Solving Common Epson ET-8550 Issues After DTF Conversion: Nozzle Check and White Ink Problems

Question:

Hi Kevin, I follow you on YouTube! Trying to work on these printers is no fun. I bought the Epson ET-8550, converted it to DTF, removed the trays, and now use a piece of tile for my output. When I attempt to print a nozzle check, the printer asks me to load regular paper, and when I do, it says that cassette 2 is out of paper. My software is RIP 10.3 version, and I can’t seem to get the white ink to print either. I’m not sure if it's a settings issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Answer:

Thanks for stopping by and following up. We are very grateful for your patronage of our YouTube Channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Your feedback allows us to improve our technical expertise and provide a more refined direction for the community.

Nozzle Check Paper TrayIssue

Your ET-8550 is having a problem with the nozzle check, a typical problem after upgrading a printer to DTF (Direct-to-Film). This printer with Cassette 2 inserted tries to make you do the nozzle check on paper from the bottom tray. That would then explain why you get the message of incorrect paper if you removed the trays and used a tile for your output. You will have to reinsert the tray or use plain paper to meet the printer requirements for a nozzle check.

Do not just depend on a nozzle check to decide if your printer is ready for you, picking up nonfunctioning and clogged nozzles. So, instead of doing that, try this as a quick diagnostic: Print a 100% Cyan (C-0 M-100 Y-200 K-50) square in CMYK mode. This will help you get an idea of in how much area white ink has been printed. One of the more time-consuming things with white ink is syphoning the cartridge due to clogging to get it to laydown properly, you can finish this after a quick nozzle check.

White Ink Not Printing

Your second issue with the white ink not printing is another very typical occurrence of using an ET-8550 after converting it to DTF. A couple of reasons likely pinned it down.

Failure of Printer Priming: The most significant issue encountered here is improper printer priming. Prim manually the ink system, to become a problem in the opening. Set the printhead on the capping station and draw ink with a syringe slowly from the waste ink tube. It should not just be turned very loosely, you should feel some resistance, then see a drop of ink flow, and let it go. This means that the ink is correctly taken into the system.

Application Settings: Be sure your RIP software (version 10.3) is configured properly for white ink printing. White ink can cause some settings to need to be adjusted for the white layer to be put down. Make sure that it recognizes the white ink as a different layer in your designs—you may have to do some manual checking of the ink layers.

Additional Resources: In addition to these steps, multiple online communities are available for more research and troubleshooting help with your DTF conversion.

Clear DTF (DTF Printing) XP-15000 Expert (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1429627040804979). This family includes myriad Epson printers, including the ET-8550.

Join DTF and Crafting with IronDesigns813 (https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftingwithirondesigns813), a smaller group run by Veronica Hernandez that helps with technical issues.

Epson ET-8550, ET-15000, Beginners Facebook Tutorials (Beginners Online Tutorials)

How to Convert DTF to ET-8550 (DIY)

Some likely other people have had the same issues you have, and joining these groups will introduce you to helpful new connections who might have solutions or just advice for dealing with this specific issue.

Troubleshooting printer problems can be a real problem because of the things in your hands. Unfortunately, this means we cannot offer remote troubleshooting, advice, or help with printer fixes. However, we provide onsite diagnosis and repair service at our local facility ( ping://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service) with many weeks' first-come, first-served waiting time. Mail-in or local drop-off instructions for full printer repair or just parts repair

We realize our rates will be pricey to some, so we suggest using this resource as an outlet from home. Check out our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies for DIY remedies, or use the search icon on our channel page to type in what you need help with. This would also help YouTube to suggest relevant videos from other channels.

Thanks again for the contact, and we hope this helps to solve its printer-related things!