Cartridge Life

Most cartridges can be filled several times, but you should be aware that the lifespan of the cartridge can be extended to almost double the expected by following a few simple rules of cartridge maintenance.

1. Firstly, there is nothing more difficult to refill than a dry cartridge! How, you ask, can we ensure the cartridge is kept in a moist condition?

1. Never operate the printer when you are aware that the cartridge is empty. Expecting the print head to fire without ink is like boiling water dry in a saucepan and not removing the pan from the heat!

1. Pay regular attention to the print head. Coagulated ink on or around this area is a recipe for disaster. The cartridge should be removed from the printer, say around once every two weeks, and the print head rubbed with a moist rag to clean off any residual ink in that area. Never use any form of solvent; the ink in the cartridge is water based and this is the only cleaning substance that can safely be used. In the case of the Hewlett Packard cartridge, the print head should show a nice shiny brass area with slight ink seepage, and in the case of the Canon the print head will be clean without any ink over the head itself. There is no need to dry the head, which should still be moist when returned to the printer.

1. A good practice is to top up the cartridge with ink every two hundred copies or so rather than waiting until the print stops altogether. A neat trick is to take a ream of paper, inserting a paperclip every 15-mm down the pack, and top up the cartridge every time a clip is reached. Another alternative is to top up every couple of weeks or so, depending on how often the printer is used.

1. Nothing is more important than running "The Print Head Clean" option shown in the operator's manual on a regular basis to ensure the head is cleaned. Most machines also have the option of printing a jet-by-jet grid to allow you to physically check whether a jet in the head is blocked. We cannot stress too much the importance of running this option, especially in those printers where the print head is not an integral part of the cartridge (eg. Epson Stylus, Canon BJ300).

To sum up: -

• Keep the cartridge in the machine unless refilling - Physically clean the head if possible

• Top up with ink on a regular basis

• Run the print head clean option:- Inkjet Cartridges Inkjet printer cartridges work on the principle of rapidly heating ink in a series of extremely fine capillary holes known as jets or nozzles that have their own individual microscopic heating elements. As the print head moves across the page and the print paper moves forward, the data sent from the computer is converted in the printer electronics to electronically 'fire' the appropriate jet element at the right time to form a bubble of ink which is deposited onto the paper to form part of a character whether it be a letter, numeral or graphic, hence the term, 'bubble jet printer'. A typical cartridge may have between 48 and 128 jets and associated heating elements depending on the type and manufacture, with a capability to print 300 to 1400 plus dots per inch. The ink flowing through the rapidly heating jets is also used to cool them again ready for the next data pulse to cause them to 'fire', thereby the correct operating temperature of each individual jet is maintained. As the ink runs out and the cartridge empties or if the cartridge has not been used for a long time and a blockage has occurred, then jet elements can burn out if the printing is continued for any length of time. This renders the cartridge useless for refilling. This condition is known as 'electrically dead'. This can be compared to an old style electric kettle boiling bry. The element simply burns out.

1. Indications of ink running out or jets becoming blocked are:-
1. parts of printed characters will have lines of missing print area appearing through them or in extreme cases there will be almost no sign of print on the page or in the case of printing colour photographs a sudden change of colour may occur. As soon as you observe any print defects occurring, immediately cease printing and carry out the print head cleaning procedure for one or two cycles.
1. Carry out a nozzle or print test and repeat the clean cycle and print test, if the first attempt is unsatisfactory.
1. Refer to your printer operation manual for full details on how to carry out these functions.
1. Should you still not obtain satisfactory results, the cartridge is most probably empty.


We can tell if a cartridge is empty by testing its weight on very accurate scales. Note, with a colour cartridge, one colour usually runs out before the others. Do not continue printing with the remaining colours, as the jets of the one that has run out, will probably burn out. In all cases of unresolved print defects, remove the cartridge and have it refilled or replace with a new one.

 

There are basically three types of inkjet cartridge.

1. The print head and ink reservoir are combined to form an integrated module that can be readily removed, cleaned, refilled and replaced.

2. The print head and ink reservoir are separate, however the print head module with reservoir can be readily removed from the printer to facilitate changing of black and colour print heads.

3. Black and colour print heads are both permanently fixed to the carriage assembly in the printer. Only the user can replace the ink reservoirs.

 

Care of inkjet Cartridges

 

Whilst most inkjet cartridges are reasonably resilient to handling, care should be taken to only unpack a new or refilled cartridge immediately prior to replacing it in the printer. When a cartridge has been refilled it may have a seal placed over the print head in the form of a plastic adhesive strip. This strip has a special adhesive that does not affect the print head..

Do not use any adhesive such as, packaging or standard sticking tape, as the chemical composition of the adhesive is harmful to the print heads.

Colour cartridges can become contaminated if left for long periods with tape across the heads or left unused for long periods in the printer. Capillary action causes colours to mix.

Do not carry or leave cartridges on the seat or dashboard of vehicles, even on a relatively cool day. Heat build-up will cause the cartridge to leak. Place them in the glove box and remove as soon as possible. In cold weather do not place on the car floor as the heater may also cause the cartridge to leak.

 

Note - even with a seal, the cartridge can leak. When a cartridge has run out and there is a time delay in being able to have it refilled, place it in its carry case and store in a cool place. Alternatively, if a case is not available, simply wrap it in cling film or place it in a small plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator. The success rate of refilling cartridges rises considerably if the cartridge still has a small amount of ink left in it. This particularly applies to cartridges that do not have a sponge type reservoir.

Sometimes a new refilled combined print head reservoir type cartridge does not print if it has been left for any length of time in the printer without printing. If the cleaning cycle does not improve the result to any extent, then remove the cartridge and place the print head surface onto a damp tissue. An elongated pattern of ink should appear on the tissue and in the case of a colour cartridge, all of the colours should show as spots on the tissue. In extreme cases, if the above procedure does not work, then place the cartridge, print head down, in the bottom of a saucer. Purchase some dead-head solution from a reputable ink refiller and stand in the solution for half an hour. - Make sure that there is no moisture on the electrical contact areas of the cartridge, if so, gently wipe clean with a soft tissue.

Wet contacts can cause serious damage to the printer electrics. - Do not use methylated spirits to clean print heads, the chemical composition is not compatible and can cause blockage problems.

If in doubt and you still cannot rectify the problem, take or post your cartridge to The Ink Lab store and we will do our best to help.

 

Ink is made up of a colouring agent, a carrier body, a solvent that keeps it liquid until it leaves the print head, and various chemical stabilizers.

The Colouring Agent may be either a dye or a pigment, regardless of the colour. The difference is that a dye is a chemical solution, and the pigment is a mineral oxide, ground exceptionally fine, and put into a chemical compound, both then added to the carrier body.

How the Ink and Paper Work With Each Other

Dye-based ink actually soaks into the cellulose fibres, giving a far richer colour. The trade-off is that absolute sharpness in not achievable.

Pigment-based ink behaves completely differently. The ink is projected at the paper, the carrier body then evaporates, and the pigment adheres to the paper fibre. This results in a clear image, but the colour doesn't have the saturation of dye-based ink.