Whether you are a "Power" user or an occasional domestic user of the ubiquitous inkjet printer there are a multitude of problems encountered by the maintenance technician. Many of these need not result in a service call and can easily be checked by you, the owner/operator of the machine and in many cases, can be cleared by you.
1. There are two basic inkjet printing technologies - thermal droplet ejection as used by the majority of manufacturers e.g. Canon, HP, Lexmark, Brother, Olivetti etc - and the more expensive piezo crystal droplet ejection system as used by Epson. The usual problems which bedevil these machines are:
a. Air in the printhead - Epson
b. Electrical failure in the printhead/cartridge, blocked or dried out jets - most of the other (thermal) types.
Lets deal with the Epson system first. The Epson is a very mechanical printer, being slow to start and making lots of mechanical noises during the process. This is because it uses a vacuum system to draw a small amount of ink through the printhead, wiping the printhead and exercising the jets before starting work. The printhead is an integral part of the printer and the ink cartridges are simply that, plastic containers filled with sponge soaked in ink. White streaks in the print or unexpected bands of colour in your print may indicate that the cartridge is empty, or that there is air in the system. This occurs when one of three conditions comes about; ink cartridge empty, one or more blocked jets (nozzles), a bad seal between the ink cartridge and the ink feeding needle in the print carriage.
#Empty ink cartridge. Many of the newer printers have an ink monitoring system built into them - they count the number and size of the ink droplets being fired at the paper and calculate the ink volume used. From a known starting point (full cartridge) it can predict when the cartridge is nearing empty and warn the operator. However, the system is not foolproof and the printer may believe that there is still ink in the cartridge when in fact it is empty. The converse can also happen where the printer advises that the ink has run out and there may be a considerable amount still in the cartridge. First run the "nozzle check" in the printer utilities/service software to find out the extent of the problem. If gaps are indicated in the black test, or any of the colours, run the "nozzle clean" routine - followed by the nozzle check again. If there is improvement, try the nozzle clean again but be aware that this consumes much more ink than normal printing. If the cartridge is empty, no amount of cleaning will improve the print and the remedy is to fit a new cartridge ( or refill it - more on that later).
The modern cartridge may have an electronic "chip" on it from which the printer obtains information and to which it writes when the ink is low, or runs out. When the ink is deemed to be all used up, and the chip has this information written into it, the printer stops and will not continue printing. At this point you will need to install your new spare (you did buy one didn't you) cartridge.
#Blocked jets (nozzles). Indicated by white streaks or unexpected colours. Run the "nozzle check" programme in the printer utilities software and examine the resultant print. If there are gaps in any of the colours, run the "clean" programme, followed by the "nozzle check" and look for improvements. It may be that the "clean" routine needs to be run several times to restore full functionality.
#Bad cartridge seal. This is not so easy to detect, but it usually manifests itself soon after installing a new cartridge. Both original Epson and compatible cartridges may fail in this respect, although it is more prevalent in the compatibles. The indications are the same as for an empty cartridge, although you know that it is not empty. Ink is drawn from these cartridges through tapered hollow needles which puncture the membrane in the bottom of the cartridge when it is first installed in the printer. Beneath this membrane is a rubber or neoprene sealing ring which is supposed to seal around the needle and prevent air from being drawn into the printhead. If this seal moves (and some of them do) then air is drawn into the needle and thence into the printhead with the result - streaks of white. The remedy is to buy yet another cartridge, fit it, and hope that it performs better. You may even be able to convince the supplier that the original one was faulty. Good luck.
Note: Once you have air in the printhead, you may need to run the nozzle clean routine several times to clear it.
The electronics in these cartridges are nothing short of amazing. Imagine that there may be up to 300 (or more) tiny holes in the printhead, and beneath this plate, behind each of the holes in the plate, is a tiny chamber with an electric heater element in it. Ink flows into these tiny chambers from the body of the cartridge but it does not run out because the surface tension of the ink in the tiny hole in the printhead prevents it. When the heating element is activated by a high energy pulse from the controlling electronics, its temperature is raised instantly to around 300degrees Celsius. This causes a vapour bubble to build up, raising the pressure in the tiny chamber to the point where the surface tension at the hole in the print plate is broken and a small droplet of ink is ejected. Because the energy to the heater is confined to a very small fraction of a second, and the mass of the heater is minute, it cools rapidly and ink floods in from the main chamber in the cartridge, quenching it. It is now ready to have the cycle repeated.
If the ink supply in the cartridge is low, or nearing exhaustion, there will not be sufficient ink to flood the chamber and each time the heater is pulsed, it will boil off the volatile parts of the ink, leaving the solids in the chamber and coating the heating element. When this happens, efficiency is reduced further and rapid deterioration of the printhead follows.
So.........always be aware of the print quality. Develop an eye for the tell-tale signs that your cartridge is not performing well - streaks in the print - colours which are not what you expected - bands of strange colour in your pictures. When these things occur, check your cartridges and refill or replace them sooner rather than later.
Checking your cartridges
For most of these, the printhead is actually in the cartridge (but not always- as with some of the Canon and HP models which have replaceable ink tanks)
In the HP, Lexmark and some Canon models, the printhead is an integral part of the cartridge. It is a very sophisticated piece of electronics, has many electrical contacts to connect it to the printers electronics and seems to be no more robust than the average light globe purchased from the supermarket. Electrical failures in these cartridges are common but as a percentage of the total number sold it is probably quite small. Most printers have, as part of their driver software, a "toolbox" or control panel. Through this, you may be able to perform a jet performance test, like the nozzle test for the Epson. Try this first whenever you have print quality problems. Examine the printout which usually consists of a gradually sloping line (in small steps) produced by sequentially firing the jets, one after another as the printhead moves across the page.
If there are random gaps in the line/s, it probably means you have blocked jets. These MAY be cleared by running the printhead clean function. If there are alternate gaps in the line/s (1,3,5,7,9 etc OK and 2,4,6,8, missing) it usually points to an electrical problem. This may be no more than a dirty electrical connection between the cartridge and the printer. Remove the cartridge, being careful not to touch the gold plated contacts on the back. Using a lint free cloth with a little methylated spirit on it, clean the gold contacts on the cartridge. While you are at it, clean the contacts in the print carriage which make connection with the cartridge contacts. Replace the cartridge and run the test again. If there is no improvement, discard the cartridge and fit a new one. If there is some improvement, try the treatment again.
If you have random gaps in the test line/s, put some clean cold tap water in a saucer (about 2-3mm deep) and sit the printhead of the cartridge in it for 30minutes to an hour. Then take the cartridge and put the printhead on a piece of paper towel or a tissue for a couple of seconds. You should get a solid black rectangle of ink on the paper towel, or in the case of the colour cartridge, three spots of colour. If you do not, repeat the process (all this presupposes that the cartridge is not empty of course). If you do get a good show of ink on the paper towel, put the cartridge back in the printer and run the "printhead clean" function again, followed by a nozzle test (these test names vary between manufacturers and models). Jet blockages are common in printers which are not in constant use - these printers thrive on work - that way, the ink does not get a chance to dry out in the printhead. Offices and schools get better and more reliable performance than the occasional home user.
All inkjet printers have a system for placing a seal around the printhead of the cartridge/s when they are not in use - the cartridges are said to be "capped" when at rest. These seals may become contaminated with dried ink and dust and not seal the printhead properly. It is a good policy to periodically clean these seals with clean cold water on a cotton bud. Not all printers are of the same construction, but generally the process is something like this:
1. Turn the printer on - wait for a few seconds for it to initialise - then open the top. In many machines, the print carriage will now move towards the centre of the print area. Turn the power off at the power point (not on the printer or the print carriage will run away and hide again).
2. You may now move the print carriage by hand - put it over on the left hand side. You will now be able to see where the cartridges "park" when not in use and the black seals will now be visible.
3. Clean them with cold water and a cotton bud, slide the print carriage back over to the right, close the lid of the printer and turn the power back on. Wait for the machine to initialise again.
Many printers now use black pigmented ink which produces a crisp, dark print with good lasting qualities. Because of the pigment solids in the ink, many printer mechanisms become badly contaminated after a time and need the services of a professional to clean out the cartridge "service station" assembly and fit new absorber pads. Such printers are the HP Deskjet 700, 800, 900, 1100(A3), 1200(A3) series and the 2000 and 2500 business machines. In every case, the printer needs to be dismantled to perform this service and we do not advise you to try this yourself. In several cases, we have been confronted with printers which have grown a "stalagmite" of ink solids so tall that the print cartridges were actually wiping across the top of this construction of their own making. Very messy.
Heavily used inkjet printers invariably become discoloured inside. This is caused by ink mist condensing on the various parts of the case and mechanism. Not all the droplets sprayed out by the printhead find their way to the surface of the paper. Some of it floats around and settles in other places. On the plastic parts it is no more than a nuisance and unsightly. However, it also has a habit of condensing on the slide rod/bar/rail which the print carriage slides on, increasing the friction and sometimes causing drive belt slip( with accompanying strange noises) and print quality problems. Cleaning this rail and applying a little non-gumming oil will help( but don't overdo the oil).
Many computer stores and some large stationers sell refill kits to enable you to refill an empty ink cartridge. There are many traps so beware.
1. DO carefully read ALL the instructions which come with the kit, and be sure you understand them before you start.
2. DO perform this operation over the laundry sink, NOT over the lounge room carpet, lest marital harmony suffer badly.
3. DO NOT put your newly refilled cartridge into your printer immediately. Let it stand for a time where it can leak harmlessly if it is going to leak. Much better in the laundry sink than in the internals of your printer - we have had to rescue too many from this fate.
We all know that ink cartridges are expensive, but you should have checked that out before you bought the printer (and they don't seem to print many pages either). Compatible cartridges are usually more than adequate for all but the most exacting tasks and are considerably cheaper than genuine ones. We do not sell cartridges or refill kits so please don't ask. Refilling can be time consuming and messy if you are inexperienced, but help is at hand. We can refill and test most of the common cartridges for you, BUT, we do not give you any guarantee on them. If we test your cartridge and find it O.K. we will clean it, fill it and test it in our printer. The print produced will be put with your cartridge when it is packaged and that is where the warranty ends. Like any light globe, next time it is turned on, it might fail. However, it is not a bad gamble.
Do be aware that you can easily refill a cartridge which has an electronic chip on it (many newer Epson printers), but unless you have access to the correct equipment to reset the chip, you efforts will be in vain. Check your cartridge before you refill it, lest you waste your time, money and ink.
Hewlett Packard No. 10 and No. 11. These cartridges are easy to refill if you have the correct ink and a suitable plug to re-seal it with. However, be aware that you will not get proper ink level indications with your refilled cartridge, as the chip on the cartridge cannot be reset.. Also, be aware that if you should get a "{colour} Cartridge Expired" message from your printer it means the cartridge is too old. There is a date stamp in the chip put there at manufacture and when a certain age is reached, it says "too old". You could continue printing by setting your system date back a year, or if you have another empty cartridge of the same colour, take the bottom cover off it and put it on your refilled cartridge. However, eventually you may have to go out and buy a new cartridge when all your "bottoms" reach the expired point.
#Care of your empty ink cartridges
The following applies to cartridges which have the printhead integrated into them.
1. If you intend refilling your own cartridge, do it soon after it runs out. That way you have the best chance of a good recovery. Leaving it for many days, weeks or months may see the ink dry in the printhead and make recovery difficult or even impossible.
2. If you intend taking it to a recycling firm for refilling, but not immediately, your next step is determined by the type of cartridge, i.e. whether it is a black or multicolour unit.
If it is black, you might like to place the head sealing tape from your new cartridge over the printhead of your old one. This will help prevent it from drying out.
However, if it is one of the tricolour cartridges, don't allow anything to come in contact with the printhead. Placing the tape from your new cartridge on the printhead of the old one will, nine times out of ten, result in the colours migrating between cells under the tape and ruining the cartridge. This is a very common mistake, and lots of people make it, believing that they are doing the right thing by the cartridge. Don't put anything across the printhead and certainly do not put it in a plastic bag or wrap it up in "Glad wrap" or some other plastic kitchen foil. All that will do is entice the cartridge to leak everywhere and again mix the colours. So what do I do with this colour cartridge???
If you still have the packaging it came in from the manufacturer, place it in that to take it to your favourite recycler. If you do not have the packaging, just place it loose in a cardboard (for preference) box or container, it is much safer than a plastic bag and it is much less likely to leak that way.
3. Do not toss your empty cartridges in a drawer, waiting until you have a number of them to take for refilling. Early refilling leads to better chance of recovery, and your refiller (recycler) will seal your cartridge properly so that colours will not mix and printheads will not dry out. That way, you can have a refilled spare on hand when the one in the printer gives out.
4. Last, but by no means least - DO NOT wring every last drop of ink out of your cartridges. If you intend to refill them or have them refilled, it is false economy to do this to them as they may not now be recovered to give a good quality print. Go back to the "How they work" section above to see why.
So.........always be aware of the print quality. Develop an eye for the tell-tale signs that your cartridge is not performing well - streaks in the print - colours which are not what you expected - bands of strange colour in your pictures. When these things occur, check your cartridges and refill or replace them sooner rather than later.
Now obviously we would like to have your recycling work, but here are a few other names you might also like to consider;
Australian Laser Charge 223 Harrington Street Hobart, Phone 6231 3171(Michael, or Michael- yes, there are two of them - and sometimes, Phil)
Cartridge World 131 Bathurst Street Phone 6231 0114 (Marcus)
Tecnomics 216 Liverpoool Street Hobart, Phone 6231 1831(Richard or Kim)
Northern Suburbs:
Cartridge World, 50a Main Road Moonah, Phone 6228 0922 (Cathie or Stuart))
Eastern Shore:
Tasmanian Toner Cartridge Company, Unit 8, 8 Percy Street Bellerive, Phone 6244 4104 (Darren or Catherine)
Launceston:
Tasmanian Printer Cartridge Co. 119 York Street, Launceston, Phone 6334 2999 (Paul or Andreina)
North West:
Cartridge World, 189 Bass Highway, COOEE, 7320, Phone 6431 5967 (Jamie)
If you are moving your printer from one room to another, bringing it to a repair shop or shipping it interstate there are a couple of things to be aware of.
1. All inkjet printers, after a period in use, will have liquid ink within the machine (not in the cartridges). This is not a problem if you are only taking it to the next room. BUT.....if you are taking it any further KEEP IT RIGHT SIDE UP. Too many printers have arrived at our workshop with distressed owners having ink all over their hands, clothes and the seat of the car. Very messy.
2. If you are shipping it any distance, remove the cartridges and pack them separately. Put your printer into a plastic bag before you carefully pack it into a strong cardboard box. Ensure that it is well padded to prevent shock damage.
For the cartridge which will not print properly when you first install it in your printer, either new or refilled, there may be many reasons. This will be manifested by colours missing or just no print at all. Common causes are faulty electrical connections and loss of prime in the printhead.
1. Electrical connections.
Using a clean, lint-free cloth and methylated spirit, clean the gold contacts on the back of the print cartridge. While you are at it, clean the gold contacts in the slot in the print carriage where the cartridge fits. It is not uncommon to have ink contamination on the contacts in the printer - caused by ink buildup on your old cartridge being wiped over these as you remove it.
2. Printhead prime.
If your problem is with the black cartridge, try this (this is a repeat of the "checking your cartridges" section) . Place the printhead of the cartridge in a saucer with about 3-4mm of clean cold tap water in it. Leave it for 30 minutes or so and then dab the printhead on a piece of paper towel or a folded tissue. It should leave a solid black square or rectangle of ink. If it is one of the smaller cartridges as used in the current HP and Lexmark range, you may be able to assist the process by applying a bit of air pressure to the cartridge. All of them have a breather in the top of the cartridge, and usually a small amount of pressure here will, in most cases, clear the problem by forcing ink out of the body of the cartridge and into the printhead. Please note - air pressure in this context means that which you can supply with your own lungs - not air pressure as in pumping up your car tyres.
If it is a colour cartridge, the same treatment should be applied - soak in water first and then try the dab test on a piece of paper towel. There should be three distinct blobs of colour. The larger HP cartridges all have breather plugs in the top of the cartridge and are easy to apply air pressure to. Sometimes you may have to try two or three times but perseverance usually wins the day.
Last but not least.
Is the cartridge full or empty - don't waste your time on an empty or nearly empty cartridge. Know the weight of your cartridge - weigh a new one on your most sensitive scales. For example, an HPC6578 cartridge will be over 130gms when it is full, but if it is under 110gms then most likely one or more of the colours is empty. An HP C6656 will weigh nearly 50gms when full and 36gms when empty - a set of diet scales is very handy.
If you have any questions, please call us on 03 6229 8511 or email us on lloyd@printertech.com.au or lorraine@printertech.com.au.
This page last updated on June 24, 2006