Any programs to automatically print a page to avoid clogging?

[soloryb]

Thanks. Other threads I have read on here, and at LuLu, suggest that the Canon wide format iPFx400 printers will initiate a cleaning cycle every 4-5 days and that cleaning cycle is sufficiently wasteful that at least the trial cartridges on the iPF6400 can be used up over the course of time (I don't believe I have seen an exact claim of how much time). Some posters suggest that running a print thru every 3-4 days is more economical and will avoid clogging in printers left in sleep mode. Since the iPFx400 printers have print heads with redundant nozzles I don't think that the overheating or worsening a clog problem are that relevant. The hope is to simply avoid clogs in the first place in order to extend the life of the relatively expensive print heads. On the question of running a nozzle check or printing a test page, it has always seemed to me that a nozzle check doesn't use enough ink to really keep the nozzles clear but I have no evidence that is true.

This is all new to me and the iPF8400 doesn't even get delivered to me until next week but I am trying to get a head start on the learning curve and avoid some of the most obvious problems of putting a behemoth like that into a non-production environment. I probably should have just outsourced any large format prints to somebody like West Coast Imaging but I have a penny wise, pound foolish side. Perversely, spending $3000 up front in order to print at 10-20% of what an outside lab would cost somehow makes sense to me LOL. Plus I wanted to give myself a new toy for Christmas!

Paul,

I'm following this thread closely. I am in almost the exact same boat as you. I've recently purchased an iPF8400, and I'm concerned about idle ink usage.

I received mine a couple of weeks ago, and finally got it all set up and working last weekend. So far I have a couple of test prints on 13 x 19 semi-gloss paper and one 24 x 36 on a 24" roll of gloss paper that I loaded. The operation is very straight-forward, and I'm happy with the print quality so far.

I'm a little disappointed with the coverage on cut sheets. The maximum size I've been able to coax out of it on the long side of a 13 x 19 sheet is only 17.90 inches.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your new toy. I know I will.

Kurt

Hi Kurt,

I confess I didn't look closely at the specs for the minimum margins allowed on the iPF8400. I never print borderless so I simply didn't expect there to be an issue. I take it you are finding the printer forces you to specify at least a 1.05" margin? Is that only with sheet paper? That would be irritating. On 13x19" paper I usually use a 0.5" border and on 17x22" I typically use 1" borders so that would be less of an issue.

I am still planning on keeping my Epson 3880 though I haven't figured out where to put it. Who would have thought photography was so space consuming LOL. I suppose I can always print smaller sheets with that.

The folks at Harvey Head Cleaner did respond to my email. It doesn't sound like they have any direct experience with the iPFx400 printers but they did send me a link to a 30 day trial version of their program and asked me to let them know how well it worked.

I also looked into Qimage Ultimate. I haven't used the program yet but I did download a copy. The Unclog feature seems to really just be a bitmap image that the program generates where you can customize the colors that are printed if you choose. I think the claim is that the pattern that is printed somehow "pulses" the nozzles in a way that may help clear clogs. I couldn't tell how well that pattern would work with a 12 ink printer like the iPF8400. I also wasn't able to discover a way to schedule Qimage to regularly print the Unclog image. It might be possible but the help didn't have anything when you searched "schedule". And, personally, I didn't like the programs interface.

My printer comes early next week. Let's stay in touch. Hopefully we can reduce our learning curve by sharing tips and tricks!

Paul

Paul,

I think that Nozzle Unclog routine in QImage is more than just a bit map. Whatever it is, this thing works. Several months ago I had a blocked cyan nozzle on my 3880 and QImage was the only way I was able to fix it after trying everything else for 2-days.

soloryb

 

[PaulR]

Thanks. Other threads I have read on here, and at LuLu, suggest that the Canon wide format iPFx400 printers will initiate a cleaning cycle every 4-5 days and that cleaning cycle is sufficiently wasteful that at least the trial cartridges on the iPF6400 can be used up over the course of time (I don't believe I have seen an exact claim of how much time). Some posters suggest that running a print thru every 3-4 days is more economical and will avoid clogging in printers left in sleep mode. Since the iPFx400 printers have print heads with redundant nozzles I don't think that the overheating or worsening a clog problem are that relevant. The hope is to simply avoid clogs in the first place in order to extend the life of the relatively expensive print heads. On the question of running a nozzle check or printing a test page, it has always seemed to me that a nozzle check doesn't use enough ink to really keep the nozzles clear but I have no evidence that is true.

This is all new to me and the iPF8400 doesn't even get delivered to me until next week but I am trying to get a head start on the learning curve and avoid some of the most obvious problems of putting a behemoth like that into a non-production environment. I probably should have just outsourced any large format prints to somebody like West Coast Imaging but I have a penny wise, pound foolish side. Perversely, spending $3000 up front in order to print at 10-20% of what an outside lab would cost somehow makes sense to me LOL. Plus I wanted to give myself a new toy for Christmas!

Paul,

I'm following this thread closely. I am in almost the exact same boat as you. I've recently purchased an iPF8400, and I'm concerned about idle ink usage.

I received mine a couple of weeks ago, and finally got it all set up and working last weekend. So far I have a couple of test prints on 13 x 19 semi-gloss paper and one 24 x 36 on a 24" roll of gloss paper that I loaded. The operation is very straight-forward, and I'm happy with the print quality so far.

I'm a little disappointed with the coverage on cut sheets. The maximum size I've been able to coax out of it on the long side of a 13 x 19 sheet is only 17.90 inches.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your new toy. I know I will.

Kurt

Hi Kurt,

I confess I didn't look closely at the specs for the minimum margins allowed on the iPF8400. I never print borderless so I simply didn't expect there to be an issue. I take it you are finding the printer forces you to specify at least a 1.05" margin? Is that only with sheet paper? That would be irritating. On 13x19" paper I usually use a 0.5" border and on 17x22" I typically use 1" borders so that would be less of an issue.

I am still planning on keeping my Epson 3880 though I haven't figured out where to put it. Who would have thought photography was so space consuming LOL. I suppose I can always print smaller sheets with that.

The folks at Harvey Head Cleaner did respond to my email. It doesn't sound like they have any direct experience with the iPFx400 printers but they did send me a link to a 30 day trial version of their program and asked me to let them know how well it worked.

I also looked into Qimage Ultimate. I haven't used the program yet but I did download a copy. The Unclog feature seems to really just be a bitmap image that the program generates where you can customize the colors that are printed if you choose. I think the claim is that the pattern that is printed somehow "pulses" the nozzles in a way that may help clear clogs. I couldn't tell how well that pattern would work with a 12 ink printer like the iPF8400. I also wasn't able to discover a way to schedule Qimage to regularly print the Unclog image. It might be possible but the help didn't have anything when you searched "schedule". And, personally, I didn't like the programs interface.

My printer comes early next week. Let's stay in touch. Hopefully we can reduce our learning curve by sharing tips and tricks!

Paul

Paul,

I think that Nozzle Unclog routine in QImage is more than just a bit map. Whatever it is, this thing works. Several months ago I had a blocked cyan nozzle on my 3880 and QImage was the only way I was able to fix it after trying everything else for 2-days.

soloryb

I have no idea although you can actually find the .bmp file QImage generates in the /save subdirectory in QImages's program folder. Since I believe QImage is still sending everything through the printer's driver I don't believe the program controls the printer in any direct way unlike a RIP.

I did find what may be the scheduling mechanism within QImage. It was staring me right in the face. In the Unclog set up page there is a little section that seems to let you set a "delay" between print pages that includes days so perhaps you could simply specify that it print 30 pages with a 3 day delay between them and then just leave it running in the background.

 

[soloryb]

Paul,

I think that Nozzle Unclog routine in QImage is more than just a bit map. Whatever it is, this thing works. Several months ago I had a blocked cyan nozzle on my 3880 and QImage was the only way I was able to fix it after trying everything else for 2-days.

soloryb

I have no idea although you can actually find the .bmp file QImage generates in the /save subdirectory in QImages's program folder. Since I believe QImage is still sending everything through the printer's driver I don't believe the program controls the printer in any direct way unlike a RIP.

I did find what may be the scheduling mechanism within QImage. It was staring me right in the face. In the Unclog set up page there is a little section that seems to let you set a "delay" between print pages that includes days so perhaps you could simply specify that it print 30 pages with a 3 day delay between them and then just leave it running in the background.

That print nozzle unclog pattern appears to involve more than just a bit map. Each selected nozzle pulses ink by turning on and off rapidly during the process. I think this is why it works so well in freeing up clogs. He explains it on a YouTube video.

This worked fine on my 3880 but I'm not so sure I want to try it on the ipf6400, since there may be a potential to overheat the nozzles with such Canon WF printers. Besides, with the Canon this may never become necessary (I hope).

Does that 'scheduling mechanism' (delay between print pages) work if QI is off or if the computer and/or printer is off during the delay period?

soloryb

 

[Philnw2]

I've read that any time the 3880 is turned on, it does a mini-clean. So turning the machine on once a week to do a nozzle check, also gets all the carts cycled a bit. No print page required, IMO.

 

[JulesJ]

Regardless of the printer brand there appears to be a consensus that the easiest way to avoid a problem with the printer is to make sure you print a page, or at least a nozzle check, every 2-3 days in order to avoid clogging. Since I travel a lot (and am lazy) that simply isn't possible for me.

It seems like that should be a very easy thing to have a simple utility program running in the background do but I haven't found any mention of one in my searches. Does anybody know of a utility like that, hopefully free or cheap? I am using Windows 7 and 8.

You can create an Action in Photoshop that creates and prints a page with a small amount of all the colors. Then from that Action you can create a Droplet, which is an .exe file that starts Photoshop and executes the Action.

I think you can create a task in Windows that starts the Droplet every few days, although I never tried.

--
Philip

Yes, I do that. I have created an image with varying sized dots/circles of different colour with white space between them causing the different nozzles to have to keep printing ink and not. It seems to work well. It is also easy to create a new page using a certain colour if one head is giving over distant trouble.

 

[Leon Wittwer]

For Epsons, the only thing you need to do is to keep power to the printer and turn the printer on and off once every week or so. I have kept Epsons working fine for many months without doing a single print but with an on/off cycle once every one or two weeks. YMMV.

 

[tr4driver]

Thanks. Other threads I have read on here, and at LuLu, suggest that the Canon wide format iPFx400 printers will initiate a cleaning cycle every 4-5 days and that cleaning cycle is sufficiently wasteful that at least the trial cartridges on the iPF6400 can be used up over the course of time (I don't believe I have seen an exact claim of how much time). Some posters suggest that running a print thru every 3-4 days is more economical and will avoid clogging in printers left in sleep mode. Since the iPFx400 printers have print heads with redundant nozzles I don't think that the overheating or worsening a clog problem are that relevant. The hope is to simply avoid clogs in the first place in order to extend the life of the relatively expensive print heads. On the question of running a nozzle check or printing a test page, it has always seemed to me that a nozzle check doesn't use enough ink to really keep the nozzles clear but I have no evidence that is true.

This is all new to me and the iPF8400 doesn't even get delivered to me until next week but I am trying to get a head start on the learning curve and avoid some of the most obvious problems of putting a behemoth like that into a non-production environment. I probably should have just outsourced any large format prints to somebody like West Coast Imaging but I have a penny wise, pound foolish side. Perversely, spending $3000 up front in order to print at 10-20% of what an outside lab would cost somehow makes sense to me LOL. Plus I wanted to give myself a new toy for Christmas!

Paul,

I'm following this thread closely. I am in almost the exact same boat as you. I've recently purchased an iPF8400, and I'm concerned about idle ink usage.

I received mine a couple of weeks ago, and finally got it all set up and working last weekend. So far I have a couple of test prints on 13 x 19 semi-gloss paper and one 24 x 36 on a 24" roll of gloss paper that I loaded. The operation is very straight-forward, and I'm happy with the print quality so far.

I'm a little disappointed with the coverage on cut sheets. The maximum size I've been able to coax out of it on the long side of a 13 x 19 sheet is only 17.90 inches.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your new toy. I know I will.

Kurt

Hi Kurt,

I confess I didn't look closely at the specs for the minimum margins allowed on the iPF8400. I never print borderless so I simply didn't expect there to be an issue. I take it you are finding the printer forces you to specify at least a 1.05" margin? Is that only with sheet paper? That would be irritating. On 13x19" paper I usually use a 0.5" border and on 17x22" I typically use 1" borders so that would be less of an issue.

I am still planning on keeping my Epson 3880 though I haven't figured out where to put it. Who would have thought photography was so space consuming LOL. I suppose I can always print smaller sheets with that.

The folks at Harvey Head Cleaner did respond to my email. It doesn't sound like they have any direct experience with the iPFx400 printers but they did send me a link to a 30 day trial version of their program and asked me to let them know how well it worked.

I also looked into Qimage Ultimate. I haven't used the program yet but I did download a copy. The Unclog feature seems to really just be a bitmap image that the program generates where you can customize the colors that are printed if you choose. I think the claim is that the pattern that is printed somehow "pulses" the nozzles in a way that may help clear clogs. I couldn't tell how well that pattern would work with a 12 ink printer like the iPF8400. I also wasn't able to discover a way to schedule Qimage to regularly print the Unclog image. It might be possible but the help didn't have anything when you searched "schedule". And, personally, I didn't like the programs interface.

My printer comes early next week. Let's stay in touch. Hopefully we can reduce our learning curve by sharing tips and tricks!

Paul

Paul,

Here's the scoop on cut sheet margins...

The printer does require 0.20" on the leading and left and right edges and 0.90" on the trailing edge.

This is a little disappointing since I had hoped to use the printer to print 12 x 18 prints on 13 x 19 paper (preferably centered).

Kurt

 

[PaulR]

Thanks. Other threads I have read on here, and at LuLu, suggest that the Canon wide format iPFx400 printers will initiate a cleaning cycle every 4-5 days and that cleaning cycle is sufficiently wasteful that at least the trial cartridges on the iPF6400 can be used up over the course of time (I don't believe I have seen an exact claim of how much time). Some posters suggest that running a print thru every 3-4 days is more economical and will avoid clogging in printers left in sleep mode. Since the iPFx400 printers have print heads with redundant nozzles I don't think that the overheating or worsening a clog problem are that relevant. The hope is to simply avoid clogs in the first place in order to extend the life of the relatively expensive print heads. On the question of running a nozzle check or printing a test page, it has always seemed to me that a nozzle check doesn't use enough ink to really keep the nozzles clear but I have no evidence that is true.

This is all new to me and the iPF8400 doesn't even get delivered to me until next week but I am trying to get a head start on the learning curve and avoid some of the most obvious problems of putting a behemoth like that into a non-production environment. I probably should have just outsourced any large format prints to somebody like West Coast Imaging but I have a penny wise, pound foolish side. Perversely, spending $3000 up front in order to print at 10-20% of what an outside lab would cost somehow makes sense to me LOL. Plus I wanted to give myself a new toy for Christmas!

Paul,

I'm following this thread closely. I am in almost the exact same boat as you. I've recently purchased an iPF8400, and I'm concerned about idle ink usage.

I received mine a couple of weeks ago, and finally got it all set up and working last weekend. So far I have a couple of test prints on 13 x 19 semi-gloss paper and one 24 x 36 on a 24" roll of gloss paper that I loaded. The operation is very straight-forward, and I'm happy with the print quality so far.

I'm a little disappointed with the coverage on cut sheets. The maximum size I've been able to coax out of it on the long side of a 13 x 19 sheet is only 17.90 inches.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your new toy. I know I will.

Kurt

Hi Kurt,

I confess I didn't look closely at the specs for the minimum margins allowed on the iPF8400. I never print borderless so I simply didn't expect there to be an issue. I take it you are finding the printer forces you to specify at least a 1.05" margin? Is that only with sheet paper? That would be irritating. On 13x19" paper I usually use a 0.5" border and on 17x22" I typically use 1" borders so that would be less of an issue.

I am still planning on keeping my Epson 3880 though I haven't figured out where to put it. Who would have thought photography was so space consuming LOL. I suppose I can always print smaller sheets with that.

The folks at Harvey Head Cleaner did respond to my email. It doesn't sound like they have any direct experience with the iPFx400 printers but they did send me a link to a 30 day trial version of their program and asked me to let them know how well it worked.

I also looked into Qimage Ultimate. I haven't used the program yet but I did download a copy. The Unclog feature seems to really just be a bitmap image that the program generates where you can customize the colors that are printed if you choose. I think the claim is that the pattern that is printed somehow "pulses" the nozzles in a way that may help clear clogs. I couldn't tell how well that pattern would work with a 12 ink printer like the iPF8400. I also wasn't able to discover a way to schedule Qimage to regularly print the Unclog image. It might be possible but the help didn't have anything when you searched "schedule". And, personally, I didn't like the programs interface.

My printer comes early next week. Let's stay in touch. Hopefully we can reduce our learning curve by sharing tips and tricks!

Paul

Paul,

Here's the scoop on cut sheet margins...

The printer does require 0.20" on the leading and left and right edges and 0.90" on the trailing edge.

This is a little disappointing since I had hoped to use the printer to print 12 x 18 prints on 13 x 19 paper (preferably centered).

Kurt

That is disappointing. It sounds like I will definitely have to keep the 3880 around to handle smaller sheets. I assume this limitation doesn't exist with roll paper? Although from what I've read having to frequently switch between 13" and larger rolls would get irritating fast.

 

[tr4driver]

Paul,

Here's the scoop on cut sheet margins...

The printer does require 0.20" on the leading and left and right edges and 0.90" on the trailing edge.

This is a little disappointing since I had hoped to use the printer to print 12 x 18 prints on 13 x 19 paper (preferably centered).

Kurt

That is disappointing. It sounds like I will definitely have to keep the 3880 around to handle smaller sheets. I assume this limitation doesn't exist with roll paper? Although from what I've read having to frequently switch between 13" and larger rolls would get irritating fast.

That's correct. The limitation is not an issue with roll media. When using roll media, borderless printing can be turned on and there is no left/right or leading/trailing border requirement.

Changing between roll media and cut sheets is a fairly simple task. Canon recommends that the roll be removed completely to prevent jams, but I've run a couple of cut sheets through with the roll disengaged (but still mounted) without any problems.

I'm still trying to decide what my best solution for printing is. I have always used Lightroom for printing, and this printer certainly works with Lightroom using the standard print driver; however, based on my research, the supplied Photoshop plugin may be a better option. Unfortunately, I have never actually used Photoshop, nor do I own a copy of it. I'm not sure if the plugin works with the Elements version of Photoshop.

Kurt