Last Resort Solutions for Faint Prints and No White Ink on DTF Printers

Question:

I feel like I'm going backwards and can’t figure out what’s going wrong with my DTF printer.

1. My waste pump isn't clogged—I can easily suction ink from the back—but for some reason, it's still spitting ink. This is a relatively new waste pump, only a few months old.

2. I did a test print anyway, and the colors are extremely faint. A few days ago, before I cleaned the printhead, I was getting all the colors except white due to missing white ink. Now, I’m getting no white and barely any color at all.
   I’m about ready to give up and toss the printer. Are there any last suggestions or final steps before I give up?

Answer:

Thank you for reaching out, and I’m sorry I couldn’t get back to you sooner. I know printer problems—especially on a DTF setup—can feel overwhelming, and it’s incredibly frustrating to feel like things are getting worse instead of better. Your question deserves thoughtful attention, and I appreciate your patience.

At BCH Technologies, we are especially grateful for your support and engagement, particularly through our YouTube channel. Your feedback significantly shapes our technical content and helps the community troubleshoot real-world issues like this one.

Let’s walk through a last-resort process that may help bring your printhead back to life. But be warned: these steps are aggressive and are only recommended if you're ready to risk the printhead—and possibly the printer itself. If you're already considering disposal, this might be worth trying as a final attempt.

 Final Attempt to Revive the Printhead

Step 1: Properly Park the Printhead

Power on the printer, let the printhead naturally return, and settle on the capping station. This is important for creating a proper vacuum seal.

Step 2: Manually Test Vacuum Using a Syringe

1. Attach a syringe and tube to the waste ink line from the capping station.

2. Draw exactly 6 mL of air using the syringe:

   • You should feel slight resistance—this means the seal is good.

   • If you feel no resistance and only draw air, the printhead isn’t parked correctly, or the seal is broken.

   • If you think of total blockage, the capping station may be clogged and need replacement or deep cleaning.

3. Hold the 6 ml draw for 2 seconds, then gently release the syringe:

   • It should suck back down to 4 ml—this indicates proper tension and suction behavior.

4. Repeat this suction cycle five times, drawing to the 6 ml mark and releasing slowly after a 2-second hold.

If the suction behavior does not match the above pattern, the capping station seal is poor, or the internal ink flow is blocked.

Printer-Specific Cleaning Instructions

After the suction routine, run a strong cleaning cycle depending on your printer model:

▶️ For Epson L1800:

• Use the Epson Adjustment Program.

• Run a Strong Cleaning.

• If no ink still appears, run a power cleaning.

• Limit to 3 power cleans—if still no improvement, the printhead is likely irreversibly damaged.

▶️ For Epson ET-8550:

• Navigate to Preferences > Maintenance > Power Cleaning.

• Perform one or two cycles. Don’t exceed three.

▶️ For Epson 1390:

• There’s no built-in power cleaning.

• Perform multiple regular cleanings.

• You can compensate by increasing the suction draw to 8 ml per pull instead of 6 ml.

What If It Still Doesn’t Work?

If, after these aggressive steps, you’re still getting faint or no output and the white ink channel is dry, the printhead is most likely permanently clogged or electrically damaged—especially common with white DTF ink due to its heavier pigment load. The cleaning process itself may even accelerate head failure if the clog is too severe.

At this stage, replacing the printhead is the only viable solution if you plan to continue using the printer.

Handling printer repairs—especially with DTF conversions—involves a lot of physical trial and error. Because of this, we’re unable to offer remote troubleshooting or individualized support. However, we do offer hands-on printer diagnostics through our local repair service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Our workflow runs on a first-come, first-served basis, so availability may take a few weeks. We can diagnose and repair full printers or just specific parts, depending on your needs. That said, we recognize our rates may not be ideal for everyone. If you're more inclined toward DIY, we highly encourage you to explore resources like our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Use the search tool next to the “About” tab to find videos tailored to your issue—and don’t overlook helpful suggestions from other creators that YouTube might recommend.

Thanks again for contacting us. We truly appreciate your efforts in troubleshooting and your support of BCH Technologies. We hope this final procedure gives you one last shot at saving your printer.