priming (epson artisan 810) printer only with oem cartridges possible?

[dynamicron]

hello all,

i have a brand-new epson artisan 810 sitting in my office awaiting to be initalized/primed. i ordered a set of non-oem cartridges from us ebay seller ezink123 and was really happy with the communication and speedy delivery. i placed the order a few days ago (seller is in ny) and the package arrived this morning at my apartment in socal.

the problem is, the instructions provided by the seller state that "You need to initialize with the original cartridges first. Otherwise there will be an error message stating: 'cartridges cannot be recognized'"

boy, what a bummer!! my intention was to offer the original cartridges on ebay and not bother with them at all for two reasons: 1) obviously, it would offset some of my expenses (and probably give an individual looking for oem cartridges a good deal) and, more importantly, 2) there would never be ink from two different providers (epson and whatever chinese supplier ezink123 uses) mixed together in my dear new printer. not mixing inks must be a prudent idea, right?

so the question is, do all such third party cartridges and ciss systems require you to prime the printer with the original cartridges?

does that have anything to do with the version 5 or version 6 cartridge chips?

could i use the chips on the original cartridges and replace the ones on the non-oem cartridges just for the priming process and then put it back? i would check myself but all the cartridges are sealed in a plastic wrap...

i was also communicating with izzy from ccs-digital.com (they sell reusable cartridges with snap-in tanks) who told me that there cartridges can be used from the get-go with no need to keep the original cartridges. is that possible?

i would be very happy about any form of insight into this matter. thank you very much in advance!!!

cheers,
d.

 

[dynamicron]

ok, i just learned from mikling and leonardjohn (thank you very much!!) that one needs the specific cartridges that come with the printer to go through the initialization/priming process. even swapping out the chips from a set of cartridges from another 810 will not do the trick. it has to be the set that came in the box....wow.

 

[mikling]

You don't have to use the ones that came in the box. A used set can also be used as long as they are not empty according to the chip. The problem is that the average user is unlikely to have a used set hanging around.

 

[dynamicron]

You don't have to use the ones that came in the box. A used set can also be used as long as they are not empty according to the chip. The problem is that the average user is unlikely to have a used set hanging around.

hm, i just based my post on information that i received from leonardjohn. i hope he doesn't mind (!!) that i quote our personal communication here: "Every Epson Artisan 800 and 810 I have setup requires the original OEM cartridges. I even tried a set from another 810 and the printer ask for the cartridges that came with the printer."

either way, you are right, i obviously do not have another set of epson cartridges laying around.

 

[dynamicron]

so now that it became clear that i need the chips on the epson cartridges for the priming, i am wondering if there is a way to actually avoid using the epson ink.

is it possible to take off the chips on the epson cartridges so that i can replace the auto-reset chips on the non-oem cartridges with the epson ones? then do the priming and then switch the chips back out? that way i could use the non-oem cartridges all the way and, as a consequence, only one type of ink would enter the printer. i could then put the epson cartridges into storage without having to worry that they were 'opened.'

what happens during the priming to the chips anyway? i suppose some information is written to the chips?

can somebody tell me how the chips are attached to the cartridge? are they cemented to the cartridge? or better: is there a way to get the chips off the cartridge without destroying the chips in the process?

 

[mikling]

I don't think the chips will fit. The OEM chip has connections to actual liquid sensors at the base of the cartridge. This is the likely scenario - If it does not detect liquid i.e. no connection it will determine that the cartridge is empty and then shut down the printer, and permanently modify the chip AND will now permanently show itself as empty and cannot be reset. Transferring the chip back to the original cartridge won't help. The 9 contact cartridges are unique to having this liquid sensor which allows the printer to bypass the chip when the chip says empty but still has ink until it actually sees the cartridge empty then it proceeds to neuter the chip. The sensor is at the bottom corner of the cartridge where there are two small clear windows. This is the pickup point for the ink internally.

Aftermarket Espon compatible chips simulate the presence of ink by emulating this circuit.


This is the fruit of the class action suit brought onto Epson where users were clamoring that ink was still remaining in the cartridge even when the chip said empty. This circuitry allows the printer to continue to work until it is really empty. Similarly, when the chips on Canon printers says empty, sometimes, you can clearly see that there is still ink. Canon allows you to continue to print despite that but you must acknowledge that you know what you're doing. This legally gets them absolved of the legal action against Epson where they stopped the printer. Can Canon do something similar? Possibly but the sponge system would make that much more difficult as detection of liquid/saturation levels within the sponge would be multiple times more difficult and complicated as opposed to Epson's on/off liquid sensor logic which is easy with a spongeless system.


You win some you lose some.

 

[dynamicron]

very interesting information. i appreciate your insight!!

 

[SteveDubloom]

So, I suppose you'll have to hold on to one set of full (or near-full) OEM cartridges in order to keep using off-brand aftermarket ink cartridges. What a pain. Perhaps in this case a refill kit solution would be less of a hassle since you could just refill the original OEM cartridges? Or have they made that overly difficult too?

 

[mikling]

SteveDubloom

reread, you are misunderstanding. It is the initial use of the aftermarket that is the issue. Subsequent, there is no problem or need.
The printer just wants to see a set of originals at least once.

 

[jaelynrae08]

Personally I think you are missing one key point, please do not take offense, it is just an observation. You spend the money to buy one of the most expensive, best quality printers available before going into the professional level, yet you want to put cheap ink in it.

The artisan 810 uses a special ink enriched with minerals to allow brighter color and longer lasting quality. Using generic ink will not allow the printer to reach its full potential and can clog the print nozzles. I learned this the hard way. I used remanufactured ink cartridges in my 1st 810, and while I did not notice a difference at first, as I began printing high quality photos there was a definite color difference. After 3 months of use, my nozzles were clogged beyong repair and no amount of cleaning would repair it. Bottom line, I ended up having to buy another one since Epson will not replace them under warranty if other inks are used and they can tell due to the chemical makeup.

I had sent mine in without telling them, and they came back and told me the warranty was void. I tried to argue that I hadnt used other inks but they said they had a test to check. So if you use other inks, even if it doesnt reduce quality or damage your printer, it will void your warranty.

After my experience I would compare using remanufactured inks to buying a brand new Viper and using regular gas and generic oil. While it might run still, it wont run at its best.

Just thought I would mention my experience. Have a great day.