Epson 2880 - major problem - Streaking after major cleaning

Alandb...I can relate to how frustrating it is for you to get help but you want direct help from us users too of the same product from the same company. Here is my experience....

After I had made sure I have physically cleaned the printer inside and out and dusted and make sure everything is clinically clean, I did the maintenance options. Used all 4 of them. The Print Head Alignment did not show correct alignment after all, so I tried to print a whole page (just one) image borderless. I think that cleaned the whole clogging part. I always buy high capacity inks and real Epson ones. A bit more adjustments using Text and Image combo and Best Photo printout and it looks OK so I accepted the results after about 4 or 5 prints but I wouldn't want to run another test alignment run because I was already happy with the last 3 results. I do not want to waste any more ink just testing my machine. The print resulted in the same as what I had on my monitor.

Hope this help. I cannot advise you on your machine as I really do not know what you were doing when you had the problem. I told you my problem and how I resolved it. It is up to you to use this information .... or not. I am out of this discussion.

At this point, I have a thirty pound brick with two flashing lights. I had already done most of what everyone has recommended. I can't do anything now.

Time to strip out the replacement cartridges and send it off to Epson for repairs?

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Originally Posted by GrumpyDiver

Time to strip out the replacement cartridges and send it off to Epson for repairs?

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Epson cartridges for the life of me, once you remove it from where it lives, even if it is still full, you can't put it back anymore because no matter if you turn blue in the face, it ain't gonna work...two printers ago, that was our experience. That was what Epson told my husband, so I am very careful about installing my cartridges. I stop and think, because it is going to be an expensive undertaking, just putting it in and trying to make it fit again once it leaves the cartridge holder.

My solution to blocked printheads is to clean them in an ultrasonic bath, with a 25% isopropanol , 75% water solution, with a very very small amout of detergent or bathroom cleaner (eg washing up liquid). Canon printers have an easy to remove print head. When cleaning one has to keep the jets off the base of the bath, my ultrasonic unit has a little basket for this. With the jets facing down one can watch and see the cleaning fluid flowing up through the jets.
If I know I am not using the printer for a while I remove the head, clean it as above, and then store it in an airtight plastic container, in a damp condition. When I come to print its just like installing a new print head.

Update. I used the reset counter software and that seems to have worked. No more flashing red lights. Now just a problem of two of the nozzles to clear.

Fingers crossed for you !!

I hope cleaning the heads like loosecanon describes will work for you. I'm not enough of a technician to do it, so when my R3000 started streaking I tried all the stuff that turned up as I researched to no avail. After being told by Epson repair I needed new print heads, I just bought another printer. The cost of the repair was almost as much as a new printer but without as good a warranty.

Update. I soaked individual nozzles in cleaning solution and it seems to work. That should be finished by tomorrow and I might be able to have a printer that works, instead of a thirty pound brick.

Are you going to keep those inks or try something else?

Keep them. I may need to be more conscientious about running a test print more often to keep it from clogging.

I find once a month is about right to stop ink from clogging. Not sure if the 2880 like the 1800 has two separate blacks - one for photo and one for text. If it does it's important to print a document page as well as an image file.

Please let us know when you have everything working right.

I believe it has 3 blacks, if you include the greys.