I have to give Epson kudos for how well their cartridges are sealed - the Matte Black in my old 3880 sat unused for *years*, but when I switched over to Matte, the printer fired of 25 A3+ prints without an issue!
Yes, the sealed ink system definitely helps stop ink going 'off' or drying. I do take carts out every six months or so and give them a good shake to eliminate settling.
On the 3880 and P800, I have a few prints stop when a cartridge has run out. I replace it and the print carries on. I made a careful note where the print stopped. So far, neither others or myself have noticed where the print stopped and started again..
Great video. What I like about my Epson p700 is that it shows the levels of the ink cartridges so you can actually see how low the ink is before you need to change them.
? How is that different? You don't change them until they are out, and you don't ever know how much of a specific color you are using for any given print.
Thanks for this video, as I get" ink out" anxiety when printing. Now I know its not that much of a problem. Recently updated my printer to P700 thanks to your videos even the guys from Epson suggested viewing your channel!
Hi Keith, thanks for your assistance so far. I have seen comments else where, that suggest if you have a landscape photograph you rotate the image to a portrait profile prior to print output. Is this good practice or not? (using P700) thanks, Tony
Another excellent video! We all know that you still have some ink left after the low ink warning, but loved the practical and detailed advice on how to handle. Also, kudos to Epson customer service. Had to get my p900 replaced under warranty due to paper feed issues. Took two units but they made it right. So different than dealing with my phone manufacturer😀 Now just have to set aside an afternoon to create a profile with my i1pro2!
Thanks Ah, profiling... I'm so glad I was involved in the initial development of the i1iSis - my XL test unit [with a hand written serial number] makes profiling so much quicker. I suspect I'd make nowhere near as many profiles in my printer testing if I had to read them by hand - and definitely not with ~3k patches ;-)
Thanks Keith another informative video. It is a topic many people have concerns about who do their own printing. I am glad to see you are enjoying that cup of coffee. John
Again; informative and to the point. Love these "take home messages" - I do not change cartridges at the first warning, but as of now I´m saving the "used ones" for A4 testprints. Thx ! 🙂
Hi Keith. Always good to see your videos. I will tell now my reality with my Canon IPF 6400. I've been using original carts since ever, and i have noticed something odd: printer dows not like to run in low ink. Printer sends low ink warning, and there is still ink in the cart. And that printer i think it has a sub-tank that allows cart replacement when using the printer. But i have noticed that if i don't replace the ink cart when low ink warning appesars, i may have printhead related warnings, and it can result in printhead dammage. I had to replace printheads for 2 or 3 times, and all of them were about low ink in some cart. I don't know if this makes sense, but... i will not risk again: printheads are not cheaper... last one was now in January. Replaced printhead, and the cart that was low, and everything is ok, now...
@@KeithCooper Yes, i know the model. But what can i say... i can't find other reason to printhead errors... The affected printhead was always from a ink line that was low. I can't explain why, but...
Hi Keith. Love your videos. I bought the p900 a couple of years ago after watching your channel for the first time. What I find with the ink is that when I let it run way past the warning - but still showing some ink on the printer display screen.. when I switch it takes a chunk of the new ink from the cartridge to charge.
Thanks It seems that this could depend on how long the printer has not been used - a direct swap should not take any extra ink. I don't have a printer here to check, the system is meant to be swappable with no extra ink used.
@@KeithCooper thanks for the swift response. The printer is used a couple times a week. So it’s not maintenance related usage. I’m swapping out after printing to ensure next print is completed. So it’s just the charging. Cheers P
Great advice. I learned that even when it says 1% left, they'll print for a while. If you hold your mouse on the left side of the individual color, it will tell you the estimated ink level left. I'd also have to imagine that 1% in a larger cartridge is more than 1% on a smaller one (5300 vs 900).
I get the mouse stuff on a mac@@KeithCooperI guess a usefull feature, if I see 2% (3%?) I would not bother ´parking´ the catridge for that important print but if 1% do.
@@KeithCooper Latest… but I discovered it by accident. Try moving the pointer slowly in the area of the name and the symbols and I guess you may find it to. Bit Easter egg this but well it is soon that time of the year!
Here in my printshop I order new cartridges, when the low warning appears. Never before. And I print smaller prints like you with the cartridges till they are empty. do you know how much ink is left in 350 and 700ml cartridges? btw. It is a good idea to remove all cartridges every month and carefully shake them all together horizontally for 30 seconds to ensure a consistent pigment concentration.
350-700 that's Canon isn't it? The actual details in this video are specifically for the Epson printers I mentioned. The Canon ones are properly empty when indicating empty - In several of my larger Canon printer reviews, I've taken such carts apart to check. Good point about shaking - I do this on big printers every 6 months, but it depends on the printer, since some have agitation built in. My old iPF8300 used to just start up at times to agitate inks...
Thank you, our Epson Guru! I'm wondering whether the cartridges that come with the printer (I've a P700) contain less ink than the refills, as I'm quite shocked by how few prints I've gotten out of the original set!
Ah! On doing more research (I apologize for asking a question before I had done so!), I learned that a significant amount of the ink in the "initial" cartridges is consumed in the priming process. Phew! What a relief to learn!
Thanks for this information. I have experienced on my P900 that at least 20 A2 pictures where printed without problems, by swapping the cardrigde there were no stripes or anything showing. But I do think that the warning comes to soon. It is annoying.
Speaking of ink, I recently experienced a serious malfunction with my P900 after about a year & a half with that printer. And i soon realized I'd never gotten the extended warranty for that thing as originally intended. But i have an extra cartridge for each color needed for the printer. Actually, 2 extra yellows. So I face something of a quandary. I'll likely need to just replace this current P900 out of my own pocket, admittedly my mistake for forgetting to purchase that extended warranty. I'm torn between just splurging and buying the P5370 as my new printer, but if i do, all those perfectly good P900 replacement ink carts, still in their original packaging will go to waste. If I get another P900 with its starter ink set, I'll have at least 1.5 cartridges of every ink color, which i could get a lot of prints from. So I don't know. Also, the P5370 is overall, unproven, except for your unit, which is apparently working well. But so far Keith, you're the Only one on either side of the pond who's currently testing & reviewing that printer. So far, no one else is talking. Epson has made a few announcement or demonstration videos, but yours are the only in-depth videos with any truly useful information. No one in the DP Review Printer forum has said anything about having one & what their experience has been so far. So other than you, I'm only hearing crickets. So maybe no news is good news? No complaints so far, but then again, the 5300/5370 is brand new.
Whilst a few people have directly contacted me about getting a 5300/5370, they are not people doing reviews or likely to publicise their opinions. All that ink makes the new 900 a good idea, especially if you liked what you got from it when it was OK
I just bought a P5300 one month ago and I am impressed with the quality of it (built quality, paper handling and print quality). But it is not old enough to show aging problems. Out of the box it is an excellent printer with amazing results. I have also to confess that it is my first real pro photo printer, so difficult to compare with other models. Except from the flimsy ink cartridges door latches (thanks for your "blue tape" trick !), everything seems to be really sturdy and controlled in that printer. You are not athorized to print a sheet that is not perfectly aligned : the printer will tell you to remove the sheet and reintroduce it correctly. So far I am very happy with it.
@eba0014 Thanks for your user experience info on the P5300. Is it a finicky printer when it comes to paper handling? Kinda sounds like it is. And that was standard sheet paper instead of roll paper? I remember occasionally having paper feed alignment problems with roll paper back around 20 years ago with the Epson P4000. But never standard sheet paper, which always fed in straight without any drama. In the top rear feed that is. Funny or frustrating thing is though that I've Never been able to load any paper successfully into an Epson printer through the front feed. The top/rear feed works fine, but for me, that bleeping front feed is a lost cause. So I've since learned to not even bother trying. The thickest & heaviest paper I'll use will either be a baryta paper like the old Ilford GGFS or the Red River Big Bend baryta. Or a fine art matte type like Epson's Hot Press Natural. They've all loaded into the top rear feed on the P900 fine.
The paper handling on the P5300 is rock solid. Makes the P900 feel distinctly lightweight in comparison - I've tested a lot of papers in it so far Compared to the sp4000, the roll paper feed is years ahead. The powered roller has variable tensioning and very precise feed control. Remember that the chassis is based on the P5000 - most of which were sold for commercial proofing i.e. heavy daily use@@MrX-zz2vk
@KeithCooper 👍 Good and encouraging to know regarding the P5300/5370 roll feed. I'm likely to try one more P900, maybe a refurbished unit, and if it kicks the bucket after a year or two, then I'll upgrade to the 5370.
Hi Keith, first thank you for your insightfull video's. A question; if 'low ink' is shown with 8% of ink left, why doesn't Epson show when ink is 4% or 2%, with the numbers clearly visible? Epson might even forecast exactly before starting a print how much of every ink is required and if enough ink is left in the cartridge. Printing ink is very expensive and it's the revenue model of printer manufacturers. But showing how much ink is remained might take away an uncertainty and boost trust with the manufacturer. Do you happen to have contacts inside Epson to get a meaningfull response on this question?
The 8% number is just an arbitrary indication point to trigger the first warning. Remember that no printer knows how much ink is in a cart, just its best guess based on what has been printed or used in cleaning. My own personal view is that such numbers would be spurious precision, and liable to be mis-interpreted by all too many. I base this partly on my previous career doing usability research. The current system avoids actual numbers for very good reasons.
I was at the HUSAT Research Institute in Loughborough. Quite a range, but it included HCI and how people understood and communicated technical information - quite a difference from being an architectural photographer ;-) Before that I've been a geologist, marine surveyor and digital electronics designer @@ChNyst-u2g
Interesting careër. I have been an anesthesiologist and now on a pension. But already early in my training more than 30 years ago, I got interested in ergonomics / human factors as it is a major factor in safety. Not so long ago 'discovered' by producers of medical equipment and software. @@KeithCooper
Great video. Some day I will move away from epson luster and doing something more expensive and hopefully remember your ´parking warning catridges´ strategy! And now we know there must be some scotish ink... sorry blood in you ;-)
This point also belongs in your "What's wrong with modern printers" video. When the P700 (and similar ink feeder tube printers) dies, there could be a lot of ink in the tubes. Hundreds of pounds/dollars worth of ink thrown away. Do you know a way to syphon that ink out, and to save the ink to another cartridge?
Not so Im afraid - removing a cart can start a 'recharge process' as for a new cart. It applies to larger Canon printers in a slightly different way, due to them having secondary 'buffer' tanks internally. In these the cart can be run to empty.
Hi Keith. I have a question about the P900 : is it possible to print panoramic pictures without the paper roll option. I'd like to print some from time to time but not that often that I need paper rolls. Thanks for your answer.
@@KeithCooper Hi Keith, thank you for the answer. I just wanted to know if panoramic were possible without the roll paper device. I'm still not sure what to buy, Canon Pro 1000 (which is a bit old perhaps ?) or Epson P900, I try to compare.
The large format ones can be swapped. This doesn't matter quite as much since the ink system has a sub-tank buffering the system. The ink bag in the carts is properly empty when indicated. The PRO-1000 I can't remember... The PRO-200/300, no, ink will be lost in re-initialising
What’s your technique for ‘reactivating’ a cartridge that’s not low or only close to it to be recognised by the printer again? Sometimes I’m having to shake one stubborn light magenta cartridge on my p800 several times (inserted and disconnected over and over) before it’s recognised, not sure if there’s a less ignorant approach! The electronic connector tab is dirt or ink free too so I’m not sure the reason.
Hi Keith, thanks for that video: finally some good points on that! But still, what does the printer in case of low and even empty cartridge? Does it go in pause or something? In the case a cartridge is swapped with a low level one, what's happening with ink level management? Is it shown correctly? Thanks!
Warnings are just warnings - they don't stop printing initially. Then comes warnings that there may not be enough ink, you need to decide to proceed, then the cart is declared 'empty' Ink levels are stored in the chip on the cart, so are reported from the cart in the printer.
In my P700, the feeder tubes seem to be always full of ink. So, even if the cartridge becomes empty of ink, the printer should still have enough ink in the tubes to finish the print job. So, how did your printer run out of ink partway through a print job?
I think it might have more to do with whether there is enough ink in the lines to finish that job. I am not a printer technician but I suspect that although there is still ink in the lines, if it continues to print with an empty cartridge, one of two things might happen: If the line starts to fill with air because there is no more ink coming in from the cartridge, maybe that isn’t good for the print head, or it could lead to a line or head drying out, or the printer might decide it is no longer fully primed. (If the printer cannot re-prime just one line at a time, it may have to flush them all while filling the now partially empty tube, consuming a large quantity of expensive ink and the maintenance cartridge too.) To avoid problems, the printer might always require that all lines have an ink supply when printing, so that no line spends time partially emptied out. That might be why it refuses to continue if a cartridge can no longer keep its line filled. If the line and cartridge are sealed so that the line will not fill with air, having no ink come in to maintain pressure may cause a pressure/vacuum problem that makes the heads work harder than they’re designed to. But on this point I may be speculating too much…
You could be right in your assumptions. On my P700, I leave the cartridge alone even if it shows low ink. I print at A3+ size. I have not had a print stop partway because of lack of ink. Not yet. Could be pure luck. I only change the cartridge when the printer tells me to do so. Not telling anyone to follow what I do. Just passing on my own experience with my P700.
The P700 has a sealed system, so when the cart is truly empty, it has to stop. Air in the lines is bad news for any printer - this, along with flushing out the shipping fluid is what goes on in initialisation.
Where and when do you send your empty ink cartridges?? do you send them back to EPSON and is there a credit given for sending EPSON the empty cartridges. I am here in the US and wondered if they recycle the empty cartridges. Thank. Keith
Here in Norway I learned that ink catridges in general must be considered dangerous waste EXCEPT if they have a chip like level up printers have: then you deliver them as electronic waste wich can be done almost in any store :) The maintance tank I think I will take to the special depot no matter how many chip I see on it...
Thanks! I had no idea the carts on my P900 were swappable mid-print. I've yet to encounter that situation as IIRC, when a particular ink runs out completely, it won't print until I replace the cart. I've learned to ignore the "low" (and even "very low") indicators and wondered, if Print Layout were "smart" enough to detect that an insufficient quantity of a particular ink remained to complete the "current" print, would it alert me to replace the cart before printing? Perhaps such is the case, as I've never had it stop mid-print due to a lack of ink (it did disconcertingly pause multiple times during a recent print but I wonder of that was some sort of network problem, as I use it wirelessly).
The driver does get info from the printer and will [IIRC] flag an issue with an empty cart, but I can't remember the details from my testing [it was a couple of years ago]
I did try a large print recently on the P900 with a very low ink cartridge and was warned by the printer that there may not be enough ink to complete the image. No idea how "smart" it is when guessing that though.
@@DeannaLeaUnderTheSea GTK. Thx. I'd hate to waste a large sheet of archival paper due to a visible demarcation line between the old and new ink. I can't recall seeing the message you describe but I've yet to have a related problem. There really shouldn't be one anyway, as the print head stops after each pass, so it's not like it's going to just stop mid-pass.
I ignore the low ink warning and keep printing untill I get a Maintenance Error ->Replace Cartridge. So far I did it with 3 different cartridges and always got the error message after the print job was finishes and not in the middle. PS: just bought the P900 a couple of weeks ago
On my P900, I will get a message that I am out of ink but if I want to continue, I click on the "continue printing" icon and the print continues printing. Have never completely run out yet! I use weight to determine when I finally discard a cartridge.
Suggestion for new video. I'm having the devil's own time trying to download the iOS printer driver for the Epson SP 700 without airprint enabled. I want to print with the full driver options via a usb cable. I am more familiar with the Windows 10 operating system and downloading drivers for Windows machines is simple and straightforward. Not so familiar with Apple operating systems but I can't seem to either disable airprint, or get a usb driver option during the download process.
There is no mobile driver not using airprint AFAIK Mobile devices are pretty much broken from a colour management POV Did you actually mean ios? That's 'phone stuff' ;-) For a Mac [not ios thankfully] setup the driver from the epson.sn site, follow instructions very carefully. See my main written P700 review - this covers the issue, as does a specific 'not airprint' video I made. www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-sc-p700-printer-review/ Incidentally, there is no such thing as a 'USB driver' for example, just the driver for the printer. AirPrint is an optional driver - best totally avoided... ;-) Hope that helps - see any of my printer reviews on the site [p900 etc.] all done on Macs - I've not used a win PC this century ;-)
Hello Sir, hello everyone, Maybe I might get some help from You for my Epson P900. I print every week at least a Noozle Check or some A4 Fine Art Prints on Hahnemühle Matte paper. Yesterday I run a Noozle Check, all is perfect, except for the LGY which comes out with only few lines. I repeat it, and LGY it's totally blank. I replaced the LGY cartridge with a new one (the previous one was almost empty, that's the one given with the Printer). I repeated the head cleaning and the nozzle check alternately 3 times, no real progress, only printing 2 very small lines. I switched off the Printer, and waited around 18 hours, also removed-shacked-reinstalled the cartridge, haven't solved it. A Power Cleaning cannot be performed because most of the Ink Cartridges are very low, they are still those which came with the Printer (2 years and one month old). Any suggestions is very welcome, hopefully I don't have to send it to Service, the Warranty is also expired 😔 Thank You so much in advance! My greetings from Germany 😊
My only suggestion apart from noting that still having all the same ink tanks after two years is very light use, is to do just one nozzle check/clean at a time. Multiple ones just waste ink. It may be that you have to replace enough carts to do a full clean, but remember, the partial ones can be re-used
@@KeithCooper thank You, I really appreciate your time and reply! I printed 4 times a LGY "Purge Files", and no issue at all! Then Printed a Fine Art Drawing, made all of various gray shades, also no problem whatsoever, perfect quality. Still the Noozle Check print shows only 8 small lines. I have read that this isn't that rare, where a Noozle Check print shows small problems, but the Prints are flawless 🤷🏻♂️ Have you ever experienced that? Let's see what happens with time...
I have a P900. I find when I replace ink cartridges that the priming sequence sucks so much ink that I gave up doing one cart. If one is nearing empty and others are low, I'll replace the 'low' ones as well. I don't know of any way to get around the prime. I once had an Epson printer- can't remember the model- and the hype was it only primed the cartridge that was replaced. My P900 definitely primes all carts- I take screenshots of the before and after and it's a substantial change. Do you also see that on the 5300? Maybe that one only primes the one replaced?
This doesn't match how I've seen the 700/900/5000/5300 work when testing. Replacing an empty cart doesn't affect other ones, hence the ability to swap. On small cartridge printers like the PRO-300, there definitely is some interaction
I had exactly the same thing with my P900 as @robertnystrom289. LGY was empty and I changed the cartridge. When the printer was ready again, it showed me a different colour as empty without me having printed. So I replaced this cartridge as well. The game repeated itself until I replaced all (!) of them. Interestingly, the fill level of the service cartridge was significantly higher. Even LGY already shows a clear ink consumption. Again, without having printed a single print. The only way I can explain it is that the ink system is primed and other cartridges are also affected by a replacement. It was really very annoying. But thank you for the video and thank you for asking Epson @KeithCooper.
My experience (P900) is that the warning depends on the size of the print I'm going to make. My printer is happy to make another A4 size print for me (without the explicit text warning), while it really recommends to replace it before doing an A2 print. I did not document this behaviour so couldn't replicate the exact messages, but will do next time. Anybody else who saw this?
I have had a P900 for 2 years. I ignore the low warning and also that warning that it is low and may not be able to finish the print. I do this even though I have an A2 to print. I have not even yet had a print stop in the middle of the printing process. I have had some stop immediately after a print has finished. I only change when it won't print anymore due to an empty cartridge. This reminds me I will record the ink used after a low warning until it is declared empty using LFP Accounting software to see how much is actually used after the low warning.
Yes - I've personally long taken any warnings as 'advice' ;-) This video was perhaps more aimed at suggesting that people ditching a cart after the first warnings were throwing away ink ;-)
Thanks, that was the message I got before starting an A2 : "may not be able to finish the print" I obeyed and changed the cartridge but put it back in for smaller prints. @@Wairoakid
![Which is best? Epson P900 vs Epson P5300 [P5370] 17" A2 pigment ink printer shootout](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vAeJskE3ryc/mqdefault.jpg)
![Which is best? Epson P900 vs Epson P5300 [P5370] 17" A2 pigment ink printer shootout](/img/tr.png)
I have to give Epson kudos for how well their cartridges are sealed - the Matte Black in my old 3880 sat unused for *years*, but when I switched over to Matte, the printer fired of 25 A3+ prints without an issue!
Yes, the sealed ink system definitely helps stop ink going 'off' or drying. I do take carts out every six months or so and give them a good shake to eliminate settling.
This is a good tip on using a new cartridge for important prints then reloading the old one for not important prints.
Yes - I know the repeated 'warnings' do concern people, much like the low fuel light on my car, if Karen sees it ;-)
On the 3880 and P800, I have a few prints stop when a cartridge has run out. I replace it and the print carries on. I made a careful note where the print stopped. So far, neither others or myself have noticed where the print stopped and started again..
Yes, it's only a few specific papers where I've ever noticed any indication - and then no-body else did until I pointed it out ;-)
Great video. What I like about my Epson p700 is that it shows the levels of the ink cartridges so you can actually see how low the ink is before you need to change them.
Thanks
? How is that different? You don't change them until they are out, and you don't ever know how much of a specific color you are using for any given print.
Weighting them is a good idea 👍 If you weighed new and exhausted you could determine accurate % used / remaining upon weighing an in-use cartridge.
Not sure what this actually achieves? I do it out of curiosity when reviewing a printer, but for the P5000 here, I just trust the level indicators.
Thanks for this video, as I get" ink out" anxiety when printing. Now I know its not that much of a problem.
Recently updated my printer to P700 thanks to your videos even the guys from Epson suggested viewing your channel!
Thanks - glad it was of help ;-)
Hi Keith, thanks for your assistance so far.
I have seen comments else where, that suggest if you have a landscape photograph you rotate the image to a portrait profile prior to print output. Is this good practice or not?
(using P700)
thanks, Tony
Nope - that's something handled in the print/paper settings - no need whatsoever to do it as far as I know@@tonydavey4171
Another excellent video! We all know that you still have some ink left after the low ink warning, but loved the practical and detailed advice on how to handle. Also, kudos to Epson customer service. Had to get my p900 replaced under warranty due to paper feed issues. Took two units but they made it right. So different than dealing with my phone manufacturer😀
Now just have to set aside an afternoon to create a profile with my i1pro2!
Thanks
Ah, profiling... I'm so glad I was involved in the initial development of the i1iSis - my XL test unit [with a hand written serial number] makes profiling so much quicker. I suspect I'd make nowhere near as many profiles in my printer testing if I had to read them by hand - and definitely not with ~3k patches ;-)
@@KeithCooper I remember those reviews! Helped me with profiling even though I use another measurement device.
Amazed you never knocked that cup of tea over 😁
Ah, yes, my morning coffee... :-)
Your videos are always wonderfully helpful. Thank you.
Russ
Thanks for that!
Thanks Keith another informative video. It is a topic many people have concerns about who do their own printing. I am glad to see you are enjoying that cup of coffee. John
Thanks - always appreciate the coffees...
Great video Keith. Cleared up a lot of questions I had about ink usage. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Again; informative and to the point. Love these "take home messages" - I do not change cartridges at the first warning, but as of now I´m saving the "used ones" for A4 testprints. Thx ! 🙂
Thanks - I have a pile of assorted 'almost empty ones' on a shelf...
Hi Keith. Always good to see your videos. I will tell now my reality with my Canon IPF 6400. I've been using original carts since ever, and i have noticed something odd: printer dows not like to run in low ink.
Printer sends low ink warning, and there is still ink in the cart. And that printer i think it has a sub-tank that allows cart replacement when using the printer. But i have noticed that if i don't replace the ink cart when low ink warning appesars, i may have printhead related warnings, and it can result in printhead dammage. I had to replace printheads for 2 or 3 times, and all of them were about low ink in some cart.
I don't know if this makes sense, but... i will not risk again: printheads are not cheaper... last one was now in January. Replaced printhead, and the cart that was low, and everything is ok, now...
Interesting - I never saw this with my iPF8300, which had the same printhead and ink system [albeit a larger printer]
@@KeithCooper Yes, i know the model. But what can i say... i can't find other reason to printhead errors... The affected printhead was always from a ink line that was low. I can't explain why, but...
Good informational video Kieth
Thanks 👍
Hi Keith. Love your videos. I bought the p900 a couple of years ago after watching your channel for the first time. What I find with the ink is that when I let it run way past the warning - but still showing some ink on the printer display screen.. when I switch it takes a chunk of the new ink from the cartridge to charge.
Thanks
It seems that this could depend on how long the printer has not been used - a direct swap should not take any extra ink. I don't have a printer here to check, the system is meant to be swappable with no extra ink used.
@@KeithCooper thanks for the swift response. The printer is used a couple times a week. So it’s not maintenance related usage. I’m swapping out after printing to ensure next print is completed. So it’s just the charging.
Cheers P
Thanks - I'm checking up on this - not sure if I'll get a definitive answer though...
Great advice. I learned that even when it says 1% left, they'll print for a while. If you hold your mouse on the left side of the individual color, it will tell you the estimated ink level left. I'd also have to imagine that 1% in a larger cartridge is more than 1% on a smaller one (5300 vs 900).
Thanks
BTW, the mouse stuff - is this on a win PC?
Yes 1% is 2ml on the P5300, 0.5ml on the P900 and 0.25ml on the P700
I get the mouse stuff on a mac@@KeithCooperI guess a usefull feature, if I see 2% (3%?) I would not bother ´parking´ the catridge for that important print but if 1% do.
Thanks - which OS version? Mine's a bit old ;-)@@ArneHalvorsen63
@@KeithCooper Latest… but I discovered it by accident. Try moving the pointer slowly in the area of the name and the symbols and I guess you may find it to. Bit Easter egg this but well it is soon that time of the year!
Actually just tried, I get the hover when pointer is somewhere ON the bar.
thanks Keith it just confirms what I observed (as an amature-) for myself.. Cheers pal✔✔
Thanks - glad it was of interest!
Interesting. Thank you.
Thanks
Here in my printshop I order new cartridges, when the low warning appears. Never before. And I print smaller prints like you with the cartridges till they are empty. do you know how much ink is left in 350 and 700ml cartridges?
btw. It is a good idea to remove all cartridges every month and carefully shake them all together horizontally for 30 seconds to ensure a consistent pigment concentration.
350-700 that's Canon isn't it?
The actual details in this video are specifically for the Epson printers I mentioned.
The Canon ones are properly empty when indicating empty - In several of my larger Canon printer reviews, I've taken such carts apart to check.
Good point about shaking - I do this on big printers every 6 months, but it depends on the printer, since some have agitation built in.
My old iPF8300 used to just start up at times to agitate inks...
Thank you, our Epson Guru! I'm wondering whether the cartridges that come with the printer (I've a P700) contain less ink than the refills, as I'm quite shocked by how few prints I've gotten out of the original set!
Ah! On doing more research (I apologize for asking a question before I had done so!), I learned that a significant amount of the ink in the "initial" cartridges is consumed in the priming process. Phew! What a relief to learn!
yes, the 700 uses rather a lot in setting up - see
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-sc-p700-printer-review/
Thanks for this information. I have experienced on my P900 that at least 20 A2 pictures where printed without problems, by swapping the cardrigde there were no stripes or anything showing. But I do think that the warning comes to soon. It is annoying.
Yes - I didn't know it was as much as 8% at first notice. Then again I've always taken the first warning as a reminder to order ink... ;-)
Thank You very much! And BTW luv the channel.
Thank you too!
Speaking of ink, I recently experienced a serious malfunction with my P900 after about a year & a half with that printer. And i soon realized I'd never gotten the extended warranty for that thing as originally intended. But i have an extra cartridge for each color needed for the printer. Actually, 2 extra yellows. So I face something of a quandary.
I'll likely need to just replace this current P900 out of my own pocket, admittedly my mistake for forgetting to purchase that extended warranty. I'm torn between just splurging and buying the P5370 as my new printer, but if i do, all those perfectly good P900 replacement ink carts, still in their original packaging will go to waste.
If I get another P900 with its starter ink set, I'll have at least 1.5 cartridges of every ink color, which i could get a lot of prints from.
So I don't know. Also, the P5370 is overall, unproven, except for your unit, which is apparently working well. But so far Keith, you're the Only one on either side of the pond who's currently testing & reviewing that printer. So far, no one else is talking. Epson has made a few announcement or demonstration videos, but yours are the only in-depth videos with any truly useful information. No one in the DP Review Printer forum has said anything about having one & what their experience has been so far. So other than you, I'm only hearing crickets.
So maybe no news is good news?
No complaints so far, but then again, the 5300/5370 is brand new.
Whilst a few people have directly contacted me about getting a 5300/5370, they are not people doing reviews or likely to publicise their opinions.
All that ink makes the new 900 a good idea, especially if you liked what you got from it when it was OK
I just bought a P5300 one month ago and I am impressed with the quality of it (built quality, paper handling and print quality). But it is not old enough to show aging problems. Out of the box it is an excellent printer with amazing results. I have also to confess that it is my first real pro photo printer, so difficult to compare with other models. Except from the flimsy ink cartridges door latches (thanks for your "blue tape" trick !), everything seems to be really sturdy and controlled in that printer. You are not athorized to print a sheet that is not perfectly aligned : the printer will tell you to remove the sheet and reintroduce it correctly. So far I am very happy with it.
@eba0014 Thanks for your user experience info on the P5300. Is it a finicky printer when it comes to paper handling? Kinda sounds like it is. And that was standard sheet paper instead of roll paper?
I remember occasionally having paper feed alignment problems with roll paper back around 20 years ago with the Epson P4000. But never standard sheet paper, which always fed in straight without any drama. In the top rear feed that is.
Funny or frustrating thing is though that I've Never been able to load any paper successfully into an Epson printer through the front feed. The top/rear feed works fine, but for me, that bleeping front feed is a lost cause. So I've since learned to not even bother trying.
The thickest & heaviest paper I'll use will either be a baryta paper like the old Ilford GGFS or the Red River Big Bend baryta. Or a fine art matte type like Epson's Hot Press Natural. They've all loaded into the top rear feed on the P900 fine.
The paper handling on the P5300 is rock solid. Makes the P900 feel distinctly lightweight in comparison - I've tested a lot of papers in it so far
Compared to the sp4000, the roll paper feed is years ahead. The powered roller has variable tensioning and very precise feed control. Remember that the chassis is based on the P5000 - most of which were sold for commercial proofing i.e. heavy daily use@@MrX-zz2vk
@KeithCooper 👍 Good and encouraging to know regarding the P5300/5370 roll feed. I'm likely to try one more P900, maybe a refurbished unit, and if it kicks the bucket after a year or two, then I'll upgrade to the 5370.
Hi Keith, first thank you for your insightfull video's. A question; if 'low ink' is shown with 8% of ink left, why doesn't Epson show when ink is 4% or 2%, with the numbers clearly visible? Epson might even forecast exactly before starting a print how much of every ink is required and if enough ink is left in the cartridge. Printing ink is very expensive and it's the revenue model of printer manufacturers. But showing how much ink is remained might take away an uncertainty and boost trust with the manufacturer. Do you happen to have contacts inside Epson to get a meaningfull response on this question?
The 8% number is just an arbitrary indication point to trigger the first warning. Remember that no printer knows how much ink is in a cart, just its best guess based on what has been printed or used in cleaning.
My own personal view is that such numbers would be spurious precision, and liable to be mis-interpreted by all too many. I base this partly on my previous career doing usability research. The current system avoids actual numbers for very good reasons.
Thank you for your answer.
By the way, what type of usability research were you doïng? @@KeithCooper
I was at the HUSAT Research Institute in Loughborough. Quite a range, but it included HCI and how people understood and communicated technical information - quite a difference from being an architectural photographer ;-) Before that I've been a geologist, marine surveyor and digital electronics designer @@ChNyst-u2g
Interesting careër. I have been an anesthesiologist and now on a pension. But already early in my training more than 30 years ago, I got interested in ergonomics / human factors as it is a major factor in safety. Not so long ago 'discovered' by producers of medical equipment and software. @@KeithCooper
Thanks for much useful infio!
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Keith! Thanks for this video. What do you think about using the refillable inks for the P900?
Not something I'd ever do with one I owned - I quite value the warranty... ;-)
Great video. Some day I will move away from epson luster and doing something more expensive and hopefully remember your ´parking warning catridges´ strategy! And now we know there must be some scotish ink... sorry blood in you ;-)
Thanks ;-)
This point also belongs in your "What's wrong with modern printers" video.
When the P700 (and similar ink feeder tube printers) dies, there could be a lot of ink in the tubes. Hundreds of pounds/dollars worth of ink thrown away.
Do you know a way to syphon that ink out, and to save the ink to another cartridge?
There is not that much ink in the tubes...
Does the same principle apply to Canon? I do enjoy your videos - thanks
Not for smaller ink-cart printers. For larger ones, the ink system has a sub-tank, so the general idea of waiting to swap until you need to applies.
Thanks for the info, Keith. Do the same "rules" apply to lesser printers such as the Canon Pro 200?
Not so Im afraid - removing a cart can start a 'recharge process' as for a new cart.
It applies to larger Canon printers in a slightly different way, due to them having secondary 'buffer' tanks internally. In these the cart can be run to empty.
Very useful information, I assume that refilling cartridges is no longer possible these days, but how bad is using "compatible" I e., cheaper inks?
Thanks - not something I'd ever try with higher end printers like this - YMMV ;-)
Thank you good to no
Thanks
Hi Keith. I have a question about the P900 : is it possible to print panoramic pictures without the paper roll option. I'd like to print some from time to time but not that often that I need paper rolls.
Thanks for your answer.
Yes, it is, but I don't have a limit on the size I'm afraid.
I'd suggest asking on the printing forum at DPReview
@@KeithCooper Hi Keith, thank you for the answer.
I just wanted to know if panoramic were possible without the roll paper device.
I'm still not sure what to buy, Canon Pro 1000 (which is a bit old perhaps ?) or Epson P900, I try to compare.
The 1000 is indeed a bit old - likely to be available for at least a few months more...
@@KeithCooper Yes, but it's a good printer, may be we could get it for a good price
Thanks Keith. Is the same true for the Canon Prograff printers -ie. you can swop them in and out?
The large format ones can be swapped. This doesn't matter quite as much since the ink system has a sub-tank buffering the system. The ink bag in the carts is properly empty when indicated.
The PRO-1000 I can't remember... The PRO-200/300, no, ink will be lost in re-initialising
What’s your technique for ‘reactivating’ a cartridge that’s not low or only close to it to be recognised by the printer again? Sometimes I’m having to shake one stubborn light magenta cartridge on my p800 several times (inserted and disconnected over and over) before it’s recognised, not sure if there’s a less ignorant approach! The electronic connector tab is dirt or ink free too so I’m not sure the reason.
I've never had that issue - they just work, so I can't offer any advice there...
Do those large printers recharge (drain) all cartridges when one is replaced? That's what my P400 did.
No - that's the key point of this video...
Hi Keith, thanks for that video: finally some good points on that!
But still, what does the printer in case of low and even empty cartridge? Does it go in pause or something?
In the case a cartridge is swapped with a low level one, what's happening with ink level management? Is it shown correctly?
Thanks!
Warnings are just warnings - they don't stop printing initially. Then comes warnings that there may not be enough ink, you need to decide to proceed, then the cart is declared 'empty'
Ink levels are stored in the chip on the cart, so are reported from the cart in the printer.
In my P700, the feeder tubes seem to be always full of ink. So, even if the cartridge becomes empty of ink, the printer should still have enough ink in the tubes to finish the print job. So, how did your printer run out of ink partway through a print job?
I think it might have more to do with whether there is enough ink in the lines to finish that job.
I am not a printer technician but I suspect that although there is still ink in the lines, if it continues to print with an empty cartridge, one of two things might happen:
If the line starts to fill with air because there is no more ink coming in from the cartridge, maybe that isn’t good for the print head, or it could lead to a line or head drying out, or the printer might decide it is no longer fully primed. (If the printer cannot re-prime just one line at a time, it may have to flush them all while filling the now partially empty tube, consuming a large quantity of expensive ink and the maintenance cartridge too.) To avoid problems, the printer might always require that all lines have an ink supply when printing, so that no line spends time partially emptied out. That might be why it refuses to continue if a cartridge can no longer keep its line filled.
If the line and cartridge are sealed so that the line will not fill with air, having no ink come in to maintain pressure may cause a pressure/vacuum problem that makes the heads work harder than they’re designed to. But on this point I may be speculating too much…
You could be right in your assumptions.
On my P700, I leave the cartridge alone even if it shows low ink. I print at A3+ size. I have not had a print stop partway because of lack of ink. Not yet. Could be pure luck.
I only change the cartridge when the printer tells me to do so.
Not telling anyone to follow what I do. Just passing on my own experience with my P700.
The P700 has a sealed system, so when the cart is truly empty, it has to stop.
Air in the lines is bad news for any printer - this, along with flushing out the shipping fluid is what goes on in initialisation.
Where and when do you send your empty ink cartridges?? do you send them back to EPSON and is there a credit given for sending EPSON the empty cartridges. I am here in the US and wondered if they recycle the empty cartridges. Thank. Keith
You will need to check with Epson US
Epson UK does a disposal scheme for those that want it
Here in Norway I learned that ink catridges in general must be considered dangerous waste EXCEPT if they have a chip like level up printers have: then you deliver them as electronic waste wich can be done almost in any store :) The maintance tank I think I will take to the special depot no matter how many chip I see on it...
@@ArneHalvorsen63 - Just throw them in the trash.
Thanks! I had no idea the carts on my P900 were swappable mid-print. I've yet to encounter that situation as IIRC, when a particular ink runs out completely, it won't print until I replace the cart. I've learned to ignore the "low" (and even "very low") indicators and wondered, if Print Layout were "smart" enough to detect that an insufficient quantity of a particular ink remained to complete the "current" print, would it alert me to replace the cart before printing? Perhaps such is the case, as I've never had it stop mid-print due to a lack of ink (it did disconcertingly pause multiple times during a recent print but I wonder of that was some sort of network problem, as I use it wirelessly).
The driver does get info from the printer and will [IIRC] flag an issue with an empty cart, but I can't remember the details from my testing [it was a couple of years ago]
I did try a large print recently on the P900 with a very low ink cartridge and was warned by the printer that there may not be enough ink to complete the image. No idea how "smart" it is when guessing that though.
@@DeannaLeaUnderTheSea GTK. Thx. I'd hate to waste a large sheet of archival paper due to a visible demarcation line between the old and new ink. I can't recall seeing the message you describe but I've yet to have a related problem. There really shouldn't be one anyway, as the print head stops after each pass, so it's not like it's going to just stop mid-pass.
I ignore the low ink warning and keep printing untill I get a Maintenance Error ->Replace Cartridge. So far I did it with 3 different cartridges and always got the error message after the print job was finishes and not in the middle. PS: just bought the P900 a couple of weeks ago
On my P900, I will get a message that I am out of ink but if I want to continue, I click on the "continue printing" icon and the print continues printing. Have never completely run out yet! I use weight to determine when I finally discard a cartridge.
I've pulled a few apart over the years in my reviews [long before these videos] - There isn't usually much there when they say empty.
Hi! Could you please share the exact weight of an empty cartridge for the P900?
Thank you!
@@primaveraimages I'd have to look up the same as you. It is out there somewhere. I haven't had an empty one in a while.
Suggestion for new video.
I'm having the devil's own time trying to download the iOS printer driver for the Epson SP 700 without airprint enabled. I want to print with the full driver options via a usb cable. I am more familiar with the Windows 10 operating system and downloading drivers for Windows machines is simple and straightforward. Not so familiar with Apple operating systems but I can't seem to either disable airprint, or get a usb driver option during the download process.
There is no mobile driver not using airprint AFAIK
Mobile devices are pretty much broken from a colour management POV
Did you actually mean ios? That's 'phone stuff' ;-)
For a Mac [not ios thankfully] setup the driver from the epson.sn site, follow instructions very carefully. See my main written P700 review
- this covers the issue, as does a specific 'not airprint' video I made.
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-sc-p700-printer-review/
Incidentally, there is no such thing as a 'USB driver' for example, just the driver for the printer. AirPrint is an optional driver - best totally avoided... ;-)
Hope that helps - see any of my printer reviews on the site [p900 etc.] all done on Macs - I've not used a win PC this century ;-)
Hello Sir, hello everyone,
Maybe I might get some help from You for my Epson P900.
I print every week at least a Noozle Check or some A4 Fine Art Prints on Hahnemühle Matte paper.
Yesterday I run a Noozle Check, all is perfect, except for the LGY which comes out with only few lines. I repeat it, and LGY it's totally blank.
I replaced the LGY cartridge with a new one (the previous one was almost empty, that's the one given with the Printer).
I repeated the head cleaning and the nozzle check alternately 3 times, no real progress, only printing 2 very small lines.
I switched off the Printer, and waited around 18 hours, also removed-shacked-reinstalled the cartridge, haven't solved it.
A Power Cleaning cannot be performed because most of the Ink Cartridges are very low, they are still those which came with the Printer (2 years and one month old).
Any suggestions is very welcome, hopefully I don't have to send it to Service, the Warranty is also expired 😔
Thank You so much in advance!
My greetings from Germany 😊
My only suggestion apart from noting that still having all the same ink tanks after two years is very light use, is to do just one nozzle check/clean at a time. Multiple ones just waste ink. It may be that you have to replace enough carts to do a full clean, but remember, the partial ones can be re-used
@@KeithCooper thank You, I really appreciate your time and reply!
I printed 4 times a LGY "Purge Files", and no issue at all!
Then Printed a Fine Art Drawing, made all of various gray shades, also no problem whatsoever, perfect quality.
Still the Noozle Check print shows only 8 small lines.
I have read that this isn't that rare, where a Noozle Check print shows small problems, but the Prints are flawless 🤷🏻♂️
Have you ever experienced that?
Let's see what happens with time...
I have a P900. I find when I replace ink cartridges that the priming sequence sucks so much ink that I gave up doing one cart. If one is nearing empty and others are low, I'll replace the 'low' ones as well. I don't know of any way to get around the prime. I once had an Epson printer- can't remember the model- and the hype was it only primed the cartridge that was replaced. My P900 definitely primes all carts- I take screenshots of the before and after and it's a substantial change. Do you also see that on the 5300? Maybe that one only primes the one replaced?
This doesn't match how I've seen the 700/900/5000/5300 work when testing.
Replacing an empty cart doesn't affect other ones, hence the ability to swap.
On small cartridge printers like the PRO-300, there definitely is some interaction
It was a surprise to me. I have screenshots, for what it's worth.@@KeithCooper
Thanks - I'll ask at Epson, next time I'm there...
I had exactly the same thing with my P900 as @robertnystrom289. LGY was empty and I changed the cartridge. When the printer was ready again, it showed me a different colour as empty without me having printed. So I replaced this cartridge as well. The game repeated itself until I replaced all (!) of them. Interestingly, the fill level of the service cartridge was significantly higher. Even LGY already shows a clear ink consumption. Again, without having printed a single print. The only way I can explain it is that the ink system is primed and other cartridges are also affected by a replacement. It was really very annoying. But thank you for the video and thank you for asking Epson @KeithCooper.
Thanks for that - I have asked about it... @@ueber-flieger
My experience (P900) is that the warning depends on the size of the print I'm going to make.
My printer is happy to make another A4 size print for me (without the explicit text warning), while it really recommends to replace it before doing an A2 print.
I did not document this behaviour so couldn't replicate the exact messages, but will do next time.
Anybody else who saw this?
I don't have a P900 here to check, but I'll see what the P5300 does when I get low...
Interersting to hear.
When I got a change I will document it. Now I don't have anything more to share than an observation@@KeithCooper
I have had a P900 for 2 years. I ignore the low warning and also that warning that it is low and may not be able to finish the print. I do this even though I have an A2 to print. I have not even yet had a print stop in the middle of the printing process. I have had some stop immediately after a print has finished. I only change when it won't print anymore due to an empty cartridge. This reminds me I will record the ink used after a low warning until it is declared empty using LFP Accounting software to see how much is actually used after the low warning.
Yes - I've personally long taken any warnings as 'advice' ;-)
This video was perhaps more aimed at suggesting that people ditching a cart after the first warnings were throwing away ink ;-)
Thanks, that was the message I got before starting an A2 : "may not be able to finish the print"
I obeyed and changed the cartridge but put it back in for smaller prints.
@@Wairoakid
If you weigh a dead empty cartridge then you can weigh any cartridge and know how much the ink is in it.
Yes - I've pulled them apart in some reviews, just to show what empty means...