I purchased this Ink system in late February having heard here and there that bulk ink was a way around the ludicrous cost of Epson branded ink.
I'll admit it was a bit of a hassle to get it working right, but at the end of the day, the few hours it took to get the tubes safely routed out of the printer were absolutely worth it. After three months of printing several photo-quality documents per day (Letter or larger, most Tabloid or Super-B sized) as well as transparencies for graphic design projects and double sided full bleed printer spreads for small pamphlets and magazines, only one color (Light Cyan) is running low.
Some benefits that are not addressed in the description: When a cartridge gets low (according to the Epson Utility), it resets at about 10% capacity to 100% capacity and runs the print head through a cleaning cycle. This keeps everything nice and neat. I've only had to adjust/clean/realign the print head a couple of times, and only because of very slight streaking almost invisible to the naked eye.
This system, unlike many, allows the lid to be closed, given the tubes are installed appropriately.
Drawbacks:
As another owner has reported, the system seems to overprint Cyan and light Cyan. It's quite obvious, now that these are the two cartridges that need replacement first. It's also rather clear when printing "Black and White" images they generally end up with a cool tint, sometimes rather severe. Blacks are very rich and dense, but middle and dark grays tend to shift slightly to cyan or cyan and yellow. Compensating in the drivers with less cyan and yellow, it is possible to eliminate this effect. No other colors seem to be flawed, and the same vibrant gamut can be achieved with the off-brand ink as Epson's own.
The directions provided with the system are some of the worst I have seen. Many of the photos aren't even of the Epson 1400, and might as well be omitted entirely. Several steps are misleading or unclear, and ultimately, encourage the system to be set up in a way that causes the tubes to rub on the paper exactly where ink has just be printed. My final solution involved using some IKEA cable management zip-ties and adhesive brackets to create a bridge over the main opening in the printer and replace the "T-Bracket" that is supplied with most CIS systems. I also added a few felt pads along the tubing where it was rubbing against non-moving parts of the printer so that the friction and abrasion wouldn't wear through or cause it to catch.
Overall: This has been a fantastic product, and I have recommended it to all fellow design students. It's a perfect way to cut costs during school, and likely into the professional world. With only the ink provided with the system, I've saved hundreds (4 to 5 sets of cartridges = $400+), and with a new set of bottles, that bulk savings ought to continue for quite some time. Even if the printer or system fails now, it's paid for itself, twice over.
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Purchased this ink system for my Epson Stylus Photo 1400. I am a graphic design student and we print a lot of drafts, revisions, and finals. Picked this up to save money on ink.
The packaging is well designed and thought out. The system itself took some time to install--about 40 minutes. It also took me some time to get the tubes adjusted properly, but now it works wonders. And the system automatically resets when your computer thinks the ink is empty. All-in-all I am impressed with the design of the product.
As for the ink itself, I notice that prints have a slight Cyan cast in the blacks compared to the Epson 79 Claria ink. It has not caused any problems for me however. In general the colors are just as vivid as the Claria, particularly in the warmer hues.
The best part is that I love not worrying about using up my precious ink! I can print for days now, and for 2/3 the price! I was a little skeptical, but a classmate purchased the same cis and convinced me. I wish I had done it last year!
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Buying this cis was the best thing a graphic or 3d artist that prints a lot needs.
It came very fast, I had questions before I bought it, and they emailed me right away and answered all my questions.
I did have a little trouble understanding how to install the system, I emailed them, and they got back to me with in hours, ready to help.
I gave them a five star, because the system is great and prints beautifully, and the value was the best I have seen.
However, after saying that the manual was just horrible.
Honest reviews on CIS Ink System for Epson 79 Ink: Stylus Photo 1400 Printer
As a Graphic Designer, I was going broke trying to replace those small ink cartridges on a daily or weekly basis. I was ecstatic to find this great continuous ink system for my printer. I've had this for 7 months now and I really love it. The print quality is very good and I'm saving tons of money on ink. Installation was a bit tricky and I have to keep the lid open when I'm printing so that it doesn't make so much noise with the tubes hitting the lid. All this trouble is worth it for cost saving in buying single ink cartridges.
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I purchased the CIS ink system for my Epson Stylus Photo 1400 printer about a month ago for printing my projects at home. I print mostly on 11x17's for my projects and the ink goes out really fast. I was hesitant about purchasing this system after reading what others have posted. As a student the OEM ink cartridges was eating my pocket book so I took the chance and purchase it. Yes, set up is a bit misleading due to the fact that the images were of another printer. The directions/instructions are the one that you have to go off on. After a week I was very impress how my printer was printing.
I saw a flaw in the set-up, it was how the ink tube is attached to the side of the cartridge well with the provided stick on clip. The clip that is placed on the side wall always pops out whether from being stationary or when the printer is in use. What I did was removed that clip and part of that set up and just run the feeder tubes from the T-bracket clip that is placed on the top, straight to the ink cartridge well. At first when I followed the instructions the feeder tube was constantly hitting the bottom of the printing area and it was scrapping over the print while it was in the process of printing. I adjusted the length of the feeder tube so that it has enough play for the ink cartridge box to maneuver side to side. Now it works well and the feeder tube is not scrapping over the print. On a long term basis, the feeder tube is made up of low quality plastic (made in China) and eventually it will crack. I am just waiting for that day to happen. But till now it is working great!!!
I started to look at different types of paper to print on and it still beats going to the print shop. The only thing you have to know about this is to know your "settings" before you print. This was the problem I was having earlier but once I got that patted down it made my work easier. I work on a Mac and the color off from the print is close to identical to what I have on the screen. I have taken some manual print and print production courses and they really help on understanding what you can do. Like I said, know your software and your paper!!! It's the operator who will make it really happen. The software and the machines are just tools of the trade.
I have told this system to a colleague of mine who also owns an Epson Stylus Photo 1400 and he is very impress with the output. He also was purchasing costly ink cartridges. After I told him about this system he got it and is loving it!
Overall, the CIS ink system is a good purchase if you are watching what you spend on prints.
