Printing guide
To keep your printer working properly you
must understand that every printer has its own limitations based
on the design and type of printer. Inkjet printers although
appearing simple are very complex in design and require a little
knowledge about how they best function. We are also happy to
assist with preventative maintenance to keep them working properly
and give longer usable service.
We hope that the information here will help
you better understand how your inkjet printer works, but even more
importantly, how to keep it running well and avoid printing
problems.
Preventative maintenance
Regular use of your printer will be the best
form of preventative maintenance. Problems with poor print
quality, specifically streaking print, white lines through the
print, or no print at all, are primarily caused by ink drying up
in the print head or nozzles, preventing the ink fully reaching
the paper. Use of the printer on a weekly basis to print both mono
and full colour documents will help with this problem. Other
preventative measures:
- Blow out any dust and paper dust build-up
on a regular basis.
- Perform periodic print head cleaning /
priming cycles.
A word on print heads
If you have an Epson printer, remember that
the print heads are built into the printer, not the cartridge,
unlike Lexmark and Hewlett Packard printers. When you replace a
Lexmark and most HP cartridges you are also replacing the print
head. When you replace an ink cartridge in an Epson printer you
are replacing a "tank" that either contains Black Ink or 3-5
colours. The cartridge is simply a container filled with ink. More
frequent print cleaning cycles will help avoid problems with ink
flow.
Useful tips
- Do not remove a new cartridge from the
packaging until you are ready to install it into the printer!
- Do not remove a spent cartridge from your
printer unless you have a new one to immediately replace it!
- DO NOT FORGET to remove the cartridge
sealing tape, plastic clip or other packaging designed to
protect the cartridge while in its box! Failure to remove these
can cause damage to the printer, or commonly a vacuum inside the
cartridge preventing ink flow to the print heads, resulting in
poor or no printing.
- Do not store the cartridges in sunlight
or extreme temperatures.
Frequent use of your cartridge will help
prevent problems. If you have problems printing with an Ink Again
or Ink Again Powered cartridge, take a look at our
troubleshooting guide for some possible solutions.
