Hello,

Just curious as to how a Dot Matrix printer moves the ink from
a storage tank to the print head. I am referring to a printer
such as a Epson Eco Tank Printer. It is NOT Gravity!!

Is it some sort of pump or some other technology that moves the
ink to the print head??

Trying to search online only gives me how to clean print heads
and tubing but no mention of how the ink is forced to the heads.

Thanks for any small hints.

Les

On Fri, 4 Aug 2023 10:27:17 -0400, ABLE1 <somebody@nowhere.com> wrote:

>Hello,
>
>Just curious as to how a Dot Matrix printer moves the ink from
>a storage tank to the print head. I am referring to a printer
>such as a Epson Eco Tank Printer. It is NOT Gravity!!
>
>Is it some sort of pump or some other technology that moves the
>ink to the print head??
>
>Trying to search online only gives me how to clean print heads
>and tubing but no mention of how the ink is forced to the heads.
>
>Thanks for any small hints.
>
>Les

" Dot matrix printing is typically distinguished from non-impact
methods, such as inkjet, thermal, or laser printing, which also use a
bitmap to represent the printed work. "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot_matrix_printing

Epson Eco Tank is ink-jet type.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inkjet_printing

John T.

On 8/4/2023 10:40 AM, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
> On Fri, 4 Aug 2023 10:27:17 -0400, ABLE1 <somebody@nowhere.com> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> Just curious as to how a Dot Matrix printer moves the ink from
>> a storage tank to the print head. I am referring to a printer
>> such as a Epson Eco Tank Printer. It is NOT Gravity!!
>>
>> Is it some sort of pump or some other technology that moves the
>> ink to the print head??
>>
>> Trying to search online only gives me how to clean print heads
>> and tubing but no mention of how the ink is forced to the heads.
>>
>> Thanks for any small hints.
>>
>> Les
>
>
>
> " Dot matrix printing is typically distinguished from non-impact
> methods, such as inkjet, thermal, or laser printing, which also use a
> bitmap to represent the printed work. "
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot_matrix_printing
>
> Epson Eco Tank is ink-jet type.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inkjet_printing
>
> John T.

Thanks John!!

So there is a "pump" somewhere that could be my issue.

Appreciate the link!! Very Helpful!!

Les

On Fri, 4 Aug 2023 10:27:17 -0400, ABLE1 <somebody@nowhere.com> wrote as
underneath :

>Hello,
>
>Just curious as to how a Dot Matrix printer moves the ink from
>a storage tank to the print head. I am referring to a printer
>such as a Epson Eco Tank Printer. It is NOT Gravity!!
>
>Is it some sort of pump or some other technology that moves the
>ink to the print head??
>
>Trying to search online only gives me how to clean print heads
>and tubing but no mention of how the ink is forced to the heads.
>
>Thanks for any small hints.
>
>Les

AFAIR in the 70s and 80s for all dot-matrix printers we used pre-inked
ribbons that eventually dried out and had to be repleced, noisy things!
C+

On 2023-08-04 16:27, ABLE1 wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Just curious as to how a Dot Matrix printer moves the ink from
> a storage tank to the print head.  I am referring to a printer
> such as a Epson Eco Tank Printer.  It is NOT Gravity!!
>
> Is it some sort of pump or some other technology that moves the
> ink to the print head??
>
> Trying to search online only gives me how to clean print heads
> and tubing but no mention of how the ink is forced to the heads.
>
> Thanks for any small hints.
>
> Les
>

Air pressure. After the droplets are ejected (by thermal or piezo action), less volume is present in the printer head causing a low pressure. The capillary action in the print nozzle prevents ink from flowing back. The pressure in the tank is higher, hence new ink will flow from tank to head.

Arie

On 8/5/2023 9:27 AM, Arie de Muijnck wrote:
> On 2023-08-04 16:27, ABLE1 wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> Just curious as to how a Dot Matrix printer moves the ink from
>> a storage tank to the print head.  I am referring to a printer
>> such as a Epson Eco Tank Printer.  It is NOT Gravity!!
>>
>> Is it some sort of pump or some other technology that moves the
>> ink to the print head??
>>
>> Trying to search online only gives me how to clean print heads
>> and tubing but no mention of how the ink is forced to the heads.
>>
>> Thanks for any small hints.
>>
>> Les
>>
>
> Air pressure. After the droplets are ejected (by thermal or piezo
> action), less volume is present in the printer head causing a low
> pressure. The capillary action in the print nozzle prevents ink from
> flowing back. The pressure in the tank is higher, hence new ink will
> flow from tank to head.
>
> Arie
>

Hi Arie,

Thanks, now that does make better sense. Somehow I had a blockage
in my printer 'Black' ink. I somehow cleaned or cleared the obstruction
yesterday. Now, the printer is back in operation after running about
20 pages with a very large BLACK line thru the Epson that didn't start
printing anything until the last page.

After all the time spent on working on this problem I am now a more
better educated technician than before!! :-)

Later,

Les

On Fri, 4 Aug 2023 10:27:17 -0400, ABLE1 <somebody@nowhere.com> wrote:

>Just curious as to how a Dot Matrix printer moves the ink from
>a storage tank to the print head. I am referring to a printer
>such as a Epson Eco Tank Printer. It is NOT Gravity!!

Sorptivity

On Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 10:31:14 AM UTC-4, ABLE1 wrote:
> On 8/5/2023 9:27 AM, Arie de Muijnck wrote:
> > On 2023-08-04 16:27, ABLE1 wrote:
> >> Hello,
> >>
> >> Just curious as to how a Dot Matrix printer moves the ink from
> >> a storage tank to the print head. I am referring to a printer
> >> such as a Epson Eco Tank Printer. It is NOT Gravity!!
> >>
> >> Is it some sort of pump or some other technology that moves the
> >> ink to the print head??
> >>
> >> Trying to search online only gives me how to clean print heads
> >> and tubing but no mention of how the ink is forced to the heads.
> >>
> >> Thanks for any small hints.
> >>
> >> Les
> >>
> >
> > Air pressure. After the droplets are ejected (by thermal or piezo
> > action), less volume is present in the printer head causing a low
> > pressure. The capillary action in the print nozzle prevents ink from
> > flowing back. The pressure in the tank is higher, hence new ink will
> > flow from tank to head.
> >
> > Arie
> >
> Hi Arie,
>
> Thanks, now that does make better sense. Somehow I had a blockage
> in my printer 'Black' ink. I somehow cleaned or cleared the obstruction
> yesterday. Now, the printer is back in operation after running about
> 20 pages with a very large BLACK line thru the Epson that didn't start
> printing anything until the last page.
>
> After all the time spent on working on this problem I am now a more
> better educated technician than before!! :-)
>
> Later,
>
> Les

In my experience with perhaps 4-5 inkjet printers (hp, epson) with printing issues, I find the print head is usually clogged. I've read online about many ways to unclog the print head. Nowhere have I seen a chemical, made by the ink mfg, that one could put in place of the ink cartridge to clean/dissolve the clog. Seems ridiculous to me. Repeated cleaning cycles with 'fresh' ink cartridges seems to waste a lot of ink and is not all that effective. If anyone knows of a cleaning solution that works, I'd like to hear about it.

On 8/6/2023 5:48 PM, three_jeeps wrote:
> On Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 10:31:14 AM UTC-4, ABLE1 wrote:
>> On 8/5/2023 9:27 AM, Arie de Muijnck wrote:
>>> On 2023-08-04 16:27, ABLE1 wrote:
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> Just curious as to how a Dot Matrix printer moves the ink from
>>>> a storage tank to the print head. I am referring to a printer
>>>> such as a Epson Eco Tank Printer. It is NOT Gravity!!
>>>>
>>>> Is it some sort of pump or some other technology that moves the
>>>> ink to the print head??
>>>>
>>>> Trying to search online only gives me how to clean print heads
>>>> and tubing but no mention of how the ink is forced to the heads.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for any small hints.
>>>>
>>>> Les
>>>>
>>>
>>> Air pressure. After the droplets are ejected (by thermal or piezo
>>> action), less volume is present in the printer head causing a low
>>> pressure. The capillary action in the print nozzle prevents ink from
>>> flowing back. The pressure in the tank is higher, hence new ink will
>>> flow from tank to head.
>>>
>>> Arie
>>>
>> Hi Arie,
>>
>> Thanks, now that does make better sense. Somehow I had a blockage
>> in my printer 'Black' ink. I somehow cleaned or cleared the obstruction
>> yesterday. Now, the printer is back in operation after running about
>> 20 pages with a very large BLACK line thru the Epson that didn't start
>> printing anything until the last page.
>>
>> After all the time spent on working on this problem I am now a more
>> better educated technician than before!! :-)
>>
>> Later,
>>
>> Les
>
> In my experience with perhaps 4-5 inkjet printers (hp, epson) with printing issues, I find the print head is usually clogged. I've read online about many ways to unclog the print head. Nowhere have I seen a chemical, made by the ink mfg, that one could put in place of the ink cartridge to clean/dissolve the clog. Seems ridiculous to me. Repeated cleaning cycles with 'fresh' ink cartridges seems to waste a lot of ink and is not all that effective. If anyone knows of a cleaning solution that works, I'd like to hear about it.

Hi Three_Jeeps,

I will not say that what I did was the real answer, but it
seems that I may have been successful. If you (or others)
are in for a read I will type out what I did. For the most
part was NOT Successful until the end.

Honestly I think it may have been the accumulation of all my
attempts that got it fixed.

Again, I will type if there is a decent desire to read.

Les

On Sun, 6 Aug 2023 14:48:15 -0700 (PDT), three_jeeps
<jjhudak@gmail.com> wrote:

>In my experience with perhaps 4-5 inkjet printers (hp, epson) with printing issues, I find the print head is usually clogged. I've read online about many ways to unclog the print head. Nowhere have I seen a chemical, made by the ink mfg, that one could put in place of the ink cartridge to clean/dissolve the clog. Seems ridiculous to me. Repeated cleaning cycles with 'fresh' ink cartridges seems to waste a lot of ink and is not all that effective. If anyone knows of a cleaning solution that works, I'd like to hear about it.

There are plenty of head cleaning cartridges available. For example:
<https://premium-inks.com/collections/printer-head-cleaning-cartridges>
<https://www.inkowl.com/inkjet/ink-refill-tools/epson/120ml-printhead-cleaning-kit-for-epson/P6218/>
<https://www.amazon.com/epson-printhead-cleaning-kit/s?k=epson+printhead+cleaning+kit>
I don't use these, so I don't know if they work.

HP print cartridges have the print head as part of the cartridge. If
the head clogs, you recycle the cartridge, buy a new cartridge and
continue using the printer. Epson and Brother inkjet printers have
the print head as part of the printer. When head clogs, replacing the
cartridge does nothing useful. The head needs to be cleaned or the
printer ends up as eWaste.

I used 91% isopropyl alcohol for cleaning. The hard part is removing
the head from Epson printers. There are videos available for various
Epson:
<https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=epson+printhead+replacement>
and Brother models:
<https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=brother+printhead+replacement>

Sorry, but I have no experience with Epson Ecotank printers. However,
these videos might help:
<https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=epson+ecotank+printhead+replacement>

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558