About Robyn Warner

Robyn Warner has been writing since she learned how to hold a pen. She wrote her first book of poems before the age of 10. Though creative writing is her preference, she is enjoying life in the technical blog world. Robyn’s goal in her 30s is to use her writing to inspire fellow cancer survivors and have a job that gives her the flexibility to live anywhere and never wear shoes.

Epson Inkjet Firmware Upgrades

Epson has released a number of new firmware updates that are designed to block the use of third-party ink cartridges. The error message may say the cartridge is damaged or not recognized. 

Epson, among other manufacturers, has a tendency to push firmware upgrades intentionally to reject third party cartridges, thus forcing customers to buy the far more expensive OEM cartridges.

We are actively working on getting new cartridges that will be recognized by all of the printers regardless of firmware, but this could take 3-4 weeks.

If you have one of the following printers and have upgraded the firmware, please follow the link to downgrade the firmware so you are able to continue using your third-party cartridges:

InkModelLink to Downgrade
T410XL020
T410XL220
T410XL320
T410XL420
T410XL520
Expression Premium 
XP-530
XP-630
XP-640
XP-7100
XP-830
Downgrade

T288XL020
T288XL220
T288XL320
T288XL420
Expression Premium 
XP-330
XP-340
XP-430
XP-434
XP-440
XP-446
Downgrade

*We now have the T288XL series in stock with up-to-date chips*

If you have one of the following printers, a new firmware upgrade has been released and will disable the third-party cartridges from working.  We do not have a solution just yet, but you can prevent future firmware updates by following the Disable link below:

Ink                                           Printers                  Link To Disable          
T702XL120
T702XL220
T702XL320
T702XL420
WorkForce
WF-3720
WF-3730
WF-3733
Disable

T8021120
T802XL220
T802XL320
T802XL420
WorkForce Pro
EC-4020
EC-4030
EC-4040
EC-4720
EC-4730
EC-4734
EC-4740
Disable
T202XL120
T202XL220
T202XL320
T202XL420

WorkForce WF-2860
Expression Home XP-5100      

Disable
If you have any questions, please give us a call.

DIY Fun With Snow

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Then again, maybe not. Snow is one of those things that many of us want until we actually get it. Then we want it to be gone, gone, gone. In any case, ’tis the season for the white stuff.

Real Snow

If you have actual snow, it may interest you to know how it’s formed. The life of a snowflake begins high in the earth’s atmosphere. Whether a potential snowflake becomes sleet, freezing rain, or a blizzard depends on temperature, humidity, and water vapor encountered during its fall to earth. The perfect combination of all three factors is required to form the type of snow that’s perfect for making a snowman, snow ball, or snow fort.

When you are blessed with real snow, there are a variety of ways to celebrate. You could make DIY snow paint and design a masterpiece in the front yard. You could be more traditional and make snow prints or snow angels. Or you could be silly and make snowmen that will attract the attention of the passerby. Here are ten more activities to do in the snow. Have fun, and make sure to bundle up!


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3D-Printed Drugs: A Pill for Everything?

Despite a bit of controversy here and there, 3D printing has taken the world by storm, and the debate is about to get real. Scientists have been printing tissues, organs, and appendages with 3D printers, and now they are printing drugs. You read that right: 3D-printed drugs.

It was Aprecia Pharmaceuticals that developed the world’s first 3D-printed drug. The company picked up exclusive rights to 3D-printed technology for pharmaceutical purposes in 2007, and recently announced the development of Spritam, a drug used to treat seizures.


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Printable Christmas Entertainment

Whether you’re traveling for the holidays, or entertaining from the comfort of your own home, it’s important to have activities to keep friends and family busy during downtime between meals and other festivities. This blog will help you to provide printable Christmas entertainment for folks of all ages.

Coloring is all the rage. In addition to being relaxing, it’s pretty economical. Now, you could run off to the store to purchase expensive coloring books containing only a handful of pages you’d actually want to color. Or you could save a few dollars by printing out whatever coloring pages fit the needs of the people in your gathering. This site has great great coloring pages for little friends, and this other site is for the more mature crowd. Soon the only thing you will need is a new box of crayons!


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A DIY Hanukkah Celebration

Hanukkah is a celebration of the triumph of Jewish people over religious persecution. The Jewish people enjoyed a victory over Greek soldiers many years ago. Hanukkah commemorates this fight along with the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Hanukkah, which lasts for eight days, is sometimes referred to as the Festival of Lights. The menorah candelabrum has eight main candles and one servant candle, taller than the others and placed in the center. The servant candle is used to light the other eight candles—one each day.

Although menorahs can certainly be purchased, there are many ways to make them as well. This article has 10 DIY menorahs. And this other article has more about the story of the menorah.


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Thanksgiving Decorations to be Thankful For

Giving thanks. Ideally we find ways to give thanks throughout the year. For many, however, the best time to do so is on Thanksgiving. As we gather among family and friends, we should stop and reflect on all the ways we’re blessed. Here are several ideas on how you and yours can give thanks this year. Give them a try and you just might find yourself creating new Thanksgiving traditions for years to come.

For the Wall

A great place to show your appreciation is on the wall. If you already have artwork up, it’s easy to replace your pictures with a few holiday pieces. You could make shadow boxes containing such blessings of autumn as colorful leaves and miniature pumpkins. You could even make paper leaf garlands to hang across doorways.

Why not organize a family project? Set out paints and a blank canvas, and have your guests add a few thumbprint leaves to a painted tree. When it dries, have them write on each leaf something they’re thankful for. Who knows? You just might decide to keep your Thanksgiving art up the whole year round!


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Veteran’s Day Decorations for Civilians

Veterans Day is celebrated in the United States on November 11 every year. Why 11/11? During World War I, “the war to end all wars ,” fighting between the Allied nations and Germany ceased on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.

Now that you have the history, you understand why this holiday is much more than just another day on which banks and the post office are closed. The do-it-yourself decorating projects below are sure to get your Veterans Day celebration off to an excellent start..

Chest Candy

Chest candy refers to all the ribbons and medals worn on your uniform. Why not show support with a few broches you can make yourself? You can wear carnations and ribbons, or red, white, and blue pins. Here’s a pin that’s very easy to make, only requiring some beads and a safety pin.


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Halloween Life Hacks

Are you planning a Halloween party? If so, you need some life hacks to make it easier! Anyone can add red food coloring to a bowl of punch to simulate blood, or string up some fake cobweb with a few plastic spiders in it. This year, why not go the extra mile with the Halloween life hacks below? They’re sure to leave your family and friends screaming for more scary thrills!

Tricky Treats

If you’re hosting a Halloween party, there are lots of ways to create a spooky atmosphere. You could make eyeballs out of radishes, set out a rat cheeseball with a tray of crackers, and make these edible Jell-O worms for dessert.  By freezing water in a latex glove, you could even add an iced hand to the punch bowl.


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3D-Printed Scares

It’s that time of year when pumpkins, ghosts, spiders, and monsters are not only welcome but celebrated. Chances are pretty good that witches, graveyards, and fake spider webs have begun to make their annual appearance in your neighborhood; that grocery-store aisles have started to display candy; and that pumpkin-flavored everything abounds. If you’re getting into the Halloween spirit, why not stir up a few ghouls, goblins, and other decorations using 3D-printing?

Everyday Objects for the Home

It’s scary how many 3D-printed objects you can find. There are Batman-inspired clothes pegs to hold up your drying sheets on the line. There are ghost magnets you can print, with glow-in-the-dark filaments for added spookiness. You can even get yourself a set of 3D-printed salt and pepper shakers that look like dancing ghosts.

dancing-ghost shakers

dancing-ghost shakers


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Make Mornings Work for You

Does your alarm clock catch you off guard? Do you find yourself running out the door, late yet again? Do you reach your destination, only to discover that you’ve forgotten something important? Then this blog is for you! Read on to learn how to manage your morning, and make the rest of your day more enjoyable because of it.

Start the Night Before

To make the most of the morning, start planning the night before. There are many things you can do before going to bed to make things go smoothly when you get up. For example, you can plan out what you are going to wear. This will help eliminate all those minutes spent in front of the mirror wondering if you look okay. What about that purse or briefcase? Take a few minutes to go through paperwork prior to bedtime, to make sure everything is in order. Here is your new mantra:


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