How to Handle Epson Stylus 4800 Printhead Issues and Best Practices for DTF Conversion

Question:

I recently adopted an old Epson Stylus 4800 with an 8-cartridge system. The printhead seems clogged from old dye-sub ink, and I suspect it might be permanently damaged. I’m considering converting this printer for DTF use and switching another printer, the Epson 8550, for dye-sublimation. Is this a good idea? Also, after soaking the printhead in IPA (isopropyl alcohol), the metal surface became discolored, and I worry that I made the issue worse. One of the colors isn’t firing at all, and when I tried forcing IPA through one of the nozzles, it squirted out through two adjacent ones. Any tips for clearing it out, or is it time to buy a replacement printhead?

Answer:

Thank you for contacting us! We at BCH Technologies [https://bchtechnologies.com] appreciate your engagement and continued support, especially on our YouTube channel [https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies]. Your feedback greatly helps us improve and refine our technical expertise, allowing us to better serve the community.

Now, addressing your question:

Printhead Delamination

From your description, it sounds like the printhead has experienced delamination. This occurs when pressure is applied too forcefully during cleaning or when the cleaning fluid, like IPA or other aggressive solvents, compromises the membrane separating the ink channels. Pushing IPA through one nozzle only to see it come out of adjacent nozzles is a telltale sign of delamination. Unfortunately, once this happens, the printhead may be permanently compromised.

While you mentioned initially achieving a good nozzle check for seven out of the eight colors, delamination typically leads to issues where ink won’t be correctly dispensed, even if the nozzles appear to be open. In your case, forcing more cleaning through the printhead—especially with more aggressive solutions like Roland’s—could further deteriorate the condition.

Is It Still Usable?

Despite the delamination, the printhead may still be limited in usability, especially for DTF (direct-to-film) printing, which generally requires only six colors: CMYK and two white channels. If the damaged nozzle corresponds to a color that isn’t critical for your DTF setup, you might be able to continue using the printer for a while. However, as the issue progresses, you could experience a degradation in print quality over time.

Cleaning and Nozzle Check Considerations

It’s common for people to become overly focused on achieving a perfect nozzle check. However, in my experience, this isn’t always necessary. Instead of relying solely on a nozzle check, I recommend printing a CMYK square to assess overall print quality. If the print quality is solid, especially with a proper white coating, the printer can still be production-ready despite minor nozzle flaws. Be cautious of over-cleaning, which could lead to more damage and render the printhead useless. Many users have cleaned their printheads into oblivion in pursuit of perfection, only to end up with a wholly destroyed printhead.

If the quality starts to degrade, especially with critical white layers or color channels, you may want to reconsider the condition of the printhead and invest in a new one.

Switching Between Dye-Sub and DTF

Switching the Epson 8550 to dye-sublimation is a good idea. The Epson 8550 can handle this well. Your Epson Stylus 4800 has 8 channels. Even if there are two channels block, you still can use it for production level DTF printing.

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. At BCH Technologies, we cannot offer remote troubleshooting or printer repair support. Instead, we provide in-person evaluation and repair services via our local diagnostic facility (BCH Technologies Repair Service [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]). Due to the high volume of requests, repairs are handled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you mail your printer to us or opt for local drop-off, please be aware that service may take a few weeks. We offer repairs for both whole printers and specific parts, and we provide detailed instructions if you wish to pursue this option.

We understand our rates might not be the most affordable, so we highly recommend exploring self-help options online. Start with YouTube [https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies], using the search function to find videos on specific topics. With over nine years of content, you’ll find that YouTube’s search tool can help you discover relevant videos more efficiently.

Thank you again for contacting us, and we wish you luck with your printing endeavors!