The OEM told The Recycler that a “physical sensor” in the Epson Stylus Pro 9900 ink system stops a cartridge from printing when “further use could cause harm to the printhead”.
This follows an ‘Ink Low’ status when the cartridge has “roughly 10 to 15 percent ink remaining”, after which it will continue to print normally until the aforementioned sensor is triggered, along with an “Ink Cartridge Expended” notice to the user.
The clarification comes after printing company Bellevue Fine Arts found that 9900-series cartridges with supposedly one percent capacity had as much as 20 percent left, with 700ml devices containing 150ml or more. Epson highlighted that the ink reporting in its 9000-series large format printers is purposed to assess ink levels and “simultaneously protect the health of the printhead”.
It added that “during print head maintenance or cleanings, if a cartridge doesn’t have enough ink to complete the cleaning, a fuller cartridge must be used. However, users have the choice to swap out a cartridge that is reporting low levels for a fuller cartridge for the cleaning maintenance as needed”.
As such, “the original cartridge does not need to be displaced” and can be replaced with the original and the remaining ink still be used.
Nonetheless, the OEM said that the ink needed for cleaning is “conservatively estimated” to ensure enough ink is available to prevent any obstructions to the printhead.