Maintaining Your Epson ET-8550 DTF Printer: Ink Management Tips for Infrequent Use

Question:

I have an Epson ET-8550 converted to DTF, and I'm just getting started. If I only plan on printing two days a week, should I drain all the ink and clean the lines with distilled water after each use? How long can the water stay in the lines? Thanks!

Answer:
In regards to your ink question, if you are just using the printer two days a week, leave that ink in there, there is no power for you to concerned about it draining all the ink or cleaning the lines with distilled water after every use. Printhead Management Assembly (PMA) is what I would use instead This solution is somewhat of a fix to try to get you not to flush out the ink lines and dampers every single time. To see how to install, visit the product page to watch a video of your installation process (https://bchtechnologies.com/products/printhead-management-assembly).

If you're concerned about keeping the printhead in good condition between uses, I would definitely recommend removing any white inks from the printhead and performing a wet capping process, as shown in the video. You can fill the system with distilled water, and it’s safe to leave the water in the lines for as long as you need. In fact, I’ve demonstrated in a video where I didn't print for 14 days, and when I printed again, everything came out perfectly. The water in the lines stayed without causing any issues, thanks to the PMA.

Fixing printer problems can be a tricky business, given how hands-on the issues are. We cannot offer remote troubleshooting, recommendations, or support to repair the printer. We can do in-person evaluation and repair through our local diagnostic center (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]) but high demand means it's first come, first served and can be a few weeks before your printer is in for service. We either repair the entire printer or target specific parts, with clear instructions on what we do at our side. Our rates are not the cheapest, and we encourage doing some self-help with the internet first. The easiest way to find the videos and guides you need is by going to our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies [https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies]) and searching with the search bar for specific problems you have. As I get a lot of questions every day, I may not remember every single video, but YouTube’s search utility comes in handy to find relevant content in no time at all.