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DIY Inkjet Upgrade.. that you'll wish you'd done sooner! (LED Platen Lights)

Jumpshoutmedia

New Member
I got tired of having to use a headlamp or hold a flashlight to see calibration prints etc, so I bought a cheap set of self-stick, low-voltage, LED strip-lighting meant for under-cabinet installation, I removed the top panels of my Roland XC-540, set them upside down on my workbench, and I installed 3 rows of them along the bottom of the front-side edge.

It was the best $30 I've ever spent! I can't believe I hadn't done it sooner!

The light kit that I bought came with a low-profile, plastic rocker switch in-line with the power cable that I simply routed down through the printer and stuck to the bottom of the lower heated platen, where it's out of the way.. yet easy to access.

Having the entire inside of the printer light up with bright, warm(ish) colored lighting makes it so much nicer to see things while printing.. I'm actually shocked that printer manufacturers haven't already started including lighting on their printers as a standard feature (perhaps they are by now, but my printer is getting old so..)

I've attached a few photos.

Enjoy!
 

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eahicks

Magna Cum Laude - School of Hard Knocks
The HP 560 has lighting inside, and I've been meaning to do the same as you and add some to our 260 but haven't gotten around to it.
 

SignMeUpGraphics

Super Active Member
Our Epson S80 came with it from the factory. We've added these to every printer we owned beforehand. So much easier to keep an eye on things.
 
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