I have been talking with support for the last week and my machine will not pull magenta or cyan. I have manually cleaned the printhead, replaced the ink sacks and cleaned the lines. the only way I am getting ink through is manually with the syringe (which means there is no air trapped in the line). I purchased this machine July 2025. Anyone have any solutions.
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Hello @santeel76. Welcome to the community. I’m sorry you’re having issues with your printer. Let’s see if we can do some troubleshooting and get the magenta and cyan flowing properly again.
If you can only move ink manually with a syringe, but the printer’s automated cleaning cycles fail to pull ink, the problem is a loss of vacuum suction during the machine’s internal operations. Since you have already replaced the sacks and cleaned the lines, the fault likely lies in the components responsible for generating that suction.
Primary Suspects
Failed Ink Pump (Suction Pump):
The internal pump is responsible for pulling ink from the sacks through the head during cleaning and printing.
If the pump motor is spinning but the internal peristaltic tubing is cracked or worn, it cannot create the vacuum needed to pull ink.
Test: Watch the waste ink tube during a head cleaning cycle. If no ink or air bubbles move through the waste line, the pump has likely failed.
Faulty Capping Station Seal:
The capping station must form an airtight seal against the printhead for the pump to pull ink.
If the rubber gasket on the cap top is deformed, dirty, or not aligned perfectly, the vacuum will “leak,” and no ink will be drawn through the nozzles.
Solution: Inspect the rubber rim of the capping station for dried ink or physical damage.
Damper Seal/Connection Issue:
Even if the lines are clear, the dampers must be “clicked” into the printhead with a perfect airtight seal.
If a damper is loose or its internal O-ring is damaged, the printer will suck air from around the connection instead of pulling ink from the line.
Clogged Maintenance Station Drain:
The small tubes leading from the capping station to the pump can become blocked with dried DTF ink.
Test: Pour a few drops of cleaning solution onto the capping station. If it doesn’t drain when you run a cleaning cycle, the line between the cap and the pump is clogged.
Recommended Next Steps
Check the Waste Line: Run a cleaning cycle and see if any liquid moves into the waste tank. If it’s bone dry, your pump or capping station seal is the culprit.
Verify Damper Seating: Ensure every damper “clicks” firmly into place. A slightly tilted damper is the most common cause of “syringe-only” flow.
Perform an “Initial Ink Charge”: Standard head cleanings are often too weak to prime a completely dry system. Use your printer’s software to run a Power Clean or Initial Charge to force the pump into a high-suction mode.
Does the waste ink tube show any movement or fluid when you run a software cleaning cycle?
If YES (Fluid is moving into the waste tank)
This means your pump is working and the capping station is sealed. The vacuum is being created, but it’s not reaching the ink.
The Problem: You likely have a failed damper or a bad seal at the printhead manifold.
The Logic: If the pump is pulling liquid, but only “clear” cleaning fluid or air is moving into the waste tank instead of magenta ink, air is leaking into the system after the ink line.
Fix: Replace the dampers or check the O-rings where the dampers connect to the printhead. One tiny air leak here will break the vacuum, and the pump will just “suck air” instead of ink.
If NO (The waste line is bone dry)
This means the vacuum is broken entirely. The printer is trying to pull ink, but the “suction cup” isn’t working.
The Problem: A clogged pump line, a faulty pump, or a misaligned capping station.
The Logic: If no fluid moves, the pump either isn’t spinning, the internal tubes are pinched/clogged, or the capping station isn’t making a physical airtight seal against the bottom of the printhead.
Fix: Inspect the peristaltic pump (the rotating part) and the capping station gasket. If the capping station is even 1mm off-center, it won’t pull a drop of ink.
So, when you run that cleaning cycle, do you see any ink or bubbles moving through that clear waste tube?
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Maybe check the percentage of ink for the channels in better printer software might help. 