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[mkari]

I live in Saudi Arabia, am new to all of this, I did so much research and bought the clamshell hotronix (I have not got it yet) now I want to buy a printer, I see Epson is the most popular, my question

is it ok to just use the printer with its original ink, or defiantly the cis is the better deal?

If cis is better then what cis should I buy for Epson 1400, and Epson 88?

Can I use heat transfer on stickers for plastic card like gift cards and access cards?

finally thank you for the nice website it is so useful, thanks

[Masterkoin]

I would recommend the 1400 just because of its width.  It will let you do larger papers if you have a need and works well in general.  Many people are fine with the Claria ink that comes with it and I thought I was in the beginning.  After I did a few jobs with no problems, I had someone bring back shirts that had ink bleeding problems and that was when I decided not to risk using normal inks anymore. 

I would recommend that you change your ink to pigment ink for pretty much any printer.  There are pigment ink sets specifically designed for heat pressing that help reduce color shift which basically just means that blacks will stay black when heated compared to normal inks that often turn green when heated.  I'm not a fan of the CIS systems, but it really just depends on what volume of printing you will do and if you will print every day or not.  I use refillable cartridges and they work great for me.  I don't normally print transfers more than a few times a month, but have printed over 100 on quite a few occasions with no problems.  I just normally refill my cartridges before I start any large jobs to be sure I don't run out. 

I mostly print on 11x17 Jet Pro Soft Stretch paper mainly because I can print two or more graphics on one sheet and then I use my Graphtec cutter to contour cut the graphics.  In the beginning I had a few graphics that just didn't fit well on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper.  So, I ordered the larger paper and after I started using it I realized how much more efficient it was to use the larger paper and I wouldn't have been able to do that without the larger Epson 1400 format.

[badablue]

I also am not a fan of CIS systems. I would use refillable carts. You get the same cost factor as a CIs. Epson carts that come with any unit are expensive. I don't know what you pay over there but here they run about $13.00 USD. You cost per print is about 70 cents to 1.00 USD With refillable carts you can get a full color 8 x11 print for under 25 cents. As suggested above the 1400 epson is a great large format printer and the c88 (discontinued) is or was a great small printer. I would look at the c30 (here in USA) as a replacement for the c88. Glad to have you here and glad you like our forum. Feel free to ask any of us questions. Also check out inksupply.com for refillable carts.

[mkari]

Sorry for the many questions but I really don’t have any knowledge about these things, all I know  I learned last month from the web and some terms I don’t understand so thank you
 
The refillable inks you are talking about are the manufacturer cartridge when it is empty you go and fill it with ink from whatever supplier, right?

If right then you have to choose a good ink to fill which you guys say it is a pigment ink(which I don’t know what that means) ? or durabite ink?

They have many local stores in my area where they supply ink and do any formulas  so what should I ask for in term of ink or what should I ask them to mix for me because they do all kind of mixtures or should I just buy them online?

What is durabit ink?

[Masterkoin]

I would recommend after market refillable carts for your specfic model printer because many models like the 1400 track the ink usage and the carts need to have a chip that will automatically reset the ink levels.  I would also look for a set of pigment inks made specifically for heat transfer.  Some colors shift when heated and without ink specially developed for heat the blacks might appear green when heated for example.

[badablue]

Sorry for the many questions but I really don’t have any knowledge about these things, all I know  I learned last month from the web and some terms I don’t understand so thank you
 
The refillable inks you are talking about are the manufacturer cartridge when it is empty you go and fill it with ink from whatever supplier, right?

If right then you have to choose a good ink to fill which you guys say it is a pigment ink(which I don’t know what that means) ? or durabite ink?

They have many local stores in my area where they supply ink and do any formulas  so what should I ask for in term of ink or what should I ask them to mix for me because they do all kind of mixtures or should I just buy them online?

What is durabit ink?

You buy ink for refillable cartridges from the same supplier that you buy your carts from. You do not buy from office stores, Pigment ink is a plastic gel type ink that is not a dye ink like a lot of printers use. It is the best ink to use in this industry. Durabrite ink is Epson's name for their line of pigment inks. HP has Vivera Inks.  We don't have stores here that do any formula of inks. So I am not sure what they offer for you. Lou

[mkari]

hi, i looked many local places, they cant help, where on line do you buy the best quality pigment ink for the 1400 epson?

thanks 

[badablue]

You don't buy commercial pigment inks from any local supplier. Most, or all are on line. Try www.inksupply.com and be sure you get pigment inks not dye inks. Lou

[mkari]

Hello, I found on inksupply this
MIS 1400 COMPATABLE BLACK (and all the other 5 colors) CARTRIDGE FILLED WITH HT (HEAT TRANSFER) INK
Or
Empty (with chip) Cartridges For Epson Stylus Photo 1400

Which one are talking about?

[Masterkoin]

I'd go with the empty with chip and order the HT ink set in bottles to go with them.

[badablue]

agree..

[E-Dawg]

Fantastic thread with great information. I learned more about ink, carts,
and what to use than what I learned in about 2-3 days from another forum.

Woot!

[badablue]

That is why I asked you to come here. I get so many emails asking for help and try to get the person to join us as they will have more people with answers then I. 

[pflamb]

This is the perfect thread for the question I had.  I was about to order a CIS system for my C88+ so thanks so much for saving me from making this costly mistake.
Make someone smile today.
Thanks again,
Paul

[ckozmikk]

 I agree with Lou and MK,.
We had CIS systems and they were both high end at about $250 each. We now have refillable cartridges for about $40 for a set.
My uber nerd sweetie is pleased and I can tell by less swearing, leaks, mess, broken lines, etc. etc.
I think the refillable cartridges are just a better way to go. While it may be cool to say I have a CIS system well it just isn't practical especially in my case when dye sub ink is leaking.
Karen

[MXRacingDad]

I have to agree with Carts. I have CIS, very cheap one, after about 3 or 4 prints I have to reset the chips and ink leaks all over the place after several prints. I have to continually clean my head to be able to use it. I am looking for good reliable refillable carts. Any suggestions anyone?
Thanks,
Bill

[KUSTOMKULTURE]

i use the original epson inks DURA BRITE ULTRA INK, for my printer, i dont want to risk my sales using cheap generic brand inks, so i stick to what works the best it might cost me more, but at least my customers are getting the best.

CHEERS
Grant AUSTRALIA

[graffitiman]

Hi there ... I use cis for two printers i have a epson 1400 and a c120 they both work very well
i use heat pigment ink in one the 1400 with neena papers . There was a very high learning curve to get them working properly , but now they seem very stable and work when needed
i do regular maintenance with them to keep them going , but it is not for the faint hearted
I almost gave up more than once in utter frustration. Best to always have a backup method just in case they stop working though .   

[Hrpc208]

I want to thank everyone on here especially Lou. I can't find the words to say for this site. I have been trying to find a site like this since 7/2008. I'm excited. I still have a lot more to learn but I can get my print degree right here. Thanks a bunch Lou and associates.

[badablue]

You are very welcomed. If I can answer or any of the members can answer your questions then let us know. Lou