Tesco was £2.50 per ream (500 sheets) of A4 last time I had to get some about 2 years ago.
You can probably get a similar price online if you buy a few reams. ie. About £10 for 4 reams including postage
Whats going on with the Large format printer ( IPF605 )
Uhhh, thread resurrection! after this https://discourse.southlondonmakerspace.org/t/halp-ive-jammed-the-large-format-printer/11151
Is the large format printer currently OK (other than things being inside it)? And is there a roll of transparency I could use? If so, what size is it?
Thaaaanks 
I hate printers.
I hate falling into the sunk cost fallacy.
This printer refuses to do anything if it thinks any of it’s six cartridges are empty.
It was sulking due to the cyan being empty. I got one cheaply on ebay.
After printing a dozen test pages and cleaning the print head it was doing good black prints and streaky colour prints (blocked cyan nozzles).
It now thinks that the yellow cart is empty and won’t do anything until it is replaced.
If a good soak in IPA/meths/whatever does not unblock the print head then it will never print colour properly because a new print head is £300.
Personally I’d happily set it on fire in the yard and reclaim the space it is taking up, a printing by post service works out cheaper.
There is a 24" wide roll of transparency.
There was (or at least I left) a head-unblocking kit, that IMO smelled significantly like cat piss, but is apparently a good thing, near the LFP.
Personally I’d happily set it on fire in the yard and reclaim the space it is taking up, a printing by post service works out cheaper.
if this ever was the plan, I’m happy to take the machine back
No!
Printers always do this if they’re left unused for a while. Can I propose a possibly fruitless but well intentioned attempt that someone prints something at least once a fortnight once we do this? I’m away in scotland for a week but I’ll try and clean the nozzles next time I’m in the space so we can get it working again, I’ve been wanting to make transparencies on it for a while.
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don’t worry! I have no real interest in taking it away; but if it ever does seem to be destined for the bin, I’d rather reclaim it than see it scrapped.
Is there no software that can do this automatically? (Would be useful for my printer as well)
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There really should be. I’ve had inkjets print heads non repairable after only a few weeks…it’s nuts
for very basic problems, there is an auto-mode that tries to clean the head by squidging ink through the nozzles. For ink that has fully dried up, and seemingly forms an impenetrable barrier in the head, no amount of squidging ink through the head seems to work (and empties the cartridges) and a more brutal approach is needed - usually Ammonia.
I’ve had good luck with a mix of isopropyl alcohol and very mild detergent too, helps if you leave it a few hours to soak.
I actually mean to print a page or two every few days but that sounds good as well…
Yellow cart ordered.
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Hi @peter_hellyer - hope you are well!
After some discussion with a few members and directors, we think the large format printer is not earning its keep at the space anymore, while a good idea in theory, the following factors have caused it to only print a handful of pages in 5 years:
Inkjet cartridges dry up and clog if not used regularly
The cost to replace all the cartridges is 100’s of £
There are 2 other printers in the space already
You can see the actual usage just by the age of this thread…
It takes up a ton of space for how much use it has actually gotten, as we clean up and recover from lockdown would be great to move it on. Want to come get it? Or if you are no longer interested I am sure it can be re-homed…
Thank you!
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Ping! Can we move it on yet?! 
I thought the main reason for lack of use wasn’t lack of interest but lack of ink.
I suggested years ago that with just black ink it can print fantastic photo masks.
We don’t have another printer anywhere near as good quality or size.
Did someone look into an alternative ink solution that doesn’t cost a stupid amount of money?
From reading the old threads, sounds like it won’t print without all the cartridges having ink…!?
And they dry out and cost stupid money…
The rationale for getting rid of it is that despite how usefule it COULD be, it hasn’t been… And takes a lot of space…
I knew this would either prompt someone to get it working or we get rid of it, either way is fine! But having huge devices in the way all the time that no one uses is silly…
Can we set a timeline? End of July- use it or lose it?
Thanks!
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Sorry, It’s been a very long time since I logged into Discourse. If the space is wanting to move it on, I’m In theory happy to take it back. Will need to check with Esther though…
Ok thanks! Let us know! Just not enough actual usage of it to justify the footprint…
Cheers
Hi @peter_hellyer- any date you can come get this? It’s been another month and it’s just getting moved around…
Thanks in advance!!
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