Precautions for using a continuous ink supply system (CIS)

Using off-brand continuous ink supply systems (CIS). Results: Missing ink cartridges, color deficiency, horizontal stripes, color deviation—basically, it’s impossible to get a decent print. Suggestion: Choose well-known brands with a good reputation. I haven’t used other brands, but I only use Tianwei now, and it never clogs the print head or has color issues. I think other major brands should also work fine. CIS isn’t high-tech; the ones I know that are good include Tianwei, Lingshuigui, Huifeng, Caipenkuang, etc.

Off-brand ink. At first, the CIS I bought came with ink from a small brand, and no matter how I printed, there was color deviation. It was absolutely unusable for business. Tianwei’s ink isn’t the best in terms of color, but it’s stable—you can leave it for a month or two and it still prints fine. Gezhige’s ink has more accurate colors, but it sometimes clogs the print head and requires frequent cleaning. It’s cheaper, though. These are the only two brands I’ve used so far.

Incorrect placement of the CIS ink tube. Generally, there’s a fixing clip on the tube to attach it to the printer. It’s best to fix it at the position marked in the CIS manual, usually in the center of the printer. The length of the tube from this position to the ink cartridge should be about half the length of the printer—neither too long nor too short. If it’s too long, it might get caught in the carriage; if it’s too short, the carriage can’t move fully, which might damage the printer.

CIS usually has two holes: the large one is for ink refilling and should be plugged with a stopper; the small one is for air intake and should be open when using the printer. I set up a CIS for someone, and they told me the print colors were getting lighter and lighter. When I checked, it turned out the air intake hole was closed.

Don’t remove the transparent tape seal on the ink cartridge; install it directly into the printer. A guy in the group removed it, and the ink leaked everywhere. Later, he sealed it with tape and managed to keep using it, but I don’t know how long it will last.

Clean out any air bubbles in the ink tube. Bubbles can cause problems like broken lines, color deviation, or missing colors, and people might mistakenly think the print head is clogged.

When not using the printer, always let it reset automatically. Don’t unplug the power directly unless there’s a special reason. If the ink cartridge doesn’t reset, it’s prone to clogging. I’m not sure about other potential issues.

Find a printer reset tool online. Beginners usually need it within one to two months. Frequent print head cleaning can cause it to fill up, so it’s good to have one on hand. When both red lights are flashing and you can’t print, it’s time to use it.

Once everything is working properly, test your paper with different print modes to find the best printing settings.

When printing photos, avoid using high-speed printing—it can cause horizontal stripes.

For printing photos, “high-quality photo” mode is usually sufficient (for R210 printers). Higher modes don’t make much difference.

If cost isn’t a concern, using RC photo paper gives much better results. It costs about 13–15 yuan per pack, which is 3–5 yuan more expensive than regular paper. RC photo paper can’t be covered with a cold lamination film. If using pigment ink, RC paper is recommended; if using dye ink, high-gloss paper with a cold lamination film is better.

Choosing photo paper: If it’s not a top-brand photo paper, RC paper is better for print quality. Prints on RC paper are glossy, have some water resistance, and look better than high-gloss paper. Photo paper with an overly white printing surface isn’t necessarily good. I use dye ink now, so I use high-gloss paper with a cold lamination film to make it somewhat water-resistant. If using pigment ink, RC paper should work well.

The R210 printer has issues with paper feeding. Take apart the back cover, find the tension spring, and replace it with one with stronger tension—it helps a lot. If you tie it tight, it can feed paper smoothly, but you’ll have to feed paper manually. Over time, it might damage the printer gears, though.

If you don’t know how to use Photoshop but want to edit photos well, I recommend using ACDSee 8.0 and Light Image Resizer together. With about a week of practice, you can edit really good photos. There are portable, green versions of both software available online. ACDSee is mainly for cropping, printing, and removing blemishes; Light Image Resizer is good for enlarging images, adjusting brightness, etc. They’re very easy to use.

Don’t wait until the ink runs out to refill. Refill when about 1/4 of the ink is left, preferably in the evening before you go to bed. After refilling, let it sit for an hour or two to allow any bubbles in the ink to dissipate. Try not to refill ink when you have printing tasks to do.

If a CIS frequently has bubbles in the ink tube and it’s not due to incorrect installation, it’s probably a poor-quality product.