Wincom Digital Inks, WARNING! Cause Problems!

[redprint]

Just putting out a warning to all people wondering if they should switch to a third party ink such as WINCOM Digital. I purchased ink from Wincom Digital out of Canada for about 9 months. When I first started using them, the ink seemed to work absolutely wonderful. I did have to create all new profliles for all the different media I am using. When I first started using them, my printer was running everyday for most of the day. After about 4 months, I started using the printer less and less due to the economic turn down. Since I wasn't using the printer everyday anymore, I started to have clogging of the print heads daily. Everyday when I started the Roland SC540EX and did a test print, I always had to clean the print heads several times to get them to unclogg the print heads. As time went on, clogging was happening while running the printer. All of a sudden some red color would look pink. I would stop and do a test print and the heads were half clogged or fully clogged on some of the colors. Eventually I was having problems just keeping the ink flowing through the ink heads! I had to replace numerous tubes, dampers, etc. After ruining lots of vinyl and doing lots of cleanings and wasting lots of ink and parts, I decided, enough is enough. I called Digital Wincom, knowing that on their website they guarantee 100% their ink, to express that I am totally unsatisfied and have to return all unused ink cartridges for a refund. I sent the unused cartridges in at the beginning of July 2009. I bought all Roland EcoSolMax inks again, cleaned the entire printer, flushed the heads with cleaner, and reinstalled new Roland inks. After installing the Roland inks, I have not had any clogging or any problems whatsoever with Roland ink. After two months, I had not received any credit for the unused cartridges. I finally called Wincom, emailed, called, emailed, etc.. lots of times and I couldn't even get them to call me back. I was on the verge of contacting the Ministry of Commerce in Canada when I finally received my refund. The letter I received with the refund states that they had to take 30% off the price since the cartridges were expired. Kind of funny that none of the cartridges have an expiration date or manufacture date, so how can they say they are expired. Maybe that is why they were clogging the heads? Who knows! Don't buy third party inks for your printers! It is a waste of time and money. And don't believe anything they say, as most is hogwash! Lesson learned here, so everybody beware, as I have experienced the third party ink nightmare! Remember, as always, you get what you pay for! As in this case, you pay for lots of problems and wasted time and material, and parts. Don't change from your OEM inks, unless you are running 24/7!

 

[mark in tx]

Been using third party inks for over 3 years. No ink related problems yet.

Maybe there are better brands?

 

[dj_elite]

Anyone else use these inks?

 

[Jack Knight1979]

I recently went through something similar after using a third party ink for three years. all of a sudden they took a dive and I switched back to OEM.

I can't afford OEM so I'm trying Solaris ink. We'll see.