Frequently Asked Questions
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My computer is telling me that "parts inside the printer need replacing" or my printer has stopped printing and I have red lights flashing alternatively...
If you perform lots of head cleans then the printer will inform you that parts inside your printer are getting to the end of their life or need replacing. You may see this message a few times and then the printer will stop printing completely and possibly you will have red lights flashing alternatively on the printer.
The issue is caused because the printer "counts" how many times you perform a head clean. Each head clean consumes some ink and this ink has to go somewhere. It goes into the base of the printer into something called the "waste ink pad". This is much like a large pad of blotting paper and once the printer thinks this is "full" or "saturated" then it tells you that parts inside the printer need replacing and as a safety measure it will stop printing altogether.
Often the waste pad doesn't need replacing in the A4/ A3 printers as the ink may evaporate over time and the pad may be damp with ink or just discoloured. Either way it won't need physically replacing.
There are a number of ways of overcoming this problem. The most expensive way is to get the waste pad replaced by Epson. This may cost more than the cost of the printer though! Much cheaper ways are either to take the printer to an Epson Authorised Repair Centre (details on www.epson.co.uk) or to download a free utility and do it yourself.
On some of the older Epson printers you can download a utility called the SSC Utility (a Google search for this will bring up the small download). For the newer range of Epson printers you will need a different download (http://www.wasteink.co.uk/epson-ipr-reset/ or http://www.octoink.co.uk/categories/Waste-Ink-Kits/Reset-Utilities/). These downloads enable you to reset the waste ink pad to empty (effectively making the printer believe that the waste ink pad has been replaced) and enabling you to continue printing. -
I've installed the EasyFlow system into my printer but the red light remains...
This is often a result of the cartridges not being FIRMLY inserted properly. The small chips on the cartridges must make good contact with the printer and it is a firm insertion that is required. We would recommend you unclip the cartridges and press firmly down with full body pressuring using both thumbs to push the cartridges in at the front and back (each on individually) so they click into place.
If that doesn't work it might be that the cartridges need to be reset. To do this press the orange button on the front of the printer and the cartridges will move towards the centre.
At that point, press and hold the reset button on the cartridges for 5 seconds. Then press the orange light button again on the printer and the cartridges will move a fraction - press and hold the reset button again for 5 seconds. Keep on repeating this until the cartridges return to the cartridge exchange position and again, press and hold the reset button. Switch off and switch back on the printer and the light should go off and you can start printing. If this does not work then the cartridges are not inserted FIRMLY in the printer. -
Sometimes when an item is printed it warps slightly as it cools, e.g. placemats, jigsaw backings, sunscreens etc. How can I stop this?
As soon as the item is removed from the heat press place it under a large heavy object and allow it to cool naturally. This should stop the warp. If necessary you can re-press the item for about 20 seconds and then place it under a large heavy object.
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How do I make sure the printable face of the wallet is kept flat when printing to get a good image?
We use a piece of 1.6mm thick silicon rubber and place this inside the wallet just behind the white printable face. When the press is engaged the silicon rubber gives a perfectly flat print area and the image is then transferred. We would also recommend a medium to firm pressure to ensure a good flat pressing surface.
This technique can also be used for other items when a flat print area is required but the stitching of the material at the edges may cause the centre of the press area to be indented, e.g. tote bags, shoulder bags, sunscreens etc. -
Do we need a template for printing items?
It isn't absolutely necessary. The template is only a space that you use to lay out your image and use it to get the image the right size. You should be able to create a new document in, say Photoshop, to the size you want the image to be. A mug for example has a printable space of 200mm x 85mm, but we know some customers that print 210mm x 90mm or some even smaller. The size is entirely up to you to decide, not really something that has to fit within a template that you use from another company. Coasters for example vary in size, some are 100mm square, others 90mm square and we suggest to all our customers that you should give a bleed of about 2 - 3mm on the maximum size of the printable area to enable you to position the item correctly. With all our products (and anyone elses) all you need to do is measure the maximum width and height and create a New document in PhotoShop (or Corel Draw) to that size at 300dpi. This is the maximum printable space but the actual size of the image you put into that maximum space is entirely up to you.
There are templates available for all the UniSub products that we offer and this is at www.unisubgraphics.com/templates/outlinedrawingsjump.html (please copy and paste the URL into your browser). -
Installing the Sublimation ICC Profile to Vista
If you are having problems automatically installing the ICC profile to your Vista computer then you can copy it manually. To do this locate the file on your CD and right hand click and select COPY.
Within Vista click on the start icon, select Computer and double click on the C drive. Locate the Windows directory (double click), next locate the System32 directory (double click), next locate the Spool directory (double click), next the Printers directory (double click) and finally the Color directory (double click).
Within the Color directory right hand click on any white space and select PASTE. The ICC profile will now be copied to this directory which is the same process as installing the profile.
Within your graphic package you should now be able to append the profile according to the instructions provided. -
How to reset the D120 chips
If the D120 reports that the sublimation ink cartridges cannot be recognised then this means the chips have to be reset using the chip reset button already fitted to the cartridges.
The cartridges need to be in the removal position before using the reset switch, to do this you need to press the ink button this will move the carriage to the middle of the printer where the little arrow on the printer housing will indicate which cartridge is empty. If all carts are reading empty then the ink button will need to be pressed 5 times before the carriage moves back to the removal position on the right hand side of the printer and the printer needs to remain switched on throughout the process.
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My print quality on my Epson printer has deteriorated and I cannot get a good nozzle check pattern despite many head cleans...
You should perform up to 4 head cleans with nozzle check patterns to see if this clears the problem but if not then the problem could be caused by several factors and this section may help...
(1) one problem could be that the ink in the cartridges has an air lock and you may need to re-prime your system. Many of the new EasyFlow systems allow the cartridges to be re-primed without removing then from the printer. Looking at the cartridges you will see where the ink tubes enter the cartridge and towards the back of the cartridges (where the chip block is) there will be a small round rubber bung with an indent in the centre (like a bullseye of a dart board - but smaller). Using the sharp syringe supplied with your system push this through the centre indent and then pull back slowly on the syringe body and this will pull ink from the bottles, through the tubes and refill the cartridge. Any ink in the syringe can be put back in the bottles. Clean the syringe with warm water, dry and move to the next cartridge. Once all the cartridges has been re-primed then you can try a further set of head cleans and nozzle checks.
If after 4 head cleans you do not get a good nozzle check then do NOT continue to clean the printer as you will simply flood it with ink. You must let the printer rest for at least an hour before performing any further head cleaning.
(2) If re-priming does not solve the problem then the problem may lie with the printer head or the ink flow through the printer. One way of checking the printer is to remove the EasyFlow cartridges from the printer and insert the genuine cartridges that were supplied with the printer. Put these in and do a head clean/ nozzle check to see if the quality of print improves. You may need to do a few of these or leave overnight once head cleaning has been performed to get a good nozzle check pattern. If this does not resolve the problem then the printer head may be blocked and you should contact Epson for a local repair centre.
If you get a good nozzle check pattern using the genuine cartridges then try putting the EasyFlow system back in, re-prime and perform a head clean/ nozzle check. This should resolve many of the problems, but if the quality reduces quickly then there may be a problem with the ink flow of the EasyFlow system. Your original supplier of the inks may be able to supply a replacement cartridge and tube assembly, ready filled with sublimation ink for fitting to your existing system. This is a simple replacement part which is connected to the bottles where the series of lock nuts are located (a charge may apply for a replacement cartridge and tube assembly).
(3) Other less common problems might be that there is a blockage in the EasyFlow system. You can disconnect the cartridges from the bottles by undoing the coloured lock nuts next to the bottles. Try pulling ink from the bottles to the lock nut (with the syringe without a needle) and also from the cartridges to the lock nut. A blockage can only occur here if the system has been left unused for a considerable length of time. -
I am pressing t-shirts and find that the outline of the sheet of paper leaves a impression on the shirt. Can this be avoided?
A useful tip here it to tear the edges of the paper roughly before you press onto your t-shirt (avoiding the image of course). This gives a rough edge to the print and can remove the impression of the paper.
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I am having problems getting my Artainuim EasyFlow System to connect into my printer or ink to flow through the system properly
We have a similar question on here which offers support for how to get a good nozzle check pattern if you have tried cleaning your heads numerous times without success. This is referred to above as "My print quality on my Epson printer has deteriorated and I cannot get a good nozzle check pattern despite many head cleans..."
We would suggest you refer to that FAQ first and if that doesn't resolve the issue then download this more extensive maintenance guide which is available from the link below (copy and paste this link into your Internet Browser)...
http://www.printerowners.co.uk/docs/maintenanceguide.pdf