Swapping photo black and matte black

A major drawback of the Epson R2880 is the need to swap between photo black and matte black depending upon which type of paper you are using. Although, it is not as dire as it seems because, if you're like me, you tend to gravite towards certain types of papers. I prefer a matte finish; so, I'll use matte black for the bulk of my printing. Others may prefer the glossy, semi-gloss, satin, and luster papers all of which require the photo black in cartridge.

One thing to be aware of is that swapping cartridges wastes ink as the printer recharges the print lines. In their review of the Epson R2880 printer, Printerville estimates the cost to be roughly $1.75 to $2.00 per ink cartridge change. So, you do not want to be swapping back and forth frequently.

Another thing to be aware of is if there isn't much ink left in the cartridge then recharging the print lines may very well use of the rest of the ink.

Finally, you need to be careful in storing the unused ink cartridge while not being used. I keep it in a quart size ziplock bag and try to squeeze out as much air as possible. I've also found it important to store it upside down so that the ink ports are facing up. Otherwise, ink may leak out during storage.

Procedure to swap the black ink cartridge between Photo and Matte

1. Press ink button (middle of the 3 buttons).  This will position the print head so that the door can be lifted to expose the ink cartridges.
2. Remove black ink cartridge and store in plastic bag
3. Insert the other black ink cartridge - do not shake first unless it's new
4. Close the door on the print head and press ink button again to begin the ink charging cycle
5. Open the printer properties window
6. Select the Utility tab in print driver
7. Select Print and Option Information
8. Make sure correct black ink is selected
9. Press OK (even if the selection was correct)

Notes:

1. Charging the ink will take several minutes.  If the charging cycle is quick then there is probably an error.
2. On the Print and Option Information window, if the wrong print cartridge is selected AND it is grayed out so that it can't be changed then there is probably an error.

 Both of these situations are most likely the result of there not being enough ink left in the cartridge being swapped in. At this point the only options are to remove and discard the cartridge and either put the other cartridge back in or insert a new black cartridge.