|
| Posted on 3/8/08 at 03:33 AM | |
|
Seeing some recent posts about head clogging and MacOSX problems, I figured I'd just share some thoughts about my own fairly reliable setup. I'll be the first to admit that the reliablility may be all in my head, but maybe there's something here that might help someone. I've been using this configuration for something like 2 1/2 years I think. I dedicated an "old" computer to this printer, and don't really use it for anything else: Mac G4/400, OSX 10.3, Freehand 10 and more recently, Illustrator CS. FastRIP, standard genuine Epson inks (the big 220ml cartridges), and FastPositive waterproof film. File sharing turned on. I probably run 5-15 films through it a week, and it may sit for several days without use. I leave the computer and printer on 24/7, and it never, ever crashes. I restart the computer every 2-3 weeks for good measure. I move files to it over the network and use it to solely to prep the trapping and output the film. All of my websurfing and design and email and web development is done on other computers. Basically, I was worried that keeping the OS up-to-date would develop compatibility issues with FastRIP, so I just keep it at 10.3.9. To keep heads from clogging, I use this rather unorthodox technique: sitting right on top of the media tray where the film comes out, I keep a small bowl with a little bit of water as far in and to the right (closest to the heads) as it will go. I put a small piece of sponge in it to maximize the air exposure and evaporation. Then I made a removable door out of matboard that covers that entire opening where the film comes out, to keep the moisture in. Then the whole printer gets covered with a sheet of plastic when not in use. When I print, I just uncover and remove the cardboard door and move the water bowl. I doubt that I clean heads more than once a month or so. I fully intended to print a photo or two every day as preventative maintenance, but I never get around to it. This may all sound rather silly and I may be giving myself more credit than I am due. But things do seem to run fairly smoothly and I don't find myself on a tight deadline with clogged heads that ratchet up my stress level. Hope this helps. Lee. [Edited on 3/8/08 by leeshiney] | ||
 
|