Services - Inkjet Cartridges
How can I get the most from my Bubble Jet - Inkjet Cartridge?
- 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.
- Color 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 colors to mix.
- Your inkjet cartridge is very susceptible to heat and as such should be keep away from extreme temperatures, do not leave your cartridge in motor vehicles or other areas which may lead to damage or ink leaking from your product.
- 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 put 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 or refilled combined print head and 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. Boil water and pour it into the saucer so that the print head surface is completely covered and gently agitate the cartridge for approximately twenty seconds. Remove the cartridge and gently touch-dry the print head with a tissue.
- Note: 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 your cartridge to your Cartridge World store.
How can I get the most from my EPSON print head and cartridge?
- Most EPSON printers have both the black and colour print heads permanently fixed in the printer and have separate black and colour ink reservoirs that simply clip in and out of the appropriate print head. These reservoirs are known as cartridges.
- Some models of EPSON have a combined removable head and reservoir where the reservoir can be removed for replacing and the head/reservoir assembly removed from the printer to facilitate changing from black to colour printing. Only one head can be used at a time. EPSON print heads have piezo electric jet elements.
- Note - a cartridge must only be changed when the appropriate black or colour 'ink out' light is illuminated. Changing a cartridge before the light indicates, results in the printer failing to print either in black or colour depending on which cartridge has been replaced. The printer must have its 'ink out' function reset for the printer to operate.
- Do not remove a cartridge and leave it out for any length of time before fitting a new one as the print head jets can dry out and block very quickly.
- Do not attempt to remove the ink cartridge from a removable combined head/reservoir with the head assembly out of the printer. Part of the print head cartridge locking mechanism can break and the printer can also not print when the assembly is refitted into the printer. The printer will have to be reset.
Changing an Epson Cartridge
- When preparing to replace a cartridge, make sure that you have the new cartridge on hand before removing the empty. Move the cartridge carriage to the 'change cartridge' position with the printer switched on. Remove the cartridge packaging and tear off the seal portion of the top label from the cartridge.
- Removal of the complete label will render the cartridge useless, as the air/vent balance will be affected.
- Lift up the appropriate cartridge lever that raises the cartridge up from the print head ink supply tubes. Remove the empty cartridge from the head and immediately insert the new one. Close the cartridge securing lever down and put the cartridge through its cleaning cycle one or two times. Carry out a nozzle test or test print depending on the model type.
- After checking the results you find that the print is satisfactory, you can now continue to use the printer. If the results are poor, repeat the clean and test cycles a few times.
- Note - Please have your printer operator's manual on hand for more complete details. Refer to replacing cartridge, print defects and troubleshooting.
- Always print regularly with an EPSON printer eg. Daily if possible. Should you regularly print in black and rarely use colour, then at least once a week, carry out a colour cartridge clean and print test. This reduces the chance of the print head jets from becoming blocked and leading to potential piezo jet 'pump' element failure when attempting to print again.