There is nothing as unnerving as a clogged printhead. Especially if you are in a busy workstation and chasing timelines. It can be so inconveniencing! Missing colors, white lines, spurting of ink unceremoniously… How worse can it get?
But what causes this clogging on your printheads? There are a lot. Clogged printheads can be caused by anything from many things. The holes on the printheads could be blocked by dried ink. It could also be dust, debris, or even lumps of bad ink.
When this happens, it could really mess up your work. Nothing as annoying as streaky prints. You might also notice white lines where colored ink should be. All this is caused by a distorted jet of ink from the printhead to the paper or other printing surfaces.
Now, this has happened, how do you clean your printhead and make it work-worthy again? Please note that printheads vary from brand to brand. This makes the cleaning process and cycles different.
This article covers all that and many more. Keep scrolling down the page to read more.
What Exactly is a Printhead?
First things first. What exactly is a printhead and where is it located in your printing machine? Let’s find out. A printhead is a part of the printer that is used to transfer ink onto a printing surface. This could be paper, cards, or even fabric. It depends. The head fires droplets of ink through the nozzles to create prints on a surface.
So, where are the printheads? It all depends on the brand of printer you are using. A printhead can be built into the cartridge. These are called integrated printer cartridges. For this type, you will see the nozzles on the side of your cartridge.
For other brands, the printheads are built into the printer itself. These kinds of printheads need changing after some time. This can cause a big problem because they are expensive or worse still, you might not find the heads.
What are the Types of Printhead Cleaning?
There are two types of cleaning for printheads: Automatic and manual cleaning. Some printer models have a preinstalled cleaning function. You will see that in the “printer maintenance” on your menu. Automatic cleaning takes a maximum of 2 minutes to thoroughly clean your printhead.
Then there is the manual cleaning of the printhead. We shall touch base on this in the article below. Manual cleaning will depend on your printer’s brand and the cleaning specifications that come with it. Keep reading to find out more.
What are the 3 Types of Printheads Clogs?
There are 3 types of clogs that can affect your printhead. Each clog will need different types of cleaning to completely open up your printhead and make it work-worthy all over again. Here are the 3 clogs you will encounter as long as you are using a printer.
1. Simple Clogs
Printheads have almost microscopic holes for jetting out ink. They are designed this way to shoot just enough ink for lettering. However, if you rarely use your printer, the ink that was used before might block the holes. But that is not all. Air bubbles could also be responsible for your clogged printhead. Whatever the case, run a cleaning cycle and that should fix it.
2. Hardcore Clogs
This type of clogging mostly affects high-end printers because of their ultra-microscopic printhead holes. Tiny holes can easily block more than anything else. You will have to disassemble the printhead more often to perform an elaborate clean-up. If the clogs are so stubborn, you might be forced to soak the head in solution to thoroughly unclog it.
3. Stubborn Clogs
These are tougher clogs that need some extra work more than you would perform for the simple clogs. If it is slightly stubborn, warm water can suffice. However, if the clog has gone to the extreme, warm water alone cannot loosen the dirt. You might need to make use of the Windex cleaning method. You can also try soaking your printhead in an ammonia-based solvent.
How to Clean Your Printhead
We all have a sentimental attachment to our printing machines, and we want to keep them in perfect condition as much as we can. So, when the printheads clog, we get a little bit nervous. You shouldn’t be, because cleaning can do the trick for you.
Here is a step-by-step guide to getting your printhead clean.
- Turn off the printhead if it is on. Unplug the machine.
- Open the lids of your printhead layer by layer. This will enable you to access the print cartridges.
- Put the cartridge carrier in a clean spacious place. Go ahead and remove the ink cartridges.
- Pull out the printhead assembly.
- Remove the entire carriage from the printing machine.
- This is the printhead assembly. Remove the gaskets. You will see them around the print nozzle sponges.
- Make sure you cover the computer chips to protect them from damage.
- Soak the printhead in an ammonia-based solution.
- Using a sink nose, clean your printheads. You can also use a hose to clean out stubborn clogs.
How to Prevent Your Printhead from Clogging
They say prevention is better than cure. That applies to taking care of your machines and even your printer’s printhead. You can actually prevent your printhead from clogging altogether by following these steps.
Here is the main trick: Keep a continuous flow of ink through the printheads.
It sounds next to impossible because you cannot be by your printing machine 24/7. Keep reading on to find out how to.
- Make sure to use your printhead no less than 2 times a week.
- Do a thorough monthly head cleaning cycle.
- Switch the density (in terms of thickness) of your print paper to shock your machine. This will use the excess ink hanging on the printheads.
- Use legitimate OEM cartridges.
- Employ both the “cleaning cartridge” and “Maintenance cartridge”. These two options are not available for different models of printers.