Ink cartridge problems and remedies.
If you have a problem with a cartridge not functioning properly (e.g. no ink or will not print correctly) you may find the following information helpful:
Question: My new cartridge prints the first few lines of text normally then the printing gets progressively fainter until it disappears totally.
Answer: Cartridges need to be sealed during transit to avoid ink leakage. There are usually two sealing points: the ink outlet at the bottom of the cartridge where the cartridge sits on the print head and the vent hole at the top of the cartridge that allows air in when the cartridge is in use. The bottom hole (ink outlet) seal is either very obvious - a bright orange plastic clip-on tab, for example (Canon and Xerox printers) or a seal which punctures automatically when you insert the cartridge (Epson printers).
The vent hole seal on the top of the cartridge is often less obvious - especially on Print-Rite cartridges where it looks like part of the cartridge label. As you might guess, a common cause of no ink coming out of the cartridge is because the user has forgotten to remove the cartridge vent hole sealing strip (or tab) from the top of the cartridge. As the cartridge is used and ink leaves the cartridge through the print head, a vacuum will develop in the cartridge that will stop the ink flowing out to the print head. Often the cartridge will `recover` a little if left for a while but will behave the same when you next print. Please note: some Xerox cartridges do not have vent hole sealing strips. Do not remove the black/coloured paper covering the top of the cartridge. If you do, your cartridge will not be recognised by the printer.
Question:I have put a new cartridge in the printer but it is still not printing properly with missing print through text or pictures.
Answer: Sometimes when the previous cartridge has run out of ink entirely the print head in the printer becomes empty. The print head has very fine holes or nozzles that eject the ink when you print and ink sometimes does not flow through these fine holes on its own when you fit a new cartridge. A solution is to run the print head cleaning cycle to force new ink through the print head. Details on how to do this with your particular model will be found in your printer users guide but it is usually an option on your printer driver screen (the screen that comes up when you go to print something) under the heading of something such as `Maintenance` or `Utilities`. You may need to run the cleaning cycle several times (doing a test print of a document in between) before your print head is fully filled with ink again and your printing output has returned to normal.
Please note: each time you run the cleaning cycle the printer will eject some ink from the print head(s). Excessive use will deplete the ink in your new cartridge very quickly. The moral is to always have a spare cartridge(s) and to replace the cartridge as soon as you notice the print quality fading or becoming lined.
Question:I have replaced the cartridge with a new one and ran the cleaning cycle several times but I am still getting poor print quality (faint printing/missing lines).
Answer: The print heads in Canon, Xerox (and some of the older Epson printers) use bubble-jet technology to eject the ink onto the paper during printing. Inside the print head are very small heating elements that heat the ink, forcing it to form a bubble and expand and thus ejecting it onto the paper as you print. If the print head has become completely empty of ink as your last cartridge ran dry, the heating elements can (best scenario) dry the ink left in the print head into a solid form thus blocking some or all of the fine holes in the print head; or (worst scenario) burn out in one or more of the fine nozzle holes through overheating. If some of the heating elements have burned out, the only solution is to have a new print head fitted to your printer. Now because printers are becoming so cheap it is sometimes not cost efficient and a new printer would be preferable.
Question:I have not used my printer for a while and now it doesn`t print properly.
Answer: Print heads can also dry up if the printer is left unused for a while (even if a full cartridge is fitted) due to evaporation from the underside of the print head, especially if the environment is warm. How long a `while` is seems to vary from model to model: for example, some of the Xerox M750/M760 printers have been known to have head blockage problems after a week or so of being left idle. The worst situation, therefore, would be to run the previous cartridge dry (and thus the head too) then to leave the printer unused for a while without ink before fitting a new cartridge.
The later Epson printers use the piezo (mechanical) method of ejecting ink from the print head and so can`t suffer from burnt heating elements (because they don`t have any) although they can still become empty and dry out. It`s important to always let your print heads (your cartridges) return to their resting position before turning off power to the printer - as the print heads return to their resting position they are designed to rest over sealed reservoirs (or sometimes felt pads, depending on the make/model of printer) which helps to minimise the evaporation from the print head.
Question: Should I turn my printer off or leave it on?
Answer: Turning your printer off when not in use can, and does, help prevent drying of ink in the print nozzles. With most all ink jet printers there is a `capping` mechanism that seals the print head from outside air when it`s turned off. Remember, turn off your printer using its on/off power switch. This causes the capping mechanism to fully engage.
NB!Do not use a power strip to turn the printer off.
The newer Canon printers can be configured (via their software utility) so that they go into hibernation mode using either the `Auto Power` or `Quiet Mode` found in your printer utility. I like this feature of the Canon printers. We do prefer and run mostly Canon printers at our trade centre. They are very cost effective to feed too!
Top Ten Tips:
- Always try to print at least one page from your printer each week to avoid the ink cartridge drying.
- Regularly clean the print head and nozzles through your software.
- If you like using remanufactured cartridges in your printer, why not alternate between those and original cartridges.
- If your printer needs maintenance because it is dusty inside, do not use a vacuum cleaner, take it to your friendly repair technician who will gladly look at it for you and advise the best course of action.
- Once the new cartridges are fitted in your printer, try not to take them out again until empty or you could risk damaging them.
- Always remember to read the label or instructions with your new cartridge, as failure to follow the instructions such as “remove this yellow sticker before use”, will stop your new purchase working at all and could also damage the cartridge.
- Always try to use the correct paper for the job, remember that all inks are different and most printer manufacturers make paper to enhance the qualities of their inks.
- Always keep a spare one of each cartridge available, as you never know when a cartridge is going to run out. Oh dear it’s Christmas Day!
- While it’s nice to save money by refilling ink cartridges, those days have gone because what the printer manufacturers don’t tell you is that the cartridge heads are now not designed to last.
- If all else fails, read the manual. Many other tips are to be found on the printer manufacturer’s websites.
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