Topic

1. Why not CIS
2. Basics of refill
3. What do we need.
4. How to reset the chips.
5. How do we do it.
6. Precautions
7. Making CIS is not too far

  was actually a long time user of CIS (self made) on my 1280. I started with the CIS + 3rd party inks x 3 different brands because I thought that I will be printing a lot ( I printed a lot when I first got the printer, later - nothing much to print anymore). There was a clog issues, flooding, smearing, etc. Then I switch back to the OEM cartridge and the problems are resolved. Due to the orange shift issue, I then changed to a pigment ink (using T015/016-cartridges for 2000P)on the dye-base printer 1280. This plan commit me to refill the cartridge which I was using the OEM archival ink from Epson 5500's cartridge. The passive refill that I tried that time didn't meet my standard. I failed to achieve the original weight (of the new cartridge) and there is a lot of foaming, a mess, even though the T015/016 is just a simple designed cartridge.

That time, I have already thought of negative pressure refill. The only way to get all the volume to replace air in the cartridge and overcome the foaming issue. The problem is the cartridge/printer design. It's very easily doable for T015 (black) because it's a single chamber and there is enough space to hide the filling port. But for T016, it's 5 chamber cartridge and also no space to keep the filling ports together on the moving cartridge housing with the cartridge's clamp.

Since the creation of the negative pressure filling port is the same way I constructed the CIS. So I went back with the CIS again by using T015/016 and OEM archival ink. It turns out that is the best CIS, longest lasting and the hassles-free system. That CIS run from Feb./02 until even now (Dec/02) which I don't have it anymore (the owner of it now updated me).

So, now I blame it all on the 3rd party lower quality inks. Some of their production batch may be good but their QC is no way near the standard (I can guess from the way they put wrong label or sent me the wrong ink). The bad batch/lot of ink that you may got will trigger all the problems.

Later, after almost a year of 1280's ownership. My printing job is very little. My 110 ml bottle run > 6 months and it's still not completely used (I tried very hard). I was worried about the same old cartridge that sit in the printer for a long time. The sludge/particle that I can see at the bottom of the reservoir bottles. The lid annoyance is really annoying (it's not serious but truly annoying.

Then, I heard about the new printer, Epson 2200 with individual cartridge to come out and I finally purchased it. Now it's time for me to do refill. I don't think I would make the CIS for it until the time I'm planning to sell it on e-bay since the CIS will attract the bidders.

By conclusion. if you're not printing a lot. Refills is the way to go. You can refill up to 10-15 times, toss the cartridge away and open the new one for the freshness. But if you're printing like a factory. Clearly, the CIS is the way to go. We will discuss about how to make the CIS at the end.

Any refill method should replete the maximum volume that the cartridge can hold or you should be able to get the same volume as it was a new cartridge. Since we can't see thru this Epson's cartridge, the easiest way is to go by weight. For 2200's cartridge, the brand new cartridge weigh 42 gm (that will be the goal for refilling), the used one is normally between 28-30 gm. (when the chip reads empty)

There are 2 major types of refill 1) passive refilling and 2) negative refilling. 1) Passive filling : easy, like you're pouring the water into the bucket. That's call passive filling. In the close space, like filling the cartridge, it needs 2 accesses/ports, one for ink to go in and another for the air to come out. Sometimes, you can just simply make a one big hole and the air just come out around the needle. The passive filling is easy in a single chamber cartridge and easier with the see-thru wall cartridge (like Canon's) . Often times, in the non-see thru cartridge, the foaming of ink, the sponge in the cartridge will make the passive refilling become difficult.

When you're refilling the multi-chamber or in the situation that you want the perfect refill with zero air. The negative pressure filling is the way to go. 2) Negative pressure refilling. This refill needs a tight seal connection between the filler and the cartridge. This is exactly how the physician refill the medication for the intrathecal pump for some patients with chronic pain and I believe this is how the factory refill the cartridge. The air is sucked out from the cartridge which will then create a negative pressure environment (vacuum) within the cartridge. The ink then, is sucked by that negative pressure into the cartridge. It's easier to get the air out of the cartridge because the air moves freely and there is no worry about the air/fluid mixture because you can get both of them come out together and then the air will be separated from the fluid by gravity (air always float to the top) and we can selectively choose which one to go in. The cartridge of Epson 2200 is the example of a good candidate for this refilling. Actually making the filling port is exactly like when we want to build our own CIS.

For passive refill

1. Ink (recommended Epson OEM ink) : I used Ultrachrome ink set from Epson 7600's cartridge.
2. Chip resetter
3. Syringe : either 10 or 20 cc for each color.
4. The used cartridge (you wouldn't try to refill the full cartridge, do you?)
5. plastic needle (angiocath, IV cath, etc.) or blunt tip needle
6. A clay/ Tac'n Stik (reusable adhesive).
7. Drill or Heated needle/nail (for creating a hole).
8. Scale
9 . Miscellaneous ; gloves, gauze/rag, smaller needle + wire, a bigger tubing (slightly bigger than the filling hose.

For negative pressure (vacuum) refill

1. Ink (recommended Epson OEM ink) : I used Ultrachrome ink set from Epson 7600's cartridge.
2. Chip resetter
3. Syringe : either 10 or 20 cc for each color.
4. The used cartridge
5. Refill tubing, or refill port.
6. Epoxy glue
7. Drill or Heated needle/nail (for creating a hole).
8. Scale
9 . Miscellaneous ; gloves, gauze/rag, smaller needle + wire, a bigger tubing (slightly bigger than the filling hose.

To date (Jan 5, 02) there are 3 commercial chip resetters. The original one was the QB7 Model M82 ($41) which sold at www.qb7.com. The Qb7 is pretty pricey, it needs an effort to hold the thin cartridge like 2200's in the correct position. The annoyance is there is nothing to indicate the success of operation. If you stick the cartridge in the printer and it's still flashing, you then have to take it out and redo it. Qb7 also come with non-changeable batteries but the company promises that it will lasts thousands of resets!. The other one is the universal chip resetter SK-168 which cost only $19 at www.inksupply.com or $25.99 here(I have no idea which model is sold at this web site, no info disclosed). I actually learn later that the SK-168 is available at many other places (just >$19) including in Europe. If you go to google and key for chip resetter, there will be hundreds of retailers show up. I would recommend you to go with the SK-168 because it's simply cheaper and better (can reset every model, has the light indicator, batter is changeable). The other one can be purchased at www.mediastreet.com for $25.99. I have no experience with it but it's not the cheapest. It's the last one in the picture. Take 9V battery and has the light indicator.

$41 M82 model for 2200. www.qb7.com

MIS resetter $19

$25.99 Mediastreet's resetter

Addendum

10/6/03 : As I guess that the QB7 Model M82 won't last long in the market with that kind of price and spec. Now, the chip resetter has become more available and almost every Epson printer users got one (somehow, Epson should have included this with the printer !), the SK-168 seems to be the most popular one. The source of this is, of course, China. I got many e-mails from many of these asking to be a retailers. As long as I still can afford my living with my primary job, I probably not gonna risk myself on this business. I was so amazed to find that you can get one of this as low as a single digit number in USD if you buy them in 100's !. Seems like now MIS is not the cheapest source. You can do a little search on google and find your best price. A lot of them is going on e-bay when you key "Epson Chip resetter".

This is QE368, something similar to SK168. You can buy this for <$20 at www.qb7.com Click on the picture to visit the website of the manufacturer (in China)

SK 168. A lot of them is going on e-bay when you key "Epson Chip resetter".

If you can't afford these, there is another way to get around. Do you remember the swedish method for chip reset ?

You can't really achieve that in the new Epson's chips (they have developed it). You can just pretend that you are installing the new cartridge (with chip read full) and then swap it with the refilled one without telling the printer. You can do that by either remove the cartridge hosing lid and take off 1 of those 5 cartridges on the left most - PM/MB, LB, C, PC, M (you can't reach the 2 on the right most position - pM and Y) while it is at the parking position or push down the white lever and manually move it to the left until you can swap the cartridge. So now the printer will thought that the swapped refilled cartridge is the brand new and do a printing job for you. But...

   -you can't turn off the printer and you can't push the ink button for cartridge changing. Because either of these 2 maneuver, the printer will realize that the cartridge is empty (by chip).
   -you may not want to move the cartridge housing manually because it will make all your efforts with the print head alignment become worthless.

So, the best way is to pay $19 for the chip resetter. I wish in the future there will be a software reset or the custom chip (that is cheaper than $50 each - who's gonna afford $50 x 7 !) that read full for someone who wish for the CIS and never have to bother taking the cartridges off the printer ever.