Printer Repair And Service Tools

Epson Stylus Photo C-92 Adjustment Program

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:46:00 +0000

Here's Adjustment Program for Epson Stylus Photo C-92. See the manual instruction Resetter Printer Epson C92.
Manual instruction for resetting printer

Switch on printer
Open autorun.bat to set the date to 13 july 2007
Run adjprog.exe from the extracted folder
Click accept
Click particular adjustment mode
Go to maintenance then Select waste ink pad counter then click ok
Click on “check button till its done then click on initialization button then click on finish button
Switch off printer for 5 secs then switch on again
If you have done, you can change the date back to normal

Download Epson Stylus Photo C-92 Adjustment Program

Epson LQ-2180 Service Manual

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:12:00 +0000

The LQ-2180 impact printer is a revised model of the already existing LQ-2170. Since the specifications for the both products are mostly common except for the LQ-2180’s improved features such as printing speed and copy capability, the information included in this section is limited to the items that are specific to LQ-2180. For the rest of the information, refer to the LQ-2170 Service Manual.

The Epson LQ-2180 manual describes basic functions, theory of electrical and mechanical operations, maintenance and repair instructions and procedures included herein are intended for the experienced repair technicians, and attention the preceding page.

The chapters are organized as follows:

Product description
Operating principles
Disassembly and Assembly
Adjustment
Troubleshooting
Maintenance
Appendix

Download Epson LQ-2180 Service Manual

HP Color LaserJet 1500 Series Printer Service Manual

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:16:00 +0000

The HP entry Color LaserJet printer series delivers high quality, professional color laser documents for a great price. These easy-to-use printers are designed for home offices, small businesses, and workgroups that want a compact, networkable color laser solution for their business communication and small print run needs.

The HP entry Color LaserJet printer series provides the high quality color laser output you have come to expect from the industry leader. The 600-dpi engine, HP ImageREt 2400 color layering technology, and new toner formulation ensure great print quality for your business documents. With ease-of-use, real-time status, and supplies management features, these printers are designed to quickly bring high quality color capabilities to users - while lowering your total cost of ownership by minimizing printer downtime.

The HP Color LaserJet 1500 series is a host-based printer, meaning it relies on the host computer to render the print job before it is sent to the printer. The benefit of host-based printers is usually lower acquisition costs - since the processing occurs on the host computer the printer requires less processor power and memory than conventional PDL-based printers.

These lower requirements allow HP to provide a color laser printer at an incredible low price. To achieve the lower acquisition price there are trade-offs to be considered. Since host-based printers rely on the computer's processor they require a specific driver for each supported host and these drivers are unique to each operating system. Host-based printers are compatible with select Mac OS and Windows operating systems. A host-based printer is ideal for one or two users working within one of the supported operating systems.

The HP color LaserJet 1500 series printer is a four-color laser printer that prints at 16 pages per minute (ppm) in black, and 4 ppm in color.

Trays—The printer comes with a multipurpose tray (tray 1) that holds up to 125 sheets ofvarious print media or 10 envelopes. The HP color LaserJet 1500L printer is compatible witha 250-sheet tray (optional tray 2) for standard sizes of paper. HP color LaserJet 1500 printercomes with both tray 1 and tray 2.
Connectivity—The printer provides a HI-SPEED universal serial bus (USB) port for connectivity.
Memory—The printer contains 16 MB RAM, which cannot be expanded.

HP color LaserJet 1500L printer
The HP color LaserJet 1500L printer comes with tray 1 (multipurpose tray), and accepts the
optional tray 2.

HP color LaserJet 1500 printer
The HP color LaserJet 1500 printer comes with tray 1 and tray 2.

Download HP Color LaserJet 1500 Series Printer Manual

Before You Buy a Multifunction Printer

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:03:00 +0000

Multifunction printers are a great way to save desk space by combining several peripherals into one package. There are a wide variety of multifunction printers on the market today and you need to ask yourself a few questions before you buy a multifunction printer.

What printer resolution is best?
The higher the resolution of the printer, the better images and documents printed will look. Resolution is especially important when the printer will be used to print photographs. Many of the new multifunction printers can print photos that look as good as professionally developed photographs. If you will not be printing photographs, the highest resolution printer is not required.

What scanner resolution is needed?
Scan resolution is really important if you will be using the scanner to scan photos or images into your computer for editing or inclusion in print materials. The higher the scanner resolution the better the scanned images will look. Images scanned for use on the web don't require super high resolutions, however, if you are scanning images for print get the highest resolution scanner you can afford.

Do you need a fax function?
It is hard to conduct business without a fax machine these days. If you are not using your printer in an office or business environment, a fax function may not be needed. It is also important to note that I would not recommend using an ink jet fax machine for important or legal document receiving. Documents printed by ink jet printers tend to be damaged easily if they get damp.

Are the ink cartridges easy to find?
Some manufacturers, such as Dell, make the ink cartridges specific to their printers and generic replacements are not available. Before you buy your printer, be sure ink cartridges are available in your area or be prepared to wait for delivery if you have to order them online.

How fast does it print?
You will want to check the print and copy speed before you buy your printer. You can save yourself lots of time during the work week by having a printer that prints and copies fast. Get the fastest printer you can afford that meets your other needs.

How To Buy a Printer (2)

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:00:00 +0000

Print Quality
Print quality is generally quoted in the printer specifications as the resolution, which is stated as dpi or dots-per-inch. The more dots per inch of paper, the better the quality of the printed output. Just a few short years ago, we were all using 300x300 dpi, even for important business documents. Now inexpensive inkjets boast print qualities as high as 1200x1200 dpi.

The dpi will give you an idea of the quality of the output. However, you will find that each printer manufacturer has its own method of improving the print quality. Hewlett Packard uses technologies called PhotoRET, ColorSmart, and RealLife Imaging. Epson uses systems that they market as PerfectPictureTM Imaging, Micro PiezoTM inkket technology, and AcuPhoto HalftoningTM. If you want to do a little research, it can be fascinating to investigate all of these different technologies to determine which one(s) you like best. However, if you just want to buy a good printer without spending hours reading about print technologies, let your eyes be the judge. Many stores have demonstration units where you can see the output from the different printers.

When you look at printer output, look first at the clarity of the text printout. Look closely to make sure the characters don't look jagged. Check out the lightness or darkness of the printout and make sure the characters look clean and crisp. For color prints, look for good contrast and vivid colors. Make sure that the colors don't bleed into each other and be sure to look for clear, clean lines where black lines meet the colored areas. See if you can view the output on various types of paper. While some printers do better on expensive photographic paper, others excel at printing on plain paper.

Speed
Most printer speeds are measured in ppm or pages per minute. There is usually a different speed listed for printing in color. For example, black text may print at a speed of 12 ppm while color may print at a speed of 10 ppm. Speed may be important to you, or it may not. If you want instant results without a wait, look for a faster printer. If you're on a tight budget, look for a printer with the best color reproduction and don't worry about its speed.

Cost of Operation
When you use a printer, the cost of consumables should be considered in addition to the initial cost of the printer. Inkjet printers use ink cartridges, while laser printers user toner cartridges and drums. The cost of ink cartridges can be surprisingly high. I recently found an Apollo printer that could be purchased with rebates for $30. However, the ink cartridges cost $30 each.

The least expensive printer may be the most expensive to operate. Some printers may themselves be inexpensive, but hefty ink or toner cartridge prices can make them more expensive in the long run. It is easy to check the price of toner or ink cartridges before you purchase the printer; however, it can be difficult to judge the yield that you will get from one cartridge. Some printer manufacturers like Hewlett Packard and Epson give the technical specifications for page yield per cartridge; others give some indication of yields. However, some printer cartridge manufacturers give no specs of this type, leaving the purchaser in the dark as to the actual cost of operation. Many manufacturers offer good information about how long a print cartridge will last. This information is usually found under the product specifications for each printer. I was disappointed to find that Hewlett Packard did not give a per page cost. Epson, however, was more detailed in their information and included data on both the black and color ink cartridge life for each of their printers. They gave details regarding the number of pages to expect from a cartridge. This is very important information, since each printer uses a specific type of ink cartridge. Although most of these cartridges cost between $25 and $40, they hold different amounts of ink.

Connection
Most PCs have a parallel port that can be used to hook up a printer. Newer PCs and Macs have USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports that can also be used to hook up a printer. Many printers today will allow you to use either of these ports. If you have the choice, the USB connection will be easier to set up and faster to use. If the printer is USB 2.0 and you have USB 2.0 ports on your computer, the communication between the computer and the printer will be very speedy. If the printer is USB 2.0 and your older computer has USB 1.1 ports, the printer will still work fine, it will simply communicate with the computer at a slower speed.

Warranty
As usual when purchasing computer-related equipment, it is important to check out the length of the warranty and the strength of the technical support team. You may also want to see if the printer manufacturer has a toll-free telephone number and check on their support hours.

Software
Many printers today come with additional software. You should make your printer selection based on the print quality, speed, and other printer features. However, be aware that some of the additional software may provide a compelling reason to purchase. The software should not be the basis of your decision on a printer; consider it a bonus. But check out the software as well, judging it on its stand-alone merit. Often the software is geared specifically to either the home user or the office user. Whether you are getting software for making T-shirt transfers or printing business cards, it should fill a real need for your home or your office.

A Great Time to Buy
Again, go for it if you are considering one of today's attractively priced printers. But take the time to do your arithmetic. You don't want the money you saved on the purchase price of the printer to be gobbled up by the cost of the paper and print cartridges.(By Sandy Berger)

How To Buy a Printer (1)

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:57:00 +0000

Do you remember a few years back when everyone was talking about a paperless society? It was a nice thought, but it never became a reality. In fact, if you look at our world today, we are as reliant as ever on paper documents. Perhaps there is still a paperless haven in our future, but, in the meantime, the printer has become a constant companion to the computer.

Early printers were slow, produced questionable quality output, and were expensive. Just a few short years ago, you couldn't buy an inkjet printer for under $500. Ah, progress! And this time evolution has moved in the consumer's favor. Today a printer does not have to be a major investment. The market offers great products that produce quality output at affordable prices. Printer manufacturers are responding to a huge consumer appetite for less expensive printers - both inkjet printers and laser printers. Entry-level inkjet printers start about $49.99, but I have seen them for as little as $30.00. Recently, the price has dropped substantially on laser printers as well. Lexmark and other printer manufacturers have come out with laser printers costing around $200. Hewlett Packard's Laser Jet 1012 has a retail price of $199 and pumps out and amazing15 pages per minute.

Making Your Choice
Lower end printers are a great buy, so go for it. But to be happy at the end of the day, you will need to do a little research. Here are some pointers on buying a printer. One special note: be sure to check out the cost of consumables, especially when dealing with inkjet printers. Printer manufacturers are making up for profits missed on the cheap printers by a hefty mark up on ink cartridges and printer paper. Color ink cartridges and glossy photo paper can set you back substantially. When buying a printer, it used to be you needed to focus on how fast a printer could print and what quality it could produce. Today's printer shoppers should be checking out the operating costs as well as the printer's capabilities and the purchase price.

When choosing a printer, the first thing that you should do is to determine your printer needs. Consider both the quality and the quantity of the documents that you will print. If all you print is a weekly list of your investments and occasionally send a letter to Aunt Suzie, then you may only need an inexpensive black inkjet printer. If you want to print out photographs of the children or grandchildren, you will want to look at a higher-end color inkjet printer or a special photo printer. If you anticipate printing dozens or hundreds of pages a day, then you may be looking at a laser printer.

Inkjet Printers
Today, the two most common types of printers are the inkjet and the laser. Each uses a different type of technology. The inkjet printer works by squirting small dots of ink onto a sheet of paper. Color inkjet printers can produce simple documents with just a splash of color or a full-sized reproduction of a color photograph. The black text output of a good quality inkjet printer is almost as good as the output from a laser printer. It is certainly good enough for most everyday home and small business applications.

Inkjet printers can cost from $30 to over $500. As the price increases, so do the print quality and the speed. Obviously, an inkjet without color capabilities will cost less than one with this feature.

Photo Printers
Some inkjet printers are labeled "photo printers". These will have special types of ink, special ink cartridges, and unique features for printing photos. Many photo printers can print "borderless photos" with no white border on the outside. This is a special feature that is not usually included in regular ink jet printers. Some of the newer photo printers also have a small LCD screen and slots for memory cards. You simply remove the memory card from your camera, insert it into the printer, view the photos on the LCD screen, and print the photos of your choice. If you purchase a photo printer with these advanced features make sure that the printer will accept the type of memory card that you use in your camera.

Laser Printers
The technology used in a laser printer is similar to that of a photocopier. The image is drawn with an electrical charge on a drum inside the printer. An electronic charge attracts particles of toner in the pattern that was drawn by the laser. A drum then rolls across the paper, and the electrical charge causes the toner to jump from the drum to the paper. The images that are formed by the lasers can be quite detailed resulting in an excellent print quality.

Laser printers are designed to handle a larger load than inkjet printers. They tend to have a higher paper capacity, which means that they hold more paper. The actual amount of printing that the machine can handle is called the duty cycle and is usually stated in so many copies per month. For example, a monthly duty cycle of 5,000 means that the printer can handle a volume of 5,000 sheets in a month's time. If you anticipate printing a lot, you will need to purchase a printer with a duty cycle that is high enough for your needs. So if you will be printing a large number of documents, a laser printer will be your choice. (Next)
(By Sandy Berger)

How to Replace an Empty Ink Cartridge

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:36:00 +0000

If you are confused about how to do this, this will help. There are only a couple of steps.

Write down the printer name and brand.
Remove the empty cartridge and check the writing on it. If it has any bold and big numbers on it, write these down.
Go to office supply store and give the clerk your notes.
Make sure you get the right one and take it home.
Check to be sure your printer is on.
Open your printer's lid.
Take out the old cartridge and put inside a small ziploc if you want to.
Dispose of the old cartridge. Or if possible, have the cartridge recycled.
Unpack new cartridge and place inside the printer.
Print a test page.
Reconfigure printer heads for best quality.

How to Extend the Life of Your Ink Cartridge

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:33:00 +0000

Sometimes, you can extend the life of your ink cartridge by just changing the print settings on your computer.

Steps

Open the Control Panel on your computer and click on "Printers and Faxes."
Right click on the default printer and left click on "Print Preferences." Click on "Advanced" and select "Draft."
Click "OK."

Tips

It would sometimes be cheaper to buy a new printer than it would be to buy a new ink cartridge.
Don't print test pages unless you have to. They are designed to use as much ink as possible. Try printing a few lines of simple text instead.
Quite often you can extend the cartridges life by simply shaking the cartridge.

How to Repair a HP Series 600 Printer With a Malfunctioning Paper Feed Mechanism

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:31:00 +0000

Most HP Series 600 Printers use the Print Head (where the ink cartridges go) to start the paper pick - up process. The printer uses what is known as a clutch actuator (HP Part No. C4549-40027).

This is the intermediary link between the print head and the actual paper drive system.

In normal use the print head goes to the extreme left to push against the clutch actuator which engages the main drive gear with the paper loading gear assembly. The printers' paper drive rollers pick up the paper till it reaches the top of the roller assembly where the "paper is in place sensor" (located behind the paper drive assembly) activates and the print head then goes into normal printing mode.

When this clutch actuator is damaged the paper drive ceases to function.

Steps

Determine if the clutch actuator is broken or just jammed. HP's website ([1] should be utilized as they have some good parts layout drawings that will help you in this. It will also show you one of the reasons that the clutch actuator is getting jammed is because the cartridges were put in wrong and occasionally gets misaligned. It is a big problem with this series of printers, but it is the first step in determining if this is indeed the problem.
If it is, then carefully and gently lift the clutch actuator assembly up and move it to the right till it sits next to the main drive gear. We will show a case where the clutch actuator was accidentally broken off by the user.
After this you must figure out a way to get the broken part (clutch actuator) that is left in the printer out for repair and re-installation. One way that you can do this is to take all the covers off the printer. Then take apart the print head assembly and associated parts until you are down to the top hold down rail that holds down the paper pick-up assembly and where the clutch actuator is located. Once that was done, take the broken part and using EXTRA STRENGTH Krazy Glue glued the broken pieces back together.
Once the part had cured sufficiently (30 Minutes Min.) You then place the clutch actuator back into it's area and reassembled the rest of the printer.

How to Refill and Reuse a Printer Cartridge

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:21:00 +0000

Printer ink cartridge is one of the most expensive things that you'll run into when you set up your home office. You start out taking dozens of pictures with your new digital camera, download them onto your computer, print a few and then suddenly: the printer ink cartridge runs out of ink.

If you follow this how-to guide and refill your printer ink cartridge instead of buying a new one, you can save literally hundreds of dollars in printer ink.

Purchase an ink refill kit at an office supply store. (Staples, Walmart, and Costco all carry this inexpensive kit. It usually costs about half the price of an average printer cartridge.)
Gather your kit, a roll of paper towels, and some clear scotch tape together on a large flat working surface, a table or desk.
Remove the empty cartridge from your printer. (Remember to close your printer lid or door while you are working.)
Cover your hands with a pair of disposable plastic gloves while you work with the messy ink.
Take a paper towel and fold it in half twice. Work over the paper towel to catch any leaking ink.
Place the empty cartridge on it.
Read the instruction manual included with the refill kit to learn how to refill your particular type of cartridge. (The following instructions are just a general guide).
Locate the fill holes on the top of the cartridge. The depressions can be felt by rubbing your finger across the label.
Use a sharp pencil to pierce the refill holes in the top of the ink cartridge. (Correct places can also be found in the kit instructions).
In addition to black, there are three colors of ink: magenta, cyan, and yellow. Follow the kit instructions on which hole to insert each color.
Insert the long needle on the refill ink bottle into the correct hole.
Slowly, add the ink. Carefully watch to be sure that you do not over-fill.
Stop quickly as soon as you see a bit of ink oozing out of the hole. Without letting go of the bottle, slowly release the air, sucking a little ink back out of the ink cartridge, before you remove the needle completely.
Carefully daub the cartridge contacts on the paper towel, you should see a splotch of the ink leaking out onto the paper towel.
Cover the hole with a small piece of clear scotch tape. (This works better than the seal dots included in the kit.) Make sure that no ink is leaking out of the top holes. (That's where the clear tape comes in handy.) Be careful not to cross contaminate the colors.
Repeat steps 11-15 for each ink color.
After you have refilled all three colors, carefully blot (don't wipe or rub) the cartridge printhead on a folded piece of paper towel. You may need to do this several times. Do this until it stops bleeding and you see an even stripe of three colors showing up on the towel.
Replace the ink cartridge into the printer. Never, ever install a leaking print cartridge.
Immediately print something, anything, just to get the ink flowing. Print several test pages, preferable photos with a lot of different colors.
Follow the cleaning or priming cycles for your specific printer.

Tips

After refilling a print cartridge 5 or 6 times, the print head will eventually wear out. It can't last forever. Then you'll just have to buy a new cartridge and replace it.
After you refill an ink cartridge, it should weigh the same as a new cartridges. Overfilling a cartridge will cause the cartridge to prematurely quit on you. Cartridges use a sponge to hold ink, by overfilling you wet the upper portion of the sponge causing the ink to want to flow upwards, away from the print nozzles.
New ink cartridges come with a postage-paid envelope requesting you to send your old ink cartridge in for recycling! The major manufacturers do not reuse the cartridges you return. Instead, they are either destroyed or disposed of as refuse. Many times in 3rd world countries. Search the Basal Action Network if you want more info on this nightmare.
Avoid letting your ink cartridge run dry. Check and refill it periodically to keep it maintained. Try not to leave it unused for a long period of time. Try to print something at least once a week. This will help it last longer.
Be sure to inject the ink slowly to avoid any air bubbles that can cause poor printing results.
If one color is having difficulty printing after you insert the print cartridge, remove from printer and recheck the tape covering the fill holes. Lift it and reposition, letting off any suction that may be preventing it from flowing properly.
Don't worry about testing and retesting. It's worth the effort. If you do ruin the cartridge... You can always go buy a new one. You would have had to do that anyway.
If the color still refuses to come out of the cartridge when you print, use the syringe to inject just one or two small drops of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol as far down into the cartridge as you can, so it will be near the print head. This can help dissolve any clots in the almost-microscopic nozzles.
As a last resort before buying a new cartridge, take the (clean) syringe, remove the plunger, and insert the syringe deeply into the cartridge. Put your mouth over the now-open top of the syringe and blow reasonably forcefully. This can help force the semi-loosened clogs from the previous step out of the way of the liquid ink. Be careful not to let the ink bubble out of the top of the inkjet cartridge as you blow into the syringe. Then dab the nozzle end of the cartridge on a paper towel. Repeat 3-4 times, if necessary. This method can extend the usability of a refilled cartridge from perhaps 5 or 6 refills to 8 or 10. For the cost of a new cartridge, it's worth the extra effort if you're on a tight budget.
Finally, you can use this method if all else fails: Find a printer on sale for less than the cost of a new cartridge. It will include one new cartridge (and sometimes two - black and color), so you now have a new printer with 1 or 2 cartridges for less than the cost of one new cartridge (printer companies sell these printers inexpensively, planning to make their money on future cartridge purchases - unless you know their game). Refill those cartridges until they won't work anymore, and then do it all over again.
Donate the used printer to a local charity, church, or school. Just be sure to let them know it needs a new cartridge, so they can decide if they want it.

Epson C110/CX-7300/CX-8300/CX-9300 Adjustment Program

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:14:00 +0000

Epson CX-8300 adjustment program reset waste ink pad counter.

- For head clean

- Reset waste ink pad counter

- All features

Download Epson C110 Adjustment Program
Download Epson CX-7300 Adjustment Program
Download Epson CX-8300 Adjustment Program
Download Epson CX-9300 Adjustment Program

Epson Adjustment Program Info

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:57:00 +0000

Since your printer consumes ink not only for printing but also for other operations like cleaning, a certain amount of ink is wasted and it is collected by the waste ink pad. Therefore, the printer counts the amount of waste ink.

Once the amount of waste ink reaches the predefined limit, the printer indicates "MAINTENANCE REQUEST" and the waste ink pad should be replaced. Also, you must reset the maintenance error condition and the waste ink counter value stored in EEPROM on the mainbord of the printer.

The adjustment program enables you to perform maintenance and adjustment functions such as:

* EEPROM initial setting
* Ink Pad Counter reset
* Initial Ink Charge
* Head ID Setting
* Top margin Adjustment
* Bi-D Adjustment
* USB ID Input

Note: The above list is related to models Epson C20 and C40 only. Other printer models may have different set of functions, and you must doublecheck the service manual for a specific printer that you are going to troubleshoot.

Warning: misuse of a program may damage printer's EEPROM! Under Window 98 only.

This service program can be downloaded FREE!

Epson Stylus Color C41, C42 printer service program (under Windows 98 only) download (462kB) FREE!
Epson Stylus Color C60 printer service program (under Windows 98 only) download (609) FREE!
Epson Stylus Photo 900 printer service program (under Windows XP, 2000) download (571kB) FREE!

Service Manual for Epson 890/1280/1290

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:55:00 +0000

This service manual describes basic functions, theory of electrical and mechanical operations, maintenance and repair procedures of EPSON Stylus PHOTO 890/1280/1290. The instructions and procedures included herein are intended for the experienced repair technicians, and attention should be given to the precautions on the preceding page.

The chapters are organized as follows:

CHAPTER 1. PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS. Provides a general overview and specifications of the product.
CHAPTER 2. OPERATING PRINCIPLES. Describes the theory of electrical and mechanical operations of the product.
CHAPTER 3. TROUBLESHOOTING.Provides the step-by-step procedures for troubleshooting.
CHAPTER 4. DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY.Describes the step-by-step procedures for disassembling and assembling the product.
CHAPTER 5. ADJUSTMENTS. Provides Epson-approved methods for adjustment.
CHAPTER 6. MAINTENANCE.Provides preventive maintenance procedures and the lists of Epson-approved lubricants and adhesives required for servicing the product.
APPENDIX. Provides the following additional information for reference:

EEPROM Address Map
Connector Pin Assignments
Component Layout
Exploded Diagrams
Electrical Board Circuit Diagrams

Download Service Manual for Epson Stylus Photo 890/1280/1290

Free Epson Adjustment Program Download Links

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:40:00 +0000

Here's more links for download EPSON Adjustment Program for everyone who's looking for them. I hope this's able to help you to overcome your printer trouble. Congrats!

SSC Service Utility for Epson
Stylus 800/1000 (115k)
Stylus C20/C40 for Win95 (425k)
Stylus C20/C40 for Win98 (430k)
Stylus C42/C41 for Win98 (470k)
Stylus C41/C42/C43/C44 LPT USB for Win98/2k/XP (470k)
Stylus C41-C46 for Win98/ME/XP (528k)
Stylus C60 for Win98 (508k)
Stylus C61/62 for Win98/ME (640k)
Stylus C63/C64 for Win98/ME/XP/2k (633k)
Stylus C63-66 (550k)
Stylus C67 (version I 1.38 Mb)

More links for download EPSON Adjustment Program.
Note : Over the effects of this program on your printer{s) are responsible only to yourself. The program is provided on an "AS IS" and use it at your own risk.

Stylus C67 (Option II-920k)
Stylus C70/C80 for Win98 (528k)
Stylus C82 for Win98/XP (7.4 Mb)
Stylus C83-86 for Win98/XP (580k)
Stylus C87-88 (760k)
Stylus C480 (2.15 Mb)
Stylus C580 (450k)
Stylus C660 (1.72 Mb)
Stylus C670 (2.17 Mb)
Stylus C680/777 (450k) and other Links (8k)
Stylus C880/888 (389k)
Stylus CX3500-4600 (538k)
Stylus CX3700-3850 (470k)
Stylus CX3900 (1.45 Mb)
Stylus CX4100-4850 (490k)
Stylus CX4900 (1.75 Mb)
Stylus CX5100-5400 (615k)
Stylus CX6300-6600 for Win98/XP (630k)Stylus Photo700/EX (59k)
Stylus Photo780/790 (403k)
Stylus Photo785/825/895/915 for Win98/XP (415k)
Stylus Photo820/830 for Win98/XP (430k)
Stylus Photo870/1270 for Win98 (2.17 Mb)
Stylus Photo890/1280 for Win98 (560k)
Stylus Photo890/1280/1290 for Win98/XP (760k)
Stylus Photo925 for Win98/XP (620k)
Stylus Photo950/960 for Win98/XP (430k)
Stylus Pro 9600 (2.24 Mb)
Stylus Photo R200/210 for Win98/XP (634k)
Stylus Photo R220/230 for Win98/XP (660k)
Stylus Photo R300/310/320 for Win98/XP (636k)
Stylus Photo R340/350 for Win98/XP (825k)
Stylus Photo R800 for Win98/XP (830k)
Stylus Photo R1800 (360k)
Stylus Photo RX420/425/430 for Win98/XP (460k)
Stylus Photo RX500/510 for Win98/XP (660k)
Stylus Photo RX600 for Win98/XP (625k)
Stylus Photo RX640 (690k)
Stylus Photo RX700 for Win98/XP (4.6Mb)

For Canon IP Resetter
IP 1200 1600
IP 1500
IP1200 1600 2200
IP 1300 1700

Note : Over the effects of this program on your printer(s) are responsible only to yourself. The program is provided on an "AS IS" and use it at your own risk.

The Development of Printer Ink Cartridges

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:51:00 +0000

With the introduction of the inkjet printer and printer ink cartridge in 1984, the task of printing your documents and changing printer ink cartridges became more convenient, reliable and cleaner than the previous methods of changing ribbons or inserting a toner cartridge. Prior to 1984, the ink delivery systems were not as dependable as they are now. The inkjet system replaced the old dot matrix method, which required changing a ribbon. It wasn’t long before the printer industry began conceptualizing a new ink delivery technique, including the drop on demand method.

Several companies were the driving forces behind developing the inkjet technology, and by 1990 the method was widely accepted. Today it is the method of choice for printing requirements, and will print both black and white documents as well as color graphics and photos.

The quality is excellent, thanks to the development of printer ink cartridges. It is possible to print on many different sizes and types of paper, fabric, film, etc. These printers are used in businesses, in schools and the homes of millions of people worldwide. Each printer uses a specific printer ink cartridge, most often one each of black and color. Each cartridge is given an identifying number and lists the model number of each printer in which it can be used. While each printer manufacturer recommends its own brand of printer ink cartridge, it is possible to refill the cartridge yourself, or purchase a refilled, remanufactured or a compatible cartridge.

There are two types of refilled cartridges: You can do it yourself with a kit that allows you to refill your own cartridge. Refill kits are available at a very low price and are sometimes the choice of those who don’t mind doing the filling in order to save money. The other alternative is to buy a refilled cartridge from a manufacturer. This method involves drilling, filling and sealing an empty cartridge.

A remanufactured cartridge is an original printer ink cartridge that has been taken apart and outfitted with ink and new parts if necessary. It is then inspected and tested before being placed in the marketplace to re-sell. The workmanship in these cartridges is usually guaranteed against defects during the life of the cartridge. The lifetime is generally the same as the original, they are safe to use in all printers, and the warranty on your printer will not be affected. The cost is lower than the original.

Another kind of cartridge that has evolved in recent years is the “compatible” cartridge. Simply put, it is a cartridge that is built to the same specifications as those of the original manufacturer and is generally cheaper than the original. It is also guaranteed against defects during its lifetime.Inkjet printers using printer ink cartridges have a bright future ahead, thanks to their capability to produce high-quality printed material quickly and inexpensively.

The manufacturer’s printer ink cartridge is one option, and the use of alternative printer ink cartridges is another option. When shopping for printer ink cartridges, always buy from a reputable dealer. A huge inventory of hundreds of types of cartridges can also be found by shopping on the Internet, which is a convenient, safe and reliable method of finding the best deals on printer ink cartridges. Link

How Much Do Inkjet Printers Really Cost?

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:49:00 +0000

There are inkjet printers for every budget. At the low end, you can pay less than $50. At the high-end, you can pay several hundred dollars. However, the purchase price of an inkjet printer is not the best way to determine how good of a bargain you are getting.

The truth of the matter is, printer ink is not cheap. An inkjet cartridge for your $50 printer can cost you $30. That means that the cost of two inkjet cartridges will be more than the cost of your purchase price.

A much better way to determine if you are getting a bargain on your inkjet printer is to try to figure out what it will cost you over the period of one year. That means you have to add the cost of your inkjet cartridges to the purchase price of your printer. To give you an idea of your cost, here’s a simple way to estimate your cost.

First, look up how many pages you inkjet cartridge will print. Then, make a rough estimate of how many pages of print you print each week. Multiply your weekly estimate by 52 to get the total pages for the year. Finally, divide the total number of pages per year by the number of cartridges your printer is rated to print. This will tell you how many inkjet cartridges you will need to purchase in a year.

For example, suppose your ink cartridge prints 200 pages and you estimate you print 20 pages per week. That means you’d print 1040 pages in one year. If you divide 1040 pages by 200 pages, you’d have to buy 6 cartridges to cover your printing for one year. Now, how much does each cartridge cost? Multiply that by the number of cartridges you’ll need for one year and you have your answer. This simple exercise may surprise you. If an ink cartridge cost $30 each, you’ll spend $180 in one year on ink. If you only paid $50 for the printer, that’s over three times the cost of the printer.

If it cost you $180 to print 1040 pages and the printer costs $50, you’ll pay $230 for your one-year printer cost. That comes to 22.1 cents per page. Now do the same thing for a different printer and compare. You just might be surprised.

One more thing… go online and look at some reputable printer companies. There are several recommended on this site. Check out the cost of their discount inkjet cartridges. These are brand new ink cartridges that are guaranteed to be as good as the original ink cartridge. They just don’t have the “brand name” on the box. You’ll probably be able to cut your printing cost in half. Now, you can make an informed decision on your next inkjet printer. You’ll at least have an idea on how much it really costs. Link

What Everybody Should Know about an Inkjet Printer

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:47:00 +0000

You can purchase an inkjet printer for as little as $39. With a rebate, it may even be less. Not many people would argue about the good deal they got when they purchased their printer. However, the purchase price of an inkjet printer really doesn’t tell you much about your cost of printing. After all, you do need paper and inkjet cartridges to keep your printer printing.

If you go to a local car lot and look at the sticker price of a car, you’d see some of the following items: the base price of the car, the cost for each additional feature or package, the number of miles per gallon for both city and road, and the cost of gasoline for one year under normal driving conditions.

What if you got this same type of information for your printer? Would you still buy the same inkjet printer? How would you feel if you knew you would pay more for gas and oil, in the first year you owned your car, than you paid for the car?

Well the fact is, unless you do very little printing, you will pay more for your paper and inkjet cartridges in the first year than you will pay for your inkjet printer. This is especially true for the low cost inkjet printers. In some cases, the cost of one inkjet cartridge is more than the entire purchase price of an inkjet printer.

If you look at an inkjet printer advertisement, you’d learn about some of the following items: the number of pages printed per minute in text and color, the time to print a certain size photo in black and white or color, the number of inkjet cartridges or tanks the printer holds, the near perfect quality of the photo reproduction, the outstanding resolution you’ll get from (so many) inkjet nozzles and a packaging list of items that come in the box when you purchase it.

However, in most inkjet printer advertisements, you will not see the cost of the premium paper needed to achieve that outstanding photo reproduction. The replacement cost for a black or color inkjet cartridge is nowhere to be found. About the only thing you will see with a dollar sign is the low purchase price of the printer and possibly the rebate. (They also don’t tell you all the steps you have to follow to get your rebate and how it may prevent you from returning the printer to the store if something unexpected happened… but that’s another story.)

Now, if you look at some of the most popular inkjet printers, here’s what you will find about their inkjet cartridges. On the average, a black inkjet cartridge costs between $22 and $30 to replace. A color printer cartridge normally runs between $35 and $60, depending on size.

To get your inkjet printer to print out those outstanding photos that will last for years, you will need to purchase some premium quality paper. Depending on the size, weight and quantity of the premium paper, you can expect to pay from 60 cents to a dollar per page.

As a consumer, you need to know that the major printer manufacturers are selling their inkjet printers at or below cost. They have adopted the marketing practice used in other industries, like the cell phone or razor blade. That is, they sell their initial product at cost or below and expect to make their real profits on the high mark up of their consumable supplies or services.

Now, don’t get me wrong. The quality of the inkjet printer photo reproductions is approaching that of traditional photo processing. The speed of the inkjet printer is constantly rising. The crisp and clear text from the inkjet printer is nearly equal to the quality of laser print. All these are wonderful and welcomed features.

The main point I want to make is this: The real cost of printing is not the purchase price of the inkjet printer. You, the consumer, should be informed of the on-going or real cost of printing. Then, you can decide how much you really want to pay for your printing needs

If major printer manufacturers were to charge a reasonable price (with profit) for their inkjet printer and reduce the cost of their inkjet cartridges and premium paper, you would realize a substantial savings.A well-informed consumer is a wiser consumer. If you had a way to estimate the one year cost of printing, depending upon your needs, you’d be able to make a much better informed decision on what inkjet printer would best meet your needs.

Until the major manufacturers change their marketing practices, you can do something about the high cost of printing. There are many reputable online merchants that provide compatible inkjet cartridges and inkjet refill kits that can save you up to 85% on the cost of printing. Five minutes of your time reviewing some of these companies could save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars. That would definitely help you reduce your one-year cost of printing. I thought you needed to know. Link

Save on Printer Ink and Toner Cartridges

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:36:00 +0000

Are you getting tired of the high cost of printing? You’re not alone. Many consumers are up in arms. For example, they believe paying $22 per ounce for printer ink and $150 to $300 (or more) for a toner cartridge is way too much.

Most of the major printer manufacturers have adopted the same marketing model as the razor blade, TiVo and cell phone industry. Simply stated, they sell you the printer for cost or less in order to sell you printer ink and toner cartridges at huge markups. In many instances, they charge seven to ten times what it costs to manufacture these products.

In addition, these major companies spend thousands of dollars trying to convince you to purchase only their products. They strongly criticize printer ink and toner cartridges offered by third party companies. However, did you know that many of these major companies are now selling their own recycled cartridges… and you’re still paying full retail price for them! As someone once said, to get a real education, read the fine print on the label.

With the advent of online marketing, consumer have more choices than ever. There are a large number of reputable companies that sell printer ink and toner cartridges at significant savings. It is very common to save 50-85% when purchasing your printer supplies. In addition to substantial savings, you'll get a money back guarantee and your order is normally shipped the same day.

Ok, here’s ten ways (plus 1) to save on printer ink and toner cartridges:

1. Purchase a compatible inkjet cartridge. These are cartridges made from new parts and manufactured to meet or exceed the OEM specifications for you exact printer.2. Purchase a remanufactured inkjet cartridge. Third party companies collect empty printer ink cartridges. They refill them with ink and test them vigorously to make sure you get exactly the quality and quantity you expect from your inkjet cartridge.

3. Purchase an ink refill kit. You’ll get step-by-step instructions, the tools and printer ink you need to refill your ink cartridge in just a few minutes. On the average, you can refill an inkjet cartridge ten times.

4. Your inkjet cartridge will eventually wear out. Instead of purchasing a brand name cartridge, purchase a compatible or remanufactured cartridge. Then, when compatible cartridge is empty, refill it with printer ink just as you did your original.5. When you’re printing, always use draft mode until you’re ready for your final print.

6. Whenever possible, select black and white print. If you’re final product is to be in color, your draft can be done in black and white until you’ve double-checked everything. Then, print your final copies in color.

7. Purchase a compatible toner cartridge. Third party companies make these toner cartridges from brand new parts. They are manufactured to be equal to or better than your original toner cartridge.

8. Purchase a remanufactured cartridge. Many companies collect empty toner cartridges. They empty any toner waste and then refill the cartridge. They quality check the drum and other parts of the cartridge to insure maximum performance for the consumer.

9. Purchase a toner refill kit. These kits include the tools and instructions necessary to refill your own toner cartridge. On the average, you can refill a toner cartridge about three times.

10. When you toner cartridge is not producing the quality of print you expect, check to see if you can replace the drum, instead of the entire cartridge. This will keep money in your pocket.

11. Purchase multiple ink and toner cartridges if you can. You will save substantially over the already discounted cost, plus you will probably get Free shipping.

By ordering your printer ink, toner or ink cartridge online, you’ll experience the best service, the best warranty, and the best products available, for all your printing needs. Link

Digital Camera Printers

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:34:00 +0000

The digital camera is not meant only for capturing images and storing them on the computer memory disks. The real effect comes from the hard copy of those fantastic images taken by the users, that is the printed photographs! In order to get the printer copy of the images a very important device necessary is the printer. The digital image printing requires a few numbers of components that comprises the total process of printing.

This discussion is thus primarily focused towards analyzing and understanding this whole experience of digital camera printers.Scrutinizing in some more detail, it can be observed that in digital photography some really good and fantastic one-trick-pony printers have filled up the market that are exclusively designed for the sake of printing digital camera photos. These printers are not for the purpose of printing everyday documents, simply because their cartridges and photo paper, that are sold together in single boxes, are not cheap and thereby economic for such purposes. Thus they are solely for the reason of getting the images into physical paper with a high degree of perfection and elevated quality. In these printers the ink and paper are by and large sold together in single boxes, and the average print costs to around 30 to 70 cents. However the biggest advantage remains that these printers themselves are inexpensive.

Looking at the advantages of these digital camera printers, the very first and the most significant one is that these printers do not require a computer for their functioning. They have the ability of printing directly from the digital camera, which enables the users to take and use them on the road too! A few examples of such great printers are Canon's Selphy DS700 and CP330; the Olympus P-10; Sony's FP30 and EX50; Epson's Picture Mate; and Hewlett-Packard's Photo smart 375. Some digital cameras nowadays enable the users to connect them directly to a PictBridge printer using a standard USB cable. And then obtain the printed photographs. Another loom is to include memory-card slots right on the printer as a result the users do not run down the camera's battery while printing.

The above discussion reveals almost all the rudimentary yet important information regarding the digital camera printers and it is expected that more and more users of the digital cameras would appreciate this fantastic device! Link

Time To Get A New Printer!

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:32:00 +0000

This is the scenario being faced by millions around the world today. You need to replace your printer ink cartridges but the cost is only a few dollars less than buying a brand new printer which of course comes with brand new cartridges.

Why?

Manufacturers make very little profit from the sale of their printers. The profit is made on the replacement ink cartridges. Once you have the printer you have to buy ink in order to print. If you use your printer a lot, the cost can be considerable.

A Brief Explanation.

Broadly speaking there are two types of inkjet printers. The first uses true cartridges. Companies such as Hewlett Packard and Lexmark use this system. Cartridges consist of a tank of ink, a head (The copper coloured metal strip) and sometimes a chip that gives back data on the levels of ink. The cartridges for this system, as owners know only too well, are expensive.

The other system as employed by companies such as Epson, Canon and Brother, uses headless cartridges. This means that when you buy a cartridge for these types you actually get a tank of ink and sometimes a chip but the printer head stays within the printer. Replacements are marginally less expensive for these types of printer. Neither system has any significant print quality advantages. Another point worth remembering is that print quality is measured by Dpi, (Dots per inch), and the printing media and not simply by the ink used.

Laser printers work on an entirely different system utilizing a large cartridge containing toner and not ink. Toner is a powder containing heat sensitive pigment. Most, though not all, laser printers are used to print text and therefore use only black. Replacements are expensive but some are capable of printing up to 20,000 pages of text from one cartridge.

What Can I Do?

For owners of Epson, Canon and Brother Printers one answer is to use compatible cartridges. These are cheap and carry superb guarantees as to their quality. Most will last at least as long as the originals. For Hewlett Packard and Lexmark owners there are remanufactured cartridges. Owing to the patents on these cartridges it is illegal to manufacture compatibles.You could always try refilling the originals but this can be messy and sometimes leaks can occur resulting in permanent printer damage.

In Conclusion.

Before you purchase a new printer find out the cost of replacement cartridges. You’ll be amazed at how much they vary. Look for a printer that uses tanks of ink and best of all one that uses separate tanks for black and the colours. In so doing when you need to replace a cartridge, say yellow, you need only replace this one colour and not the whole colour cartridge.A cheap printer laden with incentives such as rebates does not always pay in the long run. Discount ink cartridges or compatibles will always save you money with no loss of print quality.

Keep that printer doing what it does best, Printing! Link

Ten Essentials for Picking Out Printers

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:30:00 +0000

Printers, just like every other aspect of PC technology are evolving as we speak. Newer more advanced models are carving out their place in the computing world constantly. With so many options it can be hard to choose printers that suit your needs.

What you need the printer for should definitely influence what model you buy. Are you looking for a pricey photo printer with red and green ink? If you are a photo printing guru then spend the extra bucks to get what you need.

Mostly concerned with text? If so, you may want to consider some of the lower priced laser printers. You could catch one on sale for a little over two hundred dollars, which would turn out to be a lower cost over time than with an ink jet printer.

How much do the replacement cartridges cost? Some ink jet cartridges cost almost as much as the printers themselves. Ink jet printers appear to be the best bargain when you first buy them. They are much cheaper than laser printers until you need to replace the ink cartridges.

How many pages does each cartridge print? Check out the ink cartridges for the particular brand you plan to buy before you buy it. Try to find the best compromise between quality and quantity.

How much printing will you be doing? Whether or not the printer will be a workhorse or not is important. If this is a purchase for an office you might want to go with a printer in the average price range.

What are you printing? There are printers that are better suited for graphics and can do justice to text. Color laser printers are nice to have around but they are not speedy and the toner cartridges might be hazardous to the environment. If you use them, participate in one of the recycling programs for laser toner cartridges.

Should you choose a laser, photo or ink jet printer? There are good things about all three types of printers. Of course, there are naturally drawbacks as well. Color laser printers produce beautiful photos but they are a little slow. Ink jet printers are cheap, until you need to replace a cartridge. Photo printers spit out colorful photos but can be pricey.

If you are constantly printing photos and other graphics, it may be better to go with one of the less expensive color laser printers. The initial dent in your wallet may seem steep, but you won’t be continuously buying replacement cartridges.

Resolution is important if you are concerned with detail. Resolution refers to the amount of dots printers can shoot in a square inch on a page. For average graphics1200 by 2400 will do. For higher quality resolution, 2400 by 1200 will do. If you are printing a multitude of graphics you will want to get an even higher resolution. If you are mainly concerned with text, resolution is not an issue.

When selecting a printer, the printers’ price is something to consider. Higher prices also do not automatically equal high quality. Ink jet printers are relatively cheap, even when they first appear on the market. All-in-one printers that perform a number of services are usually the most expensive. That is why it is wise to zero in on the qualities you want and buy accordingly.

Although your typical jack-of-all-trades printers are still on the market, specialized printers are becoming more common. Most recent printers do one thing really well and everything else just up to par. If you are a frequent flyer that needs a printer wherever you can, you probably don’t want to go with a heavier model. There are printers that weigh less than your briefcase and churn out beautiful copies.

Do you need speed and room? If you are choosing a printer for a busy office, you want to go with one that holds a ton of paper and can get documents printed as soon as possible.

Don’t cut corners with your printer. But don’t over do it either. While most people strive for the highest quality in their desktops and laptops, they often skimp on their printers. Do your research and get what you need. Link

Qualities to Look for in a Printer

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:28:00 +0000

Do you remember the good old days of the dot matrix printer? Do you remember the holed computer paper it required and how hard it was to feed this continuous paper into the printer without getting it in a bit crooked? Do you remember just how loud the old dot matrix machines were? If you remember all this, then you also remember the joy you experienced when you laid eyes on your first laser printer! Of course, printers have come a long way, and a laser printer is no longer the holy grail of printers. If you are in the market for a new printer, here are five essential qualities you may wish to look for in your printer:

Resolution is a number one quality. Dot matrix printers did not deliver very good images, but inkjet printers (which essentially deliver tiny droplets of ink onto the paper when preparing the image) offer such a high resolution that they are often used to create photo-quality images. The resolution itself is measured as dots per inch (dpi), and high end models deliver resolutions of up to 1440x720 dpi.

Operating economy is a definite number two. As nice as the high resolution images an ink jet printer creates are, the ink is expensive and the process is comparatively slow. For this reason, a laser printer makes for a wonderful alternative. This kind of printer moves very quickly and thus creates pages truly at the greatest speed imaginable. 80 to 100 page documents may be printed in a fraction of the time an ink jet printer will require. Additionally, a laser printer is less expensive to operate, since a toner cartridge for such a device lasts for a very long time, and thus in the long run makes it cheaper to operate than an ink jet printer which needs to have its toner cartridges replaced quite frequently.

Photo-lab quality is a number three essential, since it only affects a certain demographic of computer users. For most users, an ink jet will offer enough resolution to create photo-quality images but those who will rely on the computer for most of their photographic imagery manipulation needs, as well as those who are in the business of photography, dye-sublimation printers will permit them to have their own photo lab inside their office and home. Because of the processes involved in this method of printing, individual dots are softened by a gradation process, which will allow these images to appear crystal clear.

For those who regularly print large volumes of documents, black print speed (which is the amount of time it takes for a printer to print out a black and white page) is a serious concern, yet since this is again a smaller demographic, it is rated as a number four quality. Although much more expensive than their slower working cousins, these printers offer a 400 x 400 dpi resolution and a speed 70 pages per minute which is an amazing feat!

Final considerations for those with special printing needs are the maximum media printers. This form of printing refers to the maximum size and format of paper (which is the medium) which the printer is able to print on. Most every printer uses the standardized 8.5x11 size sheets of paper. Yet some printers will allow for specialized receipt rolls or payroll checks which are essentially akin to the old dot matrix continuous feed paper. Other specialized printers may print out envelopes, folders, ledger pages and even tabloid sized papers.

It is easy to see that there is a specialized printer out there for every need. Prior to running out and purchasing one, however, a user must be very clear on the importance certain features will or will not have for the intended use. It would not make much sense to spend a lot of money on a high resolution photographic image printer, when the actual use the printer is intended for are long printouts of manuscripts devoid of any images. Similarly, a laser printer is a great piece of office machinery, but a home photo lab will not do well in using it to create high resolution images. No matter what the need is, we have come a long way since the first dot matrix printers made their whirring sounds in the computer landscape. Link

Inside Your Inkjet Printer: How Does It Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:27:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered how your Inkjet Printer works?

How does the ink get from the inkjet cartridge to the paper? Why is the print quality is so clear? Why the printing is so quiet?

Generally, all that most people know is that there's some movement and a faint high pitched sound when it's printing something -- and then the finished document comes out.

Unlike dot matrix and character printers that strike ribbons to create an image, inkjet printers do not physically touch the paper.

All inkjet printers function using the same basic principles. Tiny ink droplets are "jetted" (or pushed) out multiple holes onto paper in a controlled and systematic fashion. This is where the term "inkjet" comes from.

The size of ink droplets, speed and reliability of this type of printer has been continuously improving since its inception in 1976. In 1993, Epson was the first manufacturer to produce an inkjet printer using micro-piezo technology. The Epson Stylus 800 was the first printer to use the multi-layer actuator printhead (the printhead is the part of the printer that holds numerous tiny nozzles that actually squirts the ink onto paper).

This specific printhead utilized an electro-mechanical element that acted like a tiny control room. When pulses of electricity passed through, it that gave specific signals to fire individual or multiple nozzles loaded with ink.

Micro-piezo technology utilized a tiny crystal in each individual nozzle that when electrically energized, would vibrate or bend causing a controlled amount of ink to be forced out onto paper. When the electrical current is off, the crystal bends back to its original shape, creating a vacuum, thus pulling ink into the nozzle from the reservoir for the next commanded fire.

The Epson printhead was fixed to the carriage so it never needed replacing (the printer carriage is what moves laterally across the paper). This also kept the cost of ink cartridges low since they were little more than reservoirs of ink.

This breakthrough printer produced a whopping 360 dpi (dots per inch) that was deemed, almost "letter quality" at the time. With a printing speed of 150 - 180 characters per second, the new Epson became the user favorite printer for home and office.

At the same time, HP was using a similar technology. A thermal jetting system was utilized in their printhead. The printhead still acted like the control room but each individual nozzle was instead independently super heated by electricity, which caused the ink to explode onto the paper. HP claims the temperature of a fired inkjet nozzle approaches that of the surface of the sun.

HP elected to put the printhead on the inkjet cartridge itself instead of mounting it permanently to the carriage. Since each inkjet cartridge would have its own printhead, replacement cartridges would be more expensive for these printers.

HP inkjet cartridges also could not print as fast as Epson because each nozzle needed to cool after firing. This heating technology also limited the types of inks that could be used.

In the 1990's, Canon, Epson and HP engineered printheads that applied even smaller droplets of ink, drastically improving dpi and resolution.

While Canon and HP could produce a 6 - 10 picoliter droplet size from one nozzle, Epson was about half the size (between 3 - 6 picoliters). Currently, there are printers available which will produce an amazing 1 picoliter droplet! To get an idea of how small this is; a human hair is about 12 picoliters in diameter. Most human eyes can't see one jetted droplet of ink on paper.

Inkjet printers have come a long way since their first inception.

Printers today are twice as fast as their predecessors were, and are cheaper than ever. Many printers can easily produce color photo quality images in at an incredible 6000 dpi.

As time goes on and as demand for printing remains high, the quality, speed and features of inkjet printers will only continue to improve. Link

Diagnosing Paper Jams in HP Laser Printers

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:20:00 +0000

There are many things that can cause paper jams in HP printers, and diagnoses vary from one model to the next. In this article I will discuss some of the most common causes of printer jams and possible solutions. Where is the paper jamming? When you answer this question you are close to solving the problem.

1. If the printer will not pick up paper from tray two or three there are several causes. Try using a lower weight paper. HP does not recommend printing a higher weight than 20lbs from and tray but tray one. If this does not work the paper rollers probably need to be changed. These come with every maintenance kit, but most end users do not change them, they just change the fuser. If you do not have rollers available try cleaning them with a lint free cloth and wipe away any paper dust or other debris.

2. The paper is picked up from the tray but does not make it to the toner cartridge. Typically this is the paper feed assembly or the registration assembly. These are not easily replaced and I suggest consulting a professional.

3. The paper gets to the toner cartridge and then jams. Try replacing the toner cartridge. If you have a newer model printer (most HP models) check to make sure that the toner transfer bar is not stuck in an upright position. Check for debris. If there is debris in the paper path this can cause jamming. Debris can be a torn piece of paper, a stable or just a build up of paper dust. DO NOT touch the roller. It will hold the oil form your skin and cause print defects.

4. The paper enters the fuser, but gets jammed inside. Unfortunately, the fuser will probably have to be replaced, but check for any debris on the rollers before replacing. Also clean the paper path with a lint free cloth. DO NOT touch the rollers. They will hold the oil form your skin. This does not cover all possible causes, only the most common. Link

How To Clear A Stubborn Inkjet Printer Clog

noreply@blogger.com (Quick Zone) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:16:00 +0000

Do you own an inkjet printer? Has the ever clogged up on you, creating streaks or missing colors from your printing?

Clogs can be incredibly frustrating. Normally when you find out you have a clogged printhead, it's because you're right in the middle of printing something important. It's one of those problems that you never ask for. It just seems to throw itself in your lap without warning, and then taunts you in your efforts to fix it.

The printhead is the mechanism of your printer (or inkjet cartridge), where the ink actually comes out.

For the most part, printhead clogs can be normally be flushed out with a couple of "head cleaning" cycles. A head cleaning cycle is a built-in function of your printer. It's a specialized routine meant to address this type of problem.

This "cleaning cycle" works by sending a strong 'print signal' to your printer, while at the same time drawing a small vacuum from underneath. The combination of these two steps works in an attempt to suck out clogged ink from the printhead. From my experience, you'll probably need to run between 3 and 5 cycles to fully clear a clog.

The location of the head cleaning cycle proceedure varies for each printer brand, so refer to your printer owner's manual for specific instructions to find yours. Check the index first.

If you don't have your owner's manual anymore, you can check our your printer manufacturers website. Most likely, they will have your printer manual online.

There are times however, when a few standard head cleaning routines don't seem to solve the problem. A stubborn printhead clog like this can be persistant enough to make you want to rip out your hair.

For times like these, you'll need to pull out the big guns!

For stubborn inkjet printhead clogs, there are various cleaners out there specifically for this purpose. These cleaners are formulated to disolve dried or "gummy" ink which may have accumulated from infrequent printer use, or even just a general build-up over time.

I personally brought an old printer "back from the dead" using a product called 'Clog Buster'. It was a printer I had purchased off of eBay which apparently hadn't been used in awhile. I spent a few hours trying to revive the printer, and 'Clog Buster' was the only thing that worked when nothing else did.

The only downside with using a cleaning product like this however, is that you usually don't have it in your immediate possession when the clog hits. Unless you have some already on hand, you'll have to wait for it to be shipped to you. In the meantime, your printing project will have to remain on pause until it arrives.

(But maybe I can help...)

The good news is that you MAY be able to solve the problem using some basic household products. In fact, Windex glass cleaner can actually work well for dissolving dried ink. What's the secret ingredient?

Ammonia.

Tough printhead clogs can usually be brought into submission by soaking the printhead in a solution of 50/50% ammonia and distilled water.

A important word of warning... Ammonia is potent and powerful stuff. When working with ammonia, always make sure you've got adequate ventilation, and avoid mixing it with other chemicals. Very important.

So, if your printhead is located on the inkjet cartridge itself, you'll want to soak the printhead in the 50/50 solution for an hour or two.

If the printhead unit is located inside your inkjet printer itself, then you'll first need to remove the inkjet cartridges. After those are removed, put some of the solution into the top of the printhead (directly into the nozzle holes) and let it sit a few hours. Go ahead and put a little more into the printhead resting seat. (This is the rubber rectangle part that seals off the printhead unit while the carriage is in it's resting position.)

If this initial soaking doesn't work, then repeat another time using 100% ammonia for up to one hour. Afterward, make sure to rinse completely with distilled water.

If the clog doesn't immediately clear, go ahead and let the printer sit overnight and try it again the next day. Sometimes the clog will breakdown slowly and release later as the ammonia takes it's toll.

Finally, for those of you wondering about the effectiveness of using alcohol to unclog cartridges and printhead -- here's a quick note...

Alcohol won't work as well as ammonia, but may work better than a few cleaning cycles. The downside is that alcohol may actually dry out the plastics and metals in the printhead. This could actually increase the chances of clogging later on down the road. So try to avoid alcohol if possible. Visit Link