How to Resolve Ink Spitting Issues During Printhead Cleaning on Epson L1800 DTF Printers

Question: My Epson L1800 DTF printer sometimes spits black ink into the air during the printhead cleaning process, although it prints fine otherwise. Procolor suggested it might be an issue with the printhead, capping station, and pump. What are your thoughts on this?

Thank you for reaching out, and we greatly appreciate your engagement with our BCH Technologies YouTube Channel. Your feedback is invaluable as it helps us to continually improve our technical support and content.

Addressing your concern about the Epson L1800 DTF printer spitting ink during the cleaning process, it's noteworthy that this issue, while the printer still performs well otherwise, points towards a specific set of mechanical malfunctions rather than a general printhead failure.

1. Capping Station and Peristaltic Pump: The capping station of your printer includes a peristaltic pump designed to direct ink flow towards the waste tank. The occurrence of ink spitting in the air is unusual since this setup should prevent any backward or outward flow of ink. Ink spitting could indicate that the pump or the tubes connected to the capping station might be improperly installed or functioning incorrectly.
2. Check for Clogs: A common issue that might cause this abnormal behavior is a clog in the waste ink pathway. Ensuring that the capping station and the waste ink station are clear of any obstructions is crucial. You can follow detailed steps to check and clean these components in these videos: Cleaning the Waste Station and Maintaining the Capping Station. Approximately 70% of printhead problems begin with issues at the capping station, primarily when it fails to clean the printhead effectively.
3. Modification of Capping Station: Additionally, modifications such as the removal of the sponge in the capping stations, which is seen in some DTF printers, can cause ink to splash or spit during high-speed printing operations. However, during the slow movement of the printhead in a cleaning cycle, such modifications should not lead to spitting unless there's an underlying issue with the printhead’s movement or alignment.
4. Your capping station may have one or tubes slipping out of the manifold. Watch this video and reconnect the tubes or replace the manifold.

Handling printer issues can often be complex due to the intricate nature of these devices. For instance, resolving a simple clog might require specific unclogging procedures, whereas more severe problems like ink spitting involve a more thorough examination and potentially in-depth repairs. We do not offer remote troubleshooting but do provide in-person evaluations and repairs at our BCH Technologies Printer Repair Service facility. Given our first-come, first-served policy, there could be a waiting period, and we advise preparing for this in advance.

We encourage you to utilize self-help resources such as online tutorials, and our YouTube channel can be a good place to start. Search for relevant videos using the search function to find specific guidance on issues similar to yours. YouTube's algorithm might also suggest helpful content from other creators that could provide additional insight.

Thank you once again for your question and your support. We hope this response helps you address the ink spitting issue with your Epson L1800 DTF printer and we look forward to assisting you further.