Epson printer firmware update-do not install if using 3rd party ink: Warning for people who use Epson printers and use 3rd party ink. Epson just released a firmware update that...

quick235 Loc: Niagara Falls, NY

Warning for people who use Epson printers and use 3rd party ink. Epson just released a firmware update that PREVENTS the use of 3rd party cartridges. Do not run the firmware. The 3rd party cartridge people are scrambling to update their chips. I got this from a 3rd party cartridge company.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

WHich is why 3rd party ink has always been a dead end.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

quick235 wrote:

Warning for people who use Epson printers and use 3rd party ink. Epson just released a firmware update that PREVENTS the use of 3rd party cartridges. Do not run the firmware. The 3rd party cartridge people are scrambling to update their chips. I got this from a 3rd party cartridge company.

Now, they put you in a dilemma. It's all about the money. OEM does not like losing it.

OviedoPhotos

Years ago I had a bad experience with 3rd party ink, it ruined a printer. I use genuine ink these days. Yes it costs more and its probably the same stuff as 3rd party but when I sent in the printer in 2015 for service out of warranty I was surprised that even though the printer was 4 years old the service was free.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Just another reason to only use OEM ink. Best of luck.

blue-ultra Loc: New Hampshire

I agree. I purchased a Epsom Artisian printer on Ebay , mainly because it was the exact same model I have and the seller said that there were 12 ink cartridges to go with it. When I received it they were not OEM screws up that printer as well as mine. I was able to correct the problem but it cost me plenty for OEM cartridges...Only use OEM! Lesson learned!

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

They make the purchase price of the physical printer very low to hook you into using their inks. Software blocking of non-OEM ink is just a way to FORCE you into OEM products.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

One reason why I just gave up on inkjet printers long ago. So many different hassles with the ink. If I want to print pictures, they go out to a one of several commercial outlets depending on my need for speed versus technical quality.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

quick235 wrote:

Warning for people who use Epson printers and use 3rd party ink. Epson just released a firmware update that PREVENTS the use of 3rd party cartridges. Do not run the firmware. The 3rd party cartridge people are scrambling to update their chips. I got this from a 3rd party cartridge company.

As a former lab guy who put several high end 44" Epsons into a high volume production environment, I watched as it only took ONE batch of third party ink to ruin the heads in an almost-new 9600 printer. After that head replacement (and replacing all the ink lines to the head, as well), we used only Epson inks, and ran that printer for five years before retiring it in operational condition.

My wife had a bad experience, too, quickly ruining three office printers with three different brands of third party inks before running genuine Epson ink in the fourth. That one lasted four years.

While there may be some third party ink systems that really do work, I don't think it is worth the risk. At eight to ten times the cost to a lab over what silver halide processes cost (conventional RA-4 chemistry and light-sensitive photo paper), one does not use inkjet printing to save money! It's all about the archival permanence, and the wide gamut color, and the wide range of printable substrates such as canvas, art board, and rag papers.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

I have an Epson WP-4540 all-in-one that works fine for 4x6 and 5x7 prints. It’s 4-5 years old and it never failed to put ink on paper. I’ve always fed it Epson ink.

Twinbro Loc: North Central Arkansas

Wish I had read this before now. Just ordered 3rd party ink for my HP. I have emailed the manufacturer of the ink and ask them. I can always return the cartridges when I get them.... Can anyone comment of HP OfficeJet 8625 problems?

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

Twinbro wrote:

Wish I had read this before now. Just ordered 3rd party ink for my HP.

Not all print heads are made the same. They all need lubrication of some sort. There are certainly many more considerations, but these ideas were enough to convince me to buy OEM ink.

blue-ultra Loc: New Hampshire

Twinbro wrote:

Wish I had read this before now. Just ordered 3rd party ink for my HP. I have emailed the manufacturer of the ink and ask them. I can always return the cartridges when I get them.... Can anyone comment of HP OfficeJet 8625 problems?

I use a HP Office Pro 8600 Plus at work. They ordered a 3rd party ink to save $$ ruined all my prints and then the printer stopped working until I could get some OEM ink back into it. Took a lot of printing to finally get it right... Never use non-OEM ink. Not worth the time or trouble.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

blue-ultra wrote:

I use a HP Office Pro 8600 Plus at work. They ordered a 3rd party ink to save $$ ruined all my prints and then the printer stopped working until I could get some OEM ink back into it. Took a lot of printing to finally get it right... Never use non-OEM ink. Not worth the time or trouble.

You simply used the wrong non-OEM ink. There are plenty of people satisfied with non-OEM inks; that's why they are selling so well. And you should have made a test print before running off an entire batch of prints... that's what every decent print shop does. It's the safe thing to do, regardless of ink brand.

quick235 Loc: Niagara Falls, NY

good advice-read the reviews on the company selling the ink. There are good companies selling cartridges with the same quality ink as the OEM, but there are lots of bad ones, the field has exploded with companies selling ink. Usually, any bargain basement inks are not going to be good, the lowest cost ones well- suck. I trashed two printheads for my Canon Pixma pro 9000MKII with really low-cost ink until I caught on.