johnson4

This website and DTFsuperstore are the same people, yes. if it’s printing on paper and not the film, then yea you need a more opaque film. It doesn’t mean something is wrong with the film, some work better than others for conversions. Something like economy may be more opaque, the double sided film is more opaque. I did use Andy’s film, but I sourced my own because I liked the matte finish better, which he didn’t offer at the time. you can trick the printer with a sticker on the front edge of the film as a “ registration” Making it think it’s paper to see if that’s it though. something I just remembered, if it’s an option, paper width check and size need to be off. I don’t remember if the 15000 had this option. there is a light sensor that reads the edge of the paper on the bottom of the carriage.

Does the printer print with regular paper?

It possibly could be looking for the paper. The film your using looks rather see through, the 15000 needs a more opaque film. Try feeding film with a sheet of paper at the same time, or simply printing on a sheet of paper. If that doesn’t change anything, it’s some setting with EKprint.

I intend on answering all your questions, if I miss one let me know. 1. I always double press. For me, it seems to press it further into the fabric and makes it softer, I don’t know about durability without the 2nd press, I always do it and not a single issue. 2. I have never pre pressed a shirt- and I as well remain in 60+ humidity with fluctuations in temperature. 3. People recommend letting the print dry first. It will turn from a wet look to a matte look when it’s ready for powder. I run auto machines most of the time, and they always dry this much before reaching the powder- if they don’t I add a heat strip so they do. The few times I hand did them, yes them being wet vs “ matte” looking made a huge difference in quality. 4. I press at 290 F for 15 seconds, twice. I notice hotter degrades the print. 5. your powder and film will absorb moisture. More importantly, your film. If you have powder sticking anywhere it shouldn’t without tapping it off the film, they are holding moisture. Wouldn’t cause this though. 6. I as well use heavy pressure. My opinion- cured/powdered improperly. do you have photos of your print before powdering, after powdering before curing, and after curing both front and back?

Nice! If you ever need it, I have a sealed Epson refurbished p400 for sale in the us for $1,000.

Still not a single issue with the Omron relays.

I would use spongeless for sure. I’d get a couple sets. You could use those sponged carts for cleaner/flushing to try and get things printing. You can see nozzle checks on paper with a flashlight with clear liquid, or use an inkjet transparency. Might try that before investing more into it and it may not work to save on losses if it doesn’t work. the 15000 is good, but the aftermarket carts I had didn’t seat very well, so unless the updated them you’ll get leaking. The overall recommendation is to remove them and place empty/cleaner filled carts in at night with both plugs in so it doesn’t leak but also protects the head from drying out.

There is a program, it costs $10 and does unlimited resets for the 1430, wic reset is not budget friendly.

1430 needs the hoses pulled and a waste tank applied, software to reset it. It depends on the ink in the printer, if you printed printable heat transfers then you likely used pigment ink, which not used for 10 years, it likely isn’t going to work but worth a try. Peizo plush is good for pigment inks.

That’s pretty much spot on for about as serious as you can get with cleaning. I’m pretty “relaxed” on mine in comparison. So, you could knock that off the list in my opinion. The issue you are describing to me seriously still sounds like the issues I had. Is it possible you have air getting into your head/carts? I had good checks, bad prints and that’s what caused it for me. The CSIC board had raised up, which I did not see until months later, making an imperfect seal. That’s the part the carts are held in there by. Could be a defective cartridge or maybe a cracked manifold ( unlikely). Over the years, I’ve had my fair share of challenges like this. I don’t know if I was right, but anytime I had to manually do anything to a printhead to make it work, it was nothing but trouble from there on out. Following the same principles you have, I would get good results followed by bad results over and over. I had researched thoroughly how these printheads work and had assumed the piezo nozzles had just become weak, I don’t really know, but I know I wasted more time and money trying to figure it out than it was ever worth. that’s when I found the Epson p800’s refurbished from Epson for $200 after selling the Oem ink, so I had a field day buying up $200 printheads and left it at that eventually. This was on the DTG p600’s I ran for years, the p800 head worked in them so it worked out. It’s the same principle though, minus the ink system. im not saying to give up, but I’m just saying there are only so many variables, and if you checked them all- I’m out of ideas. I will run through everything in my mind, likely things you know or checked, but in that off chance it may help: 1. the capping station, If you can wet cap and the cleaner doesn’t drain out, and if the wiper looks firm and not warped, it’s likely fine since you clean it well. 2. bad cartridges/ bad seal on the printhead. 3. Build up on the head can absolutely cause issues. It’s like everything is clean, just to wipe your clean hands with a crusty towel. That dried ink can clog nozzles if it gets lose in anyway, especially those small peices. 4. in my opinion the most important part- head strikes. The film has that pre treatment on it, and a head strike getting that crap in the head can cause instant coagulation, even if you get it out, that nozzle could have issues. 5. the way I understand it all works is piezo crystals get shot with a voltage, which in turn creates a suction, kind of like a pump going up and down. The Ink cools these things as it passes through. If you have a clog and try printing and no ink passes through, it overheats and causes it to become weak, or not function at all. Small things like maybe one print likely won’t hurt it, but running it for any length of time can weaken or disable it, from what I understand. So this suction is what pulls the ink in, along with the gravity fed nature of the p400, weak suction, poor flow. Can work great for a nozzle check, it’s just a simple on/off. When printing though, it’s weak and gives out. This is my understanding of how it works. 6. bad ink, but that would be across all channels of that color, or show serious buildup on the screen filter in the cartridge long before issues occur, from my belief and experience. 7. temperature and humidity isn’t an issue, as long as it’s not insane. That cap should seal the head shut, period. If you wet cap, it has liquid on both sides that can’t evaporate or let air touch the head to dry it out, UNLESS you are actively printing, which could cause clogging to occur mid print, depending on how dry your air is. that’s pretty much it on the p400 that I am aware of. So in my opinion something was overlooked, or just damaged. Those are really the only two options from my point of view. I fortunately was able to revive mine, it literally had DTF inks sitting in it uncapped for months because the printer wouldn’t cap it back and I didn’t care, I was fed up with it. I was shocked to see the original head work, after being exposed to air for months with DTF inks still in the head, so it makes me believe they are more resilient than I originally believed. where are you, if you don’t mind me asking. It’s worth a shot in the dark if you want to try, the only difference I’m seeing between us is the cleaning solution, I am more than happy to send you some to see if it helps at all, if you would like.

Yea, I looked for awhile, they are just different than xp600 and won’t work, so just trying to make something work with it.

These dampers are bigger than the ones going to be used for it. I do expect many revisions and issues along the way. But, it all fits and seals perfectly. Now to actually print them for use instead of fitment. The “port” doesn’t break off because it tapers, and the damper is snugly fitted in place. No room to wiggle and break it off. So that worked well( so far)...

Just posting this here incase others find it interesting. I’ve meant to convert another 15000 for awhile now, but I think the weak spot is the OEM ink system and aftermarket cartridges. V.1 printed alright and seals well, damper fits in nicely. I plan on, in my free time, to just find a simple and efficient ( and cheap) way to overcome this printers downfalls. I made this adapter months ago but just got around to printing it. Fits perfect.

I have seen smoke printed before, if the rip halftones it can appear to fade and by using shadows.

Do you mind sending me the file so i can check on my end?

This is what this P400 looks like now, it looks used and abused because it was. My point is, who cares, it works, and after over 5,000 transfers this $500 investment just keeps going- for now. It’s time to put it back where it belongs, on my DIY curing/shaking cart.

This is 1440x720, with the above nozzle checks and no further cleanings on regular printer paper: she’s alive!!!

So back in the beginning of the year, I had two P400's I used. One On a mini shaker Cart (DIY Mini Shaker/curing oven) and one with an actual Mini shaker. I used My build and the one P400 for the majority. I used EKprint to Roll Print with this printer, Since it was easier. I printed OVER 5,000 12x12 Transfers on this machine, in 6 months. Since we all have " busy" seasons, I will admit that the majority of those prints were made in 1-2 months, over half. Well, We went on a short (3 day) vacation. I had cleaned it and set it aside. A week or so later, I tried to use it again and it didn't work. Bummer. First, It had good nozzle checks, but bad prints directly after. I checked the Ink, FIltered it, checked it again. I switched inks, Carts, Capping station, and PRINTHEAD. Nothing fixed my issue. So, being forced to do so, I set it aside. that was 3-4 months ago- maybe longer. It has sat here, uncapped, with cleaning carts sitting in it ( I couldn't even do a head clean to flush out the old inks). I spent Almost a week trying with this printer, until Moving on to the P800's I had in storage. I used this P400 Mainly for roll printing, ( well, only for roll printing). I ran in NONSTOP for over 12 hours routinely. I DID have to add a cooling fan to the Motherboard Heatsink, or after a few hours it would act weird and reset itself. Fan fixed the issue entirely. SECOND issue, USE USB for this printer if you are going to print with it ALOT consistently. Again, The built in WIFI model got hot to the touch after several hours of printing. After installing a USB 5V fan, and using a high quality USB cable instead of WIfi, This thing printed for me without any other issues until the above. Gross, ( not profit, The Page counter doesn't work when You roll print with EKprint, So Just to give you an idea) I printed $55,000 worth of transfers from this one $489 printer, with 15 minutes of modifications. Yes I needed to add $40 for chipless, and $15 for each set of cartridges, But I call those supplies. I also 3D printed a roll holder for the machine. Total cost on that was about $10, including the expensive 8MM metal rod I purchased specifically for this purpose. So, Being in my way, I decided to give it one more go before throwing it in the trash bin. I immediately found the issues. the CSIC board had lifted out of place about 1/4 an inch or so. This is the part that holds the cartridges down and locked into place. This allowed a poor seal, giving me good nozzle checks, but poor printing ( printing creates a larger suction, so it makes since that air was going into the head to cause the issues). Some glue later, Fixed. The 2nd issue, For some reason now it kept erroring out with error 73H, or 00X73 For the P400. " Printer Mechanism Failure". I have no idea what that means. So, I move on to the most logical thing. Over time, The Borderless Printing Pad had accumulated white ink on it. I mean, After 5,000 Plus prints, I did goof sometimes and print over the edge of the film, or it misloaded and printed without any film in there. BUT, It worked this way for months. So, To test my Theory, I removed The foam pad, and exposed was a light colored metal. Same error. Picked up some Matte Black Spray paint, and painted this surface Black. Problem solved! So after sitting UNCAPPED for several months, AND all the issues it had before I set it over there( Remember, I couldn't even clean out the old ink with cleaner), I DID NOT expect what is about to be said next. Threw back in the cleaning carts, and half a set later, perfect nozzle check. No way! Loaded OEM ink carts, Perfect after 1-2 head cleans ( with the exception of the GO, In the nozzle check below you'll see it still has some cleaner in the head, I don't have MUCH OEM ink, so I'm not wasting it since I am flushing it back out as we speak). I am baffled, That this printer has survived these issues, even with OEM inks, I would have been 99% sure it was a goner, at least the ORIGINAL printhead. Long Story short- Sometimes you need to walk away and clear your head. Enjoy some time doing something else you like. Come back with a fresh set of eyes and attitude, I did, And I fixed this printer in 15 minutes, when before, I spent well over 40 hours trying to fix it and replacing parts and all I did was fail. I am not not to EVER give up something, Even if it's only for the challenge of it, Or just KNOWING what happened. I love learning, I couldn't care less about communicating with people, followers, likes, etc. I just LOVE learning HOW and WHY not just the answer. The only time I EVER give up on something, Is when It's broken into pieces and in the trash from failed attempts, because I cannot afford to keep going. So for people starting out, Just hang in there, The most important thing is LEARNING what your printer needs, and the attention to DETAIL is KEY. Sometimes, Walk away and come back with a fresh view. Without Persistence, Guts, Motivation, Confidence, and Ingenuity You won't make it in any field, other than a typical job. DTF is no different. Being your OWN boss, means you are all on your own with infinite possibilities and decisions. To me, That is EXCITING and scary. While being afraid to reach your goals is normal, you only lose when you quit. Some of us never quit, Even if to a FAULT. You are responsible for YOU, Don't follow someone else's mistakes or decisions, MAKE YOUR Decisions and learn your own way. That is what this industry needs. I wish you the best of luck out there and Happy Printing!

I check under there once a week, with DTF, I haven’t cleaned them under the head routinely at all, maybe I’ve cleaned them twice in 6 months because it didn’t need it. I usually don’t have any build up unless it’s had a head strike or I print with clogged nozzles. I do use glycerin in my cleaning solution, which is also in the ink, maybe it helps, I don’t know. the DTG machines are a different story, I cleaned those daily because they always had some sort of build up after printing 20-30 shirts. If I didn’t clean them daily, I would experience things like OP described. Don’t know why, but cleaning it daily was easy since it’s exposed so I left it at that.

I want to confirm Epson p400 error 73 is the PW sensor. I removed the foam pad and painted it black, now the original p400 that “ failed” is now working again. 1. CSIC broke ( lifted 1/4 inch) and allowed air in the head from poorly seated carts. 2. borderless pad had white ink on it, throwing error code 73. Removed pad and painted the metal black. this happened after 5,000 sq ft of printing. Let’s see how much more I can get. so it’s alive again!!!!

When I say “ making a cleaner” I mean I used store bought ( for this purpose) cleaners sold specifically for this application, then modified its formula to work better without harming my printhead. My DIY cleaner 100% uses chemicals made for DTG/DTF, it just has additives and is diluted. In pure form, it will destroy the surface of a head in 15 minutes, causing symptoms like you describe. However, diluted with additives, it can sit wet capped for 6 months+ without evaporating or damaging the head. Both versions will clean up dried DTF/DTG inks and is “ lubricating” to make things seal better, and wipe better. so, it’s possible a cleaner caused the damage too, maybe even early on.

1. Cleaning it daily helps, but is it being done correctly? Not questioning your ability, but it is a meaningful question. Different times, different cleaners, I mean it’s a huge variable. I’ve seen “ clean” be a caked up wiper before. 2. that build up on the metal bracket, yes it’s bad. It means the wiper isn’t able to do its job. It could also indicate a cleaner has damaged the non stick coating. If a nozzle has deflection, or clogging, it accumulates on the surface, causing excessive build up. Making a clean wiper essentially useless. 3. When testing and making my own cleaner, ( because of various reasons) I ran into this issue. I used a stronger cleaner and let it soak too long, and it ate the non stick surface away. If you wipe the head with cleaner and it doesn’t immediately bead up, then that’s what the ink will do to. I had a printer that did this, DTG, when making my cleaner. Originally it was to remove a clog. The cleaner caused the ink to stick to the head, and do what you described. It worked fine for a few prints, then needed a head clean, with ink buildup on the head. With DTG, I have the privilege of watching it in action from the underside. As ink would spray out, it would also accumulate on the surface. On a normal head, it didn’t accumulate. While the head worked, I damaged it with strong cleaner. does any of that sound like something that may have happened?

Yea, I know what you mean. The reason it keeps getting said is because there really isn’t any other reason for the problems. I’m not a wizard or anything, so all I can say is what I do and it has worked, and what didn’t work. Do you have some photos of your cleaned wiper/capping station, and the nozzles with the ink carts out? What cleaning solution are you using? like me, for example. I swore it was the ink on my first p400. After walking away and coming back, it was my fault, and I overlooked it and overthought everything else out. I mean, I spent forever filtering ink, testing things, replacing printheads, and all it was, was the carts not sealing perfectly. certain cleaners can eat away at the non stick components of the head, causing clogged nozzles after a few prints, I mean the amount of variables is endless, so going back to scratch isn’t a bad idea, it’s what I had to do. if you have some photos, maybe it would benefit the problem solving aspect.

Totally agree.