Flushing PK ink only from Epson 3880

[Roundhouse]

I’m switching from the regular PK in to the PK HD inset in my 3880…is there a way to flush just the PK line without flushing the other colour lines?

[jkschreiber]

It depends on which inkset you have installed.

If it is a K7, PRO, or Color setup, with MK and PK in the standard MK and PK positions, the you can use the Black Ink Change function from the Maintenance menu on the printer’s Control Panel. If the printer is currently set to PK, you will need to change to MK, then back to PK. If it is currently set to MK, just a single MK -> PK change ought to do the job.

If you are using a P2-K6 setup, that won’t work since your PK ink is in the Y channel and the PK channel is unused. In this situation you have two options:

1. Run 3-4 Power Clean cycles. (This uses ink from all channels which is what you are looking to avoid.)
2. Print the Y-channel purge page in QTR Calibration Mode until the new ink has pushed all the old ink through. (This will take a lot of time and paper — I did it once a long time ago so my memory is a little fuzzy but I think it took 60-80 sheets — I wouldn’t do it this way again.)

Hope that answers the question,
Keith

[Brian_S]

Another option:

How To Flush Individual Channel using QTR Calibration Mode

(These instructions are provided for changing out inks. Flushing is often used to change inks. This is not the recommended procedure for trying to unclog a printer. To unclog a printer - you need to run a procedure that provides suction rather than isolated printing of the channel. Please refer here for flushing a printer to unclog it.) To print from one specific ink channel (which is helpful when flushing just one line, without wasting ink in the other positions by doing power clean cycles), y…

[Roundhouse]

thanks…am running ConeColor inks in this one…

[jkschreiber]

Then I think the Black Ink Change method I outlined above will work for you.

[Brian_S]

The fact that there’s ConeColor in there is not an impediement to using the technique I posted a link to. Works with any inkset.

You said that you wanted to flush the PK lines but not the colour lines. You didn’t say anything about the MK line. If you’re also putting HD MK in the 3880 and so also want to flush that line as well then repeated ink changes would certainly work. But it you’re not and you don’t want to flush the MK line, printing single channel calibration pages will be better as it won’t waste MK. Also won’t fill up the maintenance tank.

[Roundhouse]

Thanks…all worked out fine

Francis Sullivan
francissullivanphoto.com