Bulk Ink Systems - Support
Continuous Ink System - Support
Bottle Height
The height at which the bottles are in relation to the printer / system is very important, if the bottles are to high ink may well pool on the paper, too low and ink will drain out of the cartridges back into the bottles. The bottles should be kept at the height of the printer at all times, unless of course the instructions state otherwise.
When to Refill
The bottles should be kept topped up and the level of ink should never be less than at least a third. When refilling leave about 30mm clearance from the top, do not overfill.
Can I change the ink type in the CIS
We do not recommend trying to change the ink type in a CIS, it can be extremely difficult to remove all traces of the previous inkset which will continue to contaminate your prints.
Should I flush my system before installing
There is no real need to flush your system with cleaning fluid before installing a CIS, you should however do a nozzle check and clean before installing and also after the system is installed.
After installing the CIS should be left for a period of 24 hours to allow any air in the system to dissipate, if after 24 hours air is still present call our technical support line for instructions on how to remove this.
After installing I have air trapped in the ink tubes
Bottles in rack at side type CIS - Carefully remove the cartridge that has the tube with air bubbles in and turn the cartridge so the ink nozzle is facing upwards. Ideally you should place the cartridge inside a bowl to avoid ink spillage and have some paper towels to hand.
Then gently blow down the little breather tube in the top of bottle, this will cause ink to come out from the nozzle, when a steady flow of ink is coming out of the nozzle ( not foam but solid ink ) the air has been removed.
Remove any excess ink from the outside of the cartridge and place back into the printer. You should wait a couple of hours and then perform a nozzle check before using the system.
Tanks at side (new style) - Clamp the tubes. Carefully remove the cartridge that has the tube with air bubbles in and turn the cartridge so the ink nozzle is facing upwards. Ideally you should place the cartridge inside a bowl to avoid ink spillage and have some paper towels to hand.
Then re-prime the cartridge using the syringe and tapered adapter provided in the CIS kit by following the priming instructions in the installation guide.This will remove the air from the tube causing a steady flow of ink to go into the syringe. When about 5ml of solid ink (not foam) is evidenced, the air has been removed.
Remove any excess ink from the outside of the cartridge and place back into the printer. The ink in the syringe can be placed back in the tank and re-used. Release the clamps. You should wait a couple of hours and then perform a nozzle check before using the system.
Considerations before purchasing a Bulk Ink System
Things to consider before buying
Continuous bulk ink systems are an effective way of delivering ink to a printer cost effectively. The usefulness and viability of a bulk ink system is different depending on whom you speak to, a photographer who as purchased a cheap system filled with poor quality ink is very unlikely to sing the praises of using bulk ink and therefore his perception is biased based upon his past experience .
So how is the user who is contemplating the purchase of a bulk ink system expected to decide if it’s going to save money or turn into a time intensive and costly exercise? Below we have listed some questions that should be considered before reaching for your credit card
First and foremost never buy a bulk ink system without ink, should you run into problems each supplier will undoubtedly blame the other, leaving you in the middle with a big inky mess.
Ask questions, while most of the components of all bulk ink system are produced in the Far East like the vast majority of consumer goods, there does seem to be a marked difference in quality between systems built in Europe and the offerings that are imported directly from the far corners of the Earth.
Spares; a company changing suppliers can often mean parts for older systems are no longer available, ask the question and seek assurance over the availability of spares.
Documentation; make sure its clear and easy to understand, but more importantly ask questions about the installation procedure. Its often the case that so called technical support personal have little or no experience in the installation of continuous Ink Systems, if this is the case who is going to help you if you have questions ?
Ink, poorly formulated ink in even the most reliable bulk ink system wont work. Never ever buy ink based just on price, cheap ink often contains elements that will damage your printer head very quickly, a damaged printer head is not a slight inconvenience, it's the end of the printer.
Hopefully the above points will assist you in choosing a bulk ink system, of course we would like you to purchase one from our range with either the Lyson Ink or Marrutt Ink, whether or not you do is entirely up to you, but you will be able to make an informed choice.
