Keeping Epson x900 Series Printers Working Optimally

[spacegoose]

I am wondering if turning the printer on periodically, or every day, is enough to keep the inks flowing. If I don't print every day, I need to spend a good deal of time (and ink) power cleaning, etc. I have a second hand 4900 and have been pretty happy with it despite the hefty cost for ink.

Are there rules of thumb for keeping these printers running optimally?

[Don Dudenbostel]

I've had my 7800 since they came out and almost never have a head clog and often let it sit for a month without use. Some months I print a hundred or more 36" prints and other months it gets no use. Clogs are rare and when I've had one it only takes one or two leaning cycles. I also have a 2400 and rarely have clogs and only use it a few times a month.

My previous machines, 7600 & 2200, we're equally as dependable ad rarely clogged even after a period of non use.

In the next year I'm retiring and moving from humid east Tennessee to super dry Southern Arizona. I'm having concerns about clogs in that dry environment. I've read about serious clogging in those environments. Anyone with experience?

Epson machines automatically run cleaning cycles sometimes whether you like it or not.

[Preston]

I have an R2400. Given that it's typically pretty dry here in the western Sierra Foothills I run a quick 8x10 color print on a piece of plain paper about once per week. I've found that doing this keeps the heads clog-free. You can also run a simple nozzle check on a similar schedule.

Before I started doing this, I was getting clogs. They were not real bad, usually clearing with a couple of cleaning cycles, but it was costly in terms of ink use.

Based upon my experience, I think any printer (even my HP Office Jet) likes to be used. Your mileage may vary, of course, but running a quick print every once in a while really does appear to help.

--P