# At last! A printer with refillable ink reservoirs.

## 52midnight

Epson has released a printer with refillable ink reservoirs. The original article is behind a paywall, so I've reposted it here:

http://52midnight.com/tmp/Epson_refillable_printer.html

The downside is having to pay the REAL cost of the printer, instead of an unrealistic discount to encourage purchase, after which you pay $$$$$$$ for ink. The reason is simple. This widely-practised quasi-criminal marketing ploy has been defeated by the ready availability of cut-price ink cartridges from Third World suppliers.

But is the new printer supported by Linux? Does anyone know if there are Lx drivers?

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## Roman_Gruber

well your post sounds more like a general questions and belong to off the wall.

or chit chat.

 *Quote:*   

>  Gentoo Chat
> 
> For general linux questions, see Off The Wall. Opinions, ideas and thoughts about Gentoo. Anything and everything about Gentoo except support questions. 

 

Between anouncement of hardware / marketing gag and availability it takes usually a very long time.

you may ask the supplier itself as I doubt anyone possess such hardware as of now and uses gentoo.

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## NeddySeagoon

52midnight,

Epson usually provide binary blob drivers for their printers.

A long time ago it was a one size fits all driver.

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## 52midnight

 *NeddySeagoon wrote:*   

> 52midnight,
> 
> Epson usually provide binary blob drivers for their printers.
> 
> A long time ago it was a one size fits all driver.

 

I'm in the market for a new printer, so this came along just at the right time. Problem is I swore off Epson some years ago after two bad experiences. Have had good results from Canon, and HP's 'hplip' driver set seems the most Lx-friendly. I'd be prepared to give Epson another go, especially if they now have good Lx support.

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## Fitzcarraldo

I see that Epson has posted a video on YouTube about the Expression ET-2550 EcoTank All-in-One Printer. In principle it looks good but, without a Linux driver -- and one that is known to work in Gentoo specifically -- I would be very wary. Actually, after watching that video I noticed that there are third-party products for some existing printers that also provide similar bulk-ink functionality (e.g. Adaptive Ink HP Pro X printer CISS Installation), but I wonder if they are easily obtainable Worldwide.

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## frostschutz

I hardly print anything anymore... maybe when I have to return something I ordered online, I have to print a shipping label or something.

As for photos I can have them printed (instantly) in the convenience store nearby... I'd have to print loads of photos to offset the cost for such a printer.

But I'm sure this is a great solution for some people - if the printer also solves all other issues going along with heavy use [such as overflowing of the ink reservoir that catches the ink wasted on cleaning print heads].

As for printer drivers, I admit   :Embarassed:  I don't use the Linux ones. I have a Windows VM for that and it has direct access to the USB printer via USB passthrough.

I used to have TurboPrint drivers for Canon and it worked great but ... Linux printing is still a lot of hassle, and it's not worth it in my very-rarely-print case. Also for printers that are smart enough to print photos directly from SD card, I rather construct images and put them on SD card and have the printer handle the printing, than rely on a [Linux] printer driver to get it right for me. Lots of bad experience in that department   :Laughing: 

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## 52midnight

> there are third-party products for some existing printers that also provide similar bulk-ink functionality

Interesting, didn't know.

> I hardly print anything anymore

Yes, this is part of my dilemma.

> if the printer also solves all other issues going along with heavy use

One reason the article caught my eye was the technology: pigment-based instead of dye-based inks, and therefore permanent; long-lasting mechanical printheads instead of throw-away thermal heads. Obviously designed to last, but will it be supported for the several years needed to justify the purchase price?

> overflowing of the ink reservoir that catches the ink wasted on cleaning print heads

I succeeded in dismantling my Canon when it failed, and even more impressively getting it back together again. I'd been wondering about this, and found two felt pads in the head parking bay overflowing with thick goo. Obviously designed to fail fairly quickly.

> I have a Windows VM for that

For shame!!

> Linux printing is still a lot of hassle

It's never had anything like the plug-n-play simplicity of the unmentionable.

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## roki942

Just a note about print heads, either the fixed kind or as part of the print cartage. It's actually quite important to shut down the printer correctly/fully so that they are parked and the printer does it's thing to keep the ink from drying on them.  

The most common error I've seen with home systems that get turned on and off daily is of the computer being shut down and then switching off the surge protector to shut down everything else. The printer is not able to correctly park and cap the print head and the drying ink with start blocking the nozzles. Cleaning cycles can be done but eventually too many remain clogged and they have to be replaced.  Fairly high end machines are made with replaceable print heads but with low end home printers it usually means replacing the machine if it has the fixed type. 

If b/w with handle you home printing needs I suggest checking out a low end laser. Just the other day I happen to notice a Brother that does auto double sided printing on sale for $59.99. Lasers use a powder toner that doesn't dry out and there's no need to do the ink jet type cleaning cycles which can end up using a lot of ink.Last edited by roki942 on Mon Aug 10, 2015 3:03 am; edited 1 time in total

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## 52midnight

> a Brother that does auto double sided printing on sale for $59.99.

At that price it would suit me nicely if it's Linux-friendly.

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## ct85711

I have to say that my laser printer I bought a while ago been really nice on saving money for me.  I bought my laser printer over 12 years ago, and only had to change the toner once.  I highly recommend getting a laser printer if B/W is ok for you, and/or you print infrequently.  Compared to my parent's ink jets, I've saved well over 5x the money.  It is really nice in that you never having to worry about the ink drying out, so having the printer sit idly for several months (in my case, it sat in storage for 6 years) between usage and worked fine when I needed to print again.

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## 52midnight

Found this online:

http://support.brother.com/g/s/id/linux/en/index.html?c=us_ot&lang=en&comple=on&redirect=on

Seems like a Brother laser might be the go!

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