With the release of the new white ink, some steps are required to ensure a successful transition.
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RICOH DTG's newest white ink technology sets a new standard for quality and performance. RICOH Enhanced White Ink Type G2 is a direct improvement over the previous formula.
Some of the benefits include:
- Increase in vibrancy between prints
- Less settlement within cartridges and ink lines
- Improvement in nozzle jetting performance
- Improvements in durability to environmental conditions
When switching to the new Ricoh Type G2 ink there are a few things to consider.
All cartridges must be switched at once. We can NOT have different white ink (Type G1 and G2) cartridges in the same machine. Print results will not be good, and it may lead to nozzle loss. This means all white ink cartridges should match.
Previously White ink Cartridges for the Ri 1000X were:
[342520] RICOH Garment Ink Cartridge White 1 Type G1
[342600] RICOH Garment Ink Cartridge White 1 (Hi Yield) Type G1
The new improved ink cartridges are:
[342836] RICOH Enhanced Garment Ink Cartridge White 1 Type G2
[342812] RICOH Enhanced Garment Ink Cartridge White 1 (Hi Yield) Type G2
Needed for recommended flushing:
QTY 2 [342814] RICOH Cleaning Cartridge Type G2
Prior to changing from Type G1 to Type G2 white ink – confirm that the nozzle check is good. If there are many missing nozzles, the process of changing over to Type G2 ink will not necessarily resolve any preexisting clogging or other issue:
Please refer to this article on our knowledge base for tips on how to recover the nozzles.
Option 1 (RECOMMENDED) - Fully flush out the old Type G1 white ink prior to loading the new Type G2 white ink. This will allow you to enjoy all the benefits of the new white ink right away. This means you will need cleaning cartridges to flush the machine. The cleaning carts will need to be at least 50% full in order to complete the flush.
Option 2 - Alternatively, you can skip the flushing process and just put in the new Type G2 white ink cartridges. This will require at least 5 strong cleans on all white heads to be performed after inserting the new cartridges. This will not harm the machine, but you may notice nozzle loss and might need to flush the lines to attempt recovery.
Flushing and Refilling
- Check the level of the waste tank - if it is near full then you will need to empty it to prevent the flushing process from failing. In this case, make sure you empty your waste ink bottle and reset the counter.
- Remove the old cartridges (G1) from the printer, then insert the cleaning cartridges in their place.
- Go to the settings menu and select ink path control, then select cleaner charging, then choose only the white ink.
- After around 40 minutes, when flushing is complete, check that the white lines are clear.
- Shake the new cartridges for 100 seconds before inserting to mix the ink that may have settled while stored. Insert the cartridges once shaken.
- Return to the settings tab, select ink path control, then ink charging. Select the white ink lines to initiate filling of the new ink.
- Once the lines have been filled (usually taking around 25 minutes), print a nozzle check. If there are any missing nozzles, run a strong head clean to try and clear them. Once you have a good nozzle check, you are ready to start printing with the new ink.