Epson 3800 Printer

Do you change the cartridge when the warning shows or when it goes dry?

I'm not familiar with the 3800 but I am advised that its really important to ensure a continuous flow of inks to the printer head. If an ink cartridge runs dry, bubbles migrate to the head and can cause problems. I swap my Canon cartridges immediately I get a low ink warning.

I believe some Epson printers like the 3800 are a little different. They are designed to have ink remaining when the cartridge says it's empty. Some measures have it to be between 20 and 38%. Consumers have of course complained, even took them to court I believe. Epson says they do this to avoid the problem Timmoranuk mentioned. I've read and experienced that you can just run it till it's "dry" replace it and keep on printing the same image with no ill effects. I'm baseing this opinion on research I've done on the net not personal expereince on the 3800 so take it for what it's worth. I do know I have been happily going through ink on my new Epson R1900 and it's fine to run it until it says replace the cartridge. I sure go through a lot of blue.

My old Canon on the other hand would run out and the image was a nice trash can liner.

Have fun,

Steve

I have an Epson R1800 and don't change the ink cartridges until it tells me to (I can print several A4 sized prints between the low ink warning and the change cartridge message). This has happened in the middle of the odd print and I've changed the cartridge and resumed the print job and can't see where the printing stopped and started for the cartridge change.

I have a 3800 - I wait until the printer won't print anymore and then change cartridges.