Ok well I just ordered a Epson Stylus Photo R340 and will be doing a lot of printing with it. I want to start out with the refillable carts and if I'm refilling too often then want to move to the CIS system. I'm looking for a good quality refillable and CIS system and high quality ink to print onto DVDs and CDs, can anyone point me into the right direction?

Yep I can point you in the right direction for refillable and CIS systems this is
where I got my refillable carts at and soon to be replaced by a CIS system.
http://printonadime.com/

I order two from inkexpress4u on ebay they work great and come filled with ink. Shipping and all cost me 63 dollars. I would never go back to filling carts.

Now for printing on CDs/DVDs do I want dye or pigment? I want something that wont rub off if your hands are moist.

I think the R340 is a printer that is designed to use dye based inks, so I wouldn't recommend using a pigment ink in it.

If you want to protect the discs then use a fixative spray like Krylon or Pressit Sprayfix, or use those waterproof printable discs that you can get now.

Do you have any experience using these. I searched and found Krylon Preserve-it, is this what you were talking about?
the thing I am worried about is after spraying this on the disk might not be level and will not read correctly in the drive.

I've used the Pressit stuff, but the Krylon spray has been recommended by a lot of people in the forums.

Basically place the DVD on a flat surface, say a piece of card. Spray the disc in a zig-zag motion for about 2 secs. Rotate the piece of card 90 degrees and do the same again.

If you want a shiny finish then you have to lay down more coats, but you would do well to try out those Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden Glossy printable discs.

You know I've used an Epson R300 with Epson ink for about 100's of DVD over the last year and a half. After the ink drys, I haven't noticed any problems with any ink smearing or fading as long as no fluid comes in contact with the disk. IMO the Krylon spray might be a little overkill for most home usage. My biggest problem has been with the data side. The kids constantly get junk on it, and / or scratch it up.

Bought one from him, got it in yesturday... haven't installed it because i just put in new int carts...

You will like it once you install. I did have a problem with one of the colors chip not working but they sent me a replacement cart. with new chip and it worked great. If I was you I would at least put it in and check that the printer sees all the colors before the 30 days are up.

EPSON R340 does indeed use dye based inks - in fact it uses the same T048 type cartridges as earlier models EPSON R200/220/300. Don't attempt to use pigment based inks, the heads were not designed for that - you will clog your nozzles.

If you need pigment based, go with the EPSON R800, there are refills for that printer too..

printonadime looks suspicious to me, their website design, no info on company, etc...First I would advise to throw away your empty carts once they are used (original R340) do not attempt to refill those they are very difficult to refill - they have a complex maze type design and are sealed under pressure, they do not take a full load when refilled and the filling hole is at the BOTTOM - I recommend empty, easy to refill compatible carts combined with JETTEC inks, they are far better than other inks I have tried and more accurate even better so than Q-Ink or the crap quality that most websites sell you in bulk.

I installed it the other day and the black nozzle wasn't working good... After a bunch of head cleanings its working now.... so far so good...

One thing I noticed with most of the stuff sold on eBay in regards to ink or pre-filled carts are the horrid quality of the inks used - For one colours DO NOT match, if you print solid colour bars and compare you will see a visible difference, most noticeable on blue and yellow - not to mention these inks are bad and fade very quickly with years.. As far as i'm concerned I would never buy the garbage sold on eBay when it comes to bulk ink or filled carts. I would buy empty ones and refill them myself with QUALITY ink, not the G&G, Qink or Generic crap sold out there.

So what's a "QUALITY ink"; where do you buy it; and how much does it cost?

I have had a PrintOnTheDime System for my R300 it works AWESOME. :-)

I have been debating for a LONG time if I should try a CIS with my R340. The only thing that gets me is, I tried "compatible ink" to save money, but after one print, in the garbage they went! The printing jobs were just horrendous compared to genuine epson cartridges. I'm afraid with a CIS it may be the same way? Does anybody have a CIS system with a R340 and the printing does a good job?

Another thing I hear about CIS is it needs to be used frequently or it will clog up. Just wondering if this is true. I don't want to ruin my now discontinued R340 if what I hear is true

Thanks for any input!!

I have a R340 with a CIS as well as my R220 and my Canon 4200 and 4300's and have had not issues at all for well over 6 months now with the Epson R340 or the rest. Output is just as good as Epson cartridges and no issues with clogging if it sits between uses. They work wonderful together but I am sure there are inks out there that if used with it would cause issues, but I have had non.
Luvs Jenni

Hello folks!

I believe I found the very thread I belong to!

Boy have I got some useful information for y'all today..

Okay, so I am the proud owner of an Epson R340 and a CIS kit from PrintOnADime. I did not make the decision easily to go with such a brand.. I conducted a LOT of research via forum threads like this one:

[http://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic...674912#1674912]

Now on to the rundown of information!

• PrintOnADime [http://www.printonadime.com] is an extremely reputable company that I have never felt so proud to do business with. Although their site looks cheesy, they are a very customer-friendly business with a 100% positive eBay feedback rating of 950 (about 50 a month). They answered all my e-mails promptly and personally, while providing extremely useful information in the process. Their detailed instructions that came with my CIS kit were extremely beneficial as well -- considering they were actually in movie format. Oh, and I happened to order my CIS on a Saturday morning.. and got it by the next Monday afternoon!
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• Now this is my professional opinion.. and I am a perfectionist as well.. so please believe me when I say this: the ink that came with my CIS kit from POAD is so identical to my genuine Epson ink that I simply cannot tell the difference between the two.
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• The reason being, I found out, is because the ink POAD supplies with their CIS kits is made in the United States. I have read numerous reports about the lack in quality of other inks supplied with CIS kits, only to learn that their inks were manufactured in foreign countries like China. Those inks are said to be watered down, thus resulting in the colors not matching to the original or OEM Epson inks out there. One such company I would NOT buy my CIS kit from (based only on actual reports in other forums) is "inkexpress4u" -- mainly because they have been said to provide foreign ink with their kits. I believe greg42 was warning us against companies like them.
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• Now listen closely.. with respect to clogging, there is absolutely NO difference between the various cartridge/delivery methods available for you to feed your printer ink with. ONLY THE TYPE OF INK MATTERS. I say this because of all the hype I've read surrounding such cartridge clogs via the use of CIS kits.
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• The cartridges that came with my CIS kit are exactly the same as "refillable" cartridges, and OEM cartridges, and genuine Epson cartridges -- with respect to ink delivery. They all have the same shape, they all have the same identification chips on them, and they all have the same hole at the bottom of them to allow ink to be pulled through. NONE of them have the actual print-heads attached to them.. which means that any clogging that ensues is part of the printer itself and NOT the ink delivery system. The only cause for a clog is based on the type of ink (dye vs. pigment), the brand/source of ink, and most importantly: how often you use your printer.
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• In lamen's terms, if you don't use your printer for awhile, thus allowing the print-heads to dry out (think of a paint brush sitting out).. there is absolutely NO significance as to how the ink got there. You could have a CIS installed, you could have genuine Epson ink cartridges installed. It doesn't matter. The clog you have is at the print-head and nowhere near the cartridges.
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• With that in mind, the best way to prevent clogging (no matter which ink delivery system you use) is to print at least one half-to-full page worth of ink on a daily basis. What this does is allow the ink that would otherwise dry up on your print-heads (and cause that clog) to be pushed onto the paper, allowing fresh ink to takes its place. (Think of using that paint brush before it dries out, and then dipping it in some more paint). Don't worry, the amount of ink you'll use by printing this daily "purge page" is insignificant compared to the benefit of having a clog-free printer system.
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• Now if you use cheap ink that comes from China, or even the "Stratitec" ink that Sam's Club offers for next to nothing... be prepared for clogging, no matter how often you use your printer. The saying "you get what you pay for" has never meant more in this department. To the best of my knowledge, the only (current) reputable and reported sources for truly "high quality" ink are PrintOnADime[http://www.printonadime.com], and PrintForLess [http://www.printforless.tk].
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• The third source of clogging might be because you're using pigment-based ink in a dye-based inkjet printer. The thicker viscocity of pigment-based ink, as well as the larger picoliter (droplet) size, usually ends up clogging any and all print-heads that are not specifically designed to handle the difference.

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Okay, now that we've got all that out of the way.. time for some different information! Here's what, after doing A LOT of research, I have come to the conclusion of:

• If you do a LARGE amount of printing, a CIS kit will be very appropriate for your needs. The upside to a CIS is that you'll never have to refill individual cartridges, only tanks. The downside is that if you don't have your CIS properly installed, the ink ribbon can be damaged! Whatever you do, don't let that ribbon get caught under the print-head assembly during printing.
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• If you do a MEDIUM amount of printing, "refillable" cartridges might be more appropriate instead. The upside to using refillable cartridges is that they're specifically made for easy refilling -- unlike OEM cartridges. Here is an example of a reputable setup: [http://www.printonadime.com/inventor...php?item_id=70]. Another advantage is that you don't have to worry about a CIS ribbon setup. However, the downside to refillable cartridges is just that -- you have to refill them. Constantly. The spongeless ones allow more room for ink than with OEM or Epson genuine cartridges, but be prepared to refill them on a weekly-to-monthly basis.

• If you do a SMALL amount of printing, OEM cartridges are a perfect place to start. They're much cheaper than Epson genuine cartridges, and definitely hold more ink as well. Here's a reputable, high-quality OEM cartridge source: [http://www.supermediastore.com/epson...cartridge.html]. These cartridges have been reported to feature the highest quality OEM ink available.
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• And last but not least, if you do almost NO printing.. I guess original, genuine Epson inkjet cartridges might be okay for you to use. Personally though, I think Epson cartridges are a joke. They are booby-trapped to disable successful refilling, they have sponges in them (that can deteriorate over time and cause clogs as well), and they usually come 60-80% full -- WITHOUT auto-resetting chips by the way. That means that around a reported 20% ink level, your cartridge will requiring replacing. *Thanks Epson for the retarded, deceitful technology!*

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Anyways, moving on.. while I'm at it I think I'll share whatever else I've learned over the past few weeks:

• There's a fantastic "waste ink bottle" modification for almost every Epson printer out there, that eliminates all unecessary ink from building up at the bottom of your printer. Here's the link you'd be stupid not to visit: [http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/v...m_id=40&page=1].
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• Mixing dye-based inks with pigment-based inks can cause HUGE and almost immediate problems, due to the different viscocities (thicknesses) between them. If you're bold/stupid enough to try pigment-based ink in your dye-based inkjet printer.. at least do yourself the favor of flushing out the old ink. Here's a good product to do that: [http://www.printonadime.com/inventor...php?item_id=49].
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• CIS kits should be left alone once properly installed, as fidling with them can introduce problems. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
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• Blunt needles should be used when filling refillable cartridges. Sharp needles can do a lot of irreversible damage (puncture, scrape, etc.)
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• If your CIS kit comes in the mail tightly packaged, and the ink ribbon is wound tightly around the cartridges (causing a block in the system).. running the ribbon kink under warm water may open up the passages. Also, over time the kink should work itself away.
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• It is not a good idea to place your CIS tanks above the printer, as gravity will pull the ink inside them down into the printer assemby, causing pools of ink to spill everywhere!
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• If your CIS ribbons contain small air pockets, you may not have to worry about it (so long as your prints come out fine). BUT, if these pockets start to cause siphon problems while you're printing, you may need to reprime your setup. Also make sure you have absoutely NO leaks anywhere in your setup, as air is preferable to liquid when drawn through a vaccuum.
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• If you do A LOT of printing, and your printer starts acting up.. you may just find that giving it a little rest (letting any ink-foam in the cartridges dispurse) goes a long way. Remember, these desktop printers are NOT meant for commercial reproduction. They were intended and manufactured for home use (light to medium print loads). So give your printer a break every once in awhile!
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• Do not reset auto-resetting chips in a chip resetter module, as it will most likely burn these chips out! Auto-resetting chips can be found on CIS cartridges as well as refillable cartridges -- and they should be left alone. However, the non auto-resetting chips that can be found on OEM and Epson genuine cartridges, may indeed require a reset -- once they drop below a certain point.

And well, there you have it! A little inkjet 101 for ya. Please keep in mind that all this is my opinion only.. although ALL of it has been accurately based on my personal experiences as well as the personal experiences of others to which I've read about on other forums/threads.

I sure hope somebody found this stuff useful! I am so thrilled to be able to share it all, and I hope I saved somebody some time of researching it themselves!

Oh! I almost forgot to mention..

I am an EXTREMELY high volume printer user, spitting out about 20 white-inkjet-hub-printable DVDs a day. Been doing this for several weeks now using my trusty CIS kit -- and I have yet to run into problems! *fingers crossed*

Also, because dye-based ink isn't very waterproof, I've been successfully spraying my DVDs with "Patricia Nimocks" Clear Acrylic Matte Sealer. It's cheap, and locally available at your corner Wal-Mart! Some people say the acetone in it can damage DVD discs (which is true).. but I've used acetone before, and although it melts plastic in a matter of seconds, it doesn't harm plastic when sprayed from a can. This is because it is only used as a medium for the sealer to travel in, and it (the acetone) evaporates long before it comes into contact with the DVD. It's basically used as a thinner to allow the sealer component to become fluid enough to travel in spray form.