REFILL EPSONS

Larger bottles? · Formulated Inks for Epson Printers · click

EPSON'S BATTLE WITH COMPATIBLES ··· " WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN !! "

BACKGROUND

For years compatible cartridges have been increasingly undermining Epson's market share of the replacement inkjet cartridge market. Print quality of many (but not all) alternative inkjet cartridges is arguably every bit as good as compared to an Epson replacement cartridge and in comparative studies there is a perceptible or even a distinct improvement in colour vibrancy with some makes of Epson compatible inkjet printer cartridges.

Epson began adding chips onto cartridges a few years ago · They called them "Intellidge" cartridges.

The impression is given that the chips are "clever" and measure ink levels, however, they in fact do no more than add complication and act as a "control" over how many prints a user gets from a cartridge.

The use of the "Intellidge" chip system has been extended to all new Epson inkjet printers over that period · to date. Indeed it looks as though Epson will not be manufacturing any new printers which do not use chips.

ABOUT THE EPSON INTELLIDGE CHIP SYSTEM

FACT (1) The chip does not measure actual ink level(s) inside the cartridge

FACT (2) The chip has no connections inside the cartridge body

FACT (3) The chip simply sits on the cartridge · and when installed it is connected to circuitry inside the printer. Without a chip connected and without a chip which "reads an ink level" · The printer will not function

FACT (4) The printer will function properly with non Epson chips

HOW DOES THE EPSON Intellidge System "WORK"?

When a new cartridge is installed the chip registers "full" and therefore the Ink Level Monitor shows "full". During printing (or indeed cleaning cycles) the droplets of ink fired through the printhead are being counted · once the total number for the cartridge is reached the chip is "switched off" At that stage the printer can not be used to print and in normal circumstances an end user would instal a new cartridge.

CHIP RESETTER · REFILL SYSTEMS

A number of new systems which allow users to reprogramme or reset the chips and refill cartridges with ink have appeared. The first "Universal" model with unlimited resets was the JY168. This was improved and appeared as the JY268. The latest model available with the best chip reset indication & recognition is the YXD268 See below for more details

We have also incorporated the resetter with refill bottles of formulated matching inks to make up refill kit options for popular models of Epson Printers

CHIP RESETTER · CHIP REPROGRAMMER · REFILLING EPSON CARTRIDGES

[CHIP RESETTERS] [7 Pin Chip Resetter] [REFILLING EPSONS] [INKS]

The YXD268 MK IV Chip Resetter. This model has better chip recognition and successful reset indication. It incorporates a Dual Red · Green LED and gives up to an estimated 1000 resets. Latest version has the new R200 · R300 · RX500 · RX600 · RX620 · C64 · C66 · CX3600 · CX3650 · RX420 · RX425 · RX425 adaptor

It resets most currently employed Epson Chips and many compatibles. The latest models, however, use a new 9 Pin chip on the T711-6 & T801-6 cartridges. A chip resetter is not yet available for these. · Click here to see a full list and instructions

Single Units ·· £9.95 inclusive of VAT and delivery

THE FUTURE?

Epson's evolution of chipped cartridges has to a degree meant that a "cat and mouse" game appears to go on No sooner have the manufacturers of alternative products found a solution to Epson's latest offering then Epson changes or updates the printer model the chip and or the cartridge So in practice chips can be altered to prevent them working with particular designs of "re·programmer" e.g. C60 & C62 cartridge bodies are identical but they have different chip sets The new C64 C84 models utilise a new design of cartridge similar to the C70 · C80 · C82 mouldings where there is an individual cartridge for each colour, however, the chip is positioned at the opposite end of the cartridge. By using individual ink cartridges means users now have four or more chipped cartridges instead of two in previous models. In the case of the 6 ink photo printers Photo 950 and the R200 · R300 · RX500 & RX600 models they have 6 separate ink tanks with 6 chips. The Photo 2100 · 2200 printers contain seven ink tanks and therefore 7 chipped cartridges!

A recent significant advance in alternative chip design has come once again from JetTec UK with their C64 · C84 · CX6400 compatible "standard" cartridges · amazingly · JetTec's improved chip enable users to obtain 100% more print yield than equivalent Epson "standard" colour cartridges · yes double the yield · and 30% more yield than an Epson standard Black cartridge. No other compatible manufacturer currently offers these tremendous improvements to the Epson cartridges · and very importantly · JetTec cartridges contain Pigment "Lightfast" inks · these match Epson "DuraBrite" ink

Purchasers of the new printers will in general have three choices to

(1) Continue using Epson replacement (chipped) cartridges

(2) Switch to Non Epson replacement (chipped) cartridges

(3) Purchase a non Epson chip reprogramming system (As outlined above)

CONCLUSION

The introduction of chips on cartridges by Epson is a complication which is designed to make end users "think twice" about implications of using non Epson products. Clearly, any failure of a non·Epson product due to a fault with the alternative chip will cast doubts as to product quality into the innocent user's mind and as a percentage of these users will "switch back" to using an Epson cartridge · then to a significant extent Epson have succeeded with the chip strategy. We are likely to see more and more alternative options like the chip resetter · refill kit options · described above, however, refilling of cartridges with ink will appeal to a small minority of Epson users.

If you are looking to buy Epson ink for refilling your inkjet cartridges you have come to the correct page - we offer top quality system matched bulk bottled ink for Epson printers. Refilling cartridges is fine once you have "cracked it" some are easier to do than others but we always suggest that people purchase a matching refill kit designed for the Epson printer model you have - a lot of thought goes into the manufacture of the Epson refill kit and we believe that this contributes to a much higher chance of refill success. Inks that match the cartridge makers inks and special tools included in the kits make the difference

EPSON CHIP RESETTER · REFILL EPSON CARTRIDGES · Inkjet refill kits

Supplier of Epson Inkjet refill kits and chip resetters Inkjet ink for compatible for recycled cartridges