturers can't produce quality stuff when they actually want to. You just aren't accounting for one thing: a single Chinese merchant usually has at least three different tiers of quality and price for the exact same product. Once someone starts haggling with them after being happy with the initial quality, the seller gets incredibly flexible because they’ve got two other versions up their sleeve that look identical.

So, you test them out today and get an excellent product, but tomorrow, once your dealer squeezes them for a better price, you'll get something that looks exactly the same but costs 50% less because of how the Chinese manufacturer operates.

That's just how it works on eBay.

Everything you said is absolutely true, and I never claimed the ink wasn't Chinese (honestly, I've received some that were German-made, but most have no branding, so the safe bet is that they're from China).

I recommend this vendor based strictly on my experience with them, their massive sales volume, and the huge amount of ink we've already bought from them.

But you're looking at a link and concluding the ink is Chinese, then dismissing the possibility that it's high quality—as if American companies aren't selling Chinese ink. Even if they do refill it themselves, that doesn't mean it's better; in my experience, it's right in the same range as the cheapest stuff on eBay.

Bottom line, my recommendation is based on the fact that this ink has printed through about 400kg of paper, and we're still getting the same reliable quality from this supplier.

If they turn out to be bad in the future, I'll switch suppliers. Until then, they're better than any American suppliers we've tried.

edit:

Here, specifically regarding these inks—I've bought smaller quantities for a home Epson printer, but this is what we've used for almost everything.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-XL-Ink-...item3a7b207e91

edit2:

The same brand is sold on Amazon and through their direct website.

You can see it here via Amazon, and I think Amazon reviews give a much more solid picture of reliability compared to eBay.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Go-Inks%C2%A...=Go+Inks%C2%AE

wiredotter14 said:Everything you said is technically true, and I never claimed this ink wasn't Chinese (honestly, I've received some labeled as German before, but most have no markings, so it's a safe bet they're coming from China)

I’m recommending this seller based on actual experience, their massive sales volume, and the huge amount of ink we've already bought from them.

But you're looking at a link, deciding the ink is Chinese, and immediately dismissing the possibility that it's actually good quality. It's not like American companies don't sell Chinese ink; and just because an American company refills them doesn't mean they're better. In my experience, they're right in line with the cheapest stuff on eBay.

Bottom line, I'm basing my recommendation on the fact that we've printed through about 400kg of paper, and we're still getting the same reliable quality from this supplier.

If things go south in the future, I'll switch suppliers. Until then, they're better than any American suppliers we've tried.

edit:

Here, specifically regarding these inks—I've bought smaller amounts for home Epson printers, but this is what we used for almost everything.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-XL-Ink-...item3a7b207e91

edit2:

The same brand is sold on Amazon and through their own direct site.

You can check it out here via Amazon; I think Amazon reviews give a pretty decent picture of how reliable something is (unlike eBay).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Go-Inks%C2%A...=Go+Inks%C2%AE

Look, you're comparing apples to oranges.

First, you talk about Epson compatible cartridges and then immediately generalize based on your experience with Canon compatibles. Someone might actually take you seriously if they didn't know you were mixing up your signals.

The difference between Epson and Canon printers is night and day. The cartridge construction, how the chip behaves, and even the ink formula are completely different.

Basically, you shouldn't trust anyone on forums like this who isn't aware of that distinction. One person's experience doesn't apply to the other case.

For example:
With Epson, using permanent Chinese cartridges plus verified Chinese ink is a plug-and-play solution. Even without competition, it's easily the best Option A. Finding similar one-time-use cartridges is a tough sell.

But for Canon, permanent Chinese cartridges are a hard pass. The replacements rated 1-95% are okay, but those 95-100% ones? Those replacement chips absolutely wreck Canon printers.
So, for Canon, the winning combo is original cartridges + verified ink + a resetter. That's because those specific chips can be reset, whereas original cartridges don't use a sponge—they use a billion tiny components.

Look, I haven't gone down the rabbit hole of technical specs, and I'll be the first to admit I don't know the deep science behind it. My knowledge comes mostly from hands-on experience.

The Seller I suggested has been solid in my book, and clearly, thousands of people on Amazon agree—their product ratings are stellar, including the Epson stuff we're talking about here.

So, come on, tell me specifically why you think my suggestion is bad.

From where I'm sitting, this looks like a thoroughly vetted product.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Compatible-E...ks+epson+t1811

Moving this thread to the heavy off-topic section... 😬

If you need to talk to someone, just use the hardware chat. Why on earth are you both quoting entire posts? Is it really that hard to just delete a little bit for the sake of readability if you're going to quote at all?

And I’ve read this twice now, Rembrandt, and I still have no clue what you're actually trying to say. What's your point? You're just theorizing without any actual basis or logic. What kind of "verifications" are you talking about? Who is verifying what?

Let's just shut this down before things get awkward 😬

wiredotter14 said:I didn't really dig into the technical side of things, and honestly, I'm no expert here. My knowledge mostly comes from just doing it.

The seller I suggested has been reliable for me, and obviously, thousands of people on Amazon have given them great reviews—including for the HP stuff we're talking about.

Just tell me specifically why my suggestion is bad.

To me, this looks like a solid, highly-rated product.

http://www.amazon.com/Compatible-E...ks+epson+t1811

Fine.

Let's break this down.
1. The left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. The text mentions 1811XL cartridges, but the photo shows standard 1811s, not the XL versions. So, you don't actually know what you're getting. Is it what the picture shows or what the text says? And frankly, nobody knows what kind of ink is actually inside those Intel chips.

2. Genuine cartridges don't have sponges inside. These ones do. It's that Tipićan ink quality. Same manufacturer for the plastic casing, same cheap plastic.

3. With genuine cartridges, even when they seem empty, the Intel chips hold onto an extra 10-20% of ink at the same density just as a safety measure for long-term storage. You definitely shouldn't leave a printer sitting idle with empty cartridges anyway.

4. These random sellers on Amazon brag about having 18.5 ml in their XL cartridges. Meanwhile, HP states that an 1811XL cartridge holds 11.5 ml, which is basically the capacity of a refillable tank. It's just your typical sales gimmick and bait-and-switch.
http://www.hp.com/us/en/viewcon...overview/11628
5. These Amazon sellers claim you get 15 ml of ink with the CMY set. A buyer might think they're getting 15 ml per cartridge. But with refillable tanks that lack sponges, you physically can't fit more than 11 ml in there. Plus, the manufacturer says the 1812-4 XL cartridges hold 6.6 ml. That’s the absolute max volume an XL chip can handle before it's done. Again, classic deceptive marketing.
http://www.hp.com/us/en/viewcon...overview/11632

6. Once again, total confusion—they've swapped the colors and black cartridges for the "18.5 ml" set. They list it as 3*6.6, but it's actually 15.1 ml, and even then, the last two digits should be swapped. Just typical shady business tactics where the customer always loses.

7. Every time you toss one of these cartridges out, it ends up polluting the environment. Why deal with that when you could just use a refillable one that isn't meant to be thrown in the trash?

8. In this 16-cartridge set, no matter how much you try, you can't use more than 4*3*6.6 = 79.2 ml plus 4*11.5 ml = 46 ml, totaling 125.2 ml. When you factor everything in, you're looking at at least $200. $100 Compared to buying the same cheap Chinese ink locally, which costs three times as much $50 plus tax, and adding the cost of refillable cartridges that aren't disposable. At least with that method, you aren't throwing ink away; you're just paying for the weight in shipping costs.

Enough?