Printhead Cleaning Made Simple If you're ever finding yourself looking at your printer and the ink quality is low, either it needs a new cartridge or the printhead could be clogged. Changing the ink cartridge again will not solve the problem. Preferably, you need to clean the printhead. Printhead cleaning can be performed automatically or manually based on the severity of the clog. How Printheads Get Clogged Printheads become clogged when printers are not utilized and the ink inside dries out. When ink cartridges are running low, as suggested by poor quality printouts, the printhead is forced to draw in air from the cartridge rather than the ink. Air in the printhead causes blockages and dries out any ink present in or on the nozzles, which will cause clogging. Using Printer Software for Clogs Cleaning the dried or clogged printhead can be accomplished using the printer software which should be tried before anything else. The industries recommendations suggest printing a page of color along with a page of black and white each week rather than using the software which is a helpful way to conserve on the ink. Additionally, when you run too many cleaning cycles within a short time frame, it can typically lead to ink build up on the printhead, which can block the nozzles. If blockages are not removed after two cycles, more cycles probably won't help, in which case you have to use another printhead cleaning option. Manual Cleaning Wipe or lightly scrub small or normal clogs using a maintenance swab designed specifically for the printhead. If you find the clogs to be a little tougher, using a solution, the printhead can be soaked for a period of time. To prevent ink stains, you may want to wear gloves and protective clothes. When cleaning, store the cartridges in a sealed bag or container to prevent them from becoming dried out. You should definitely store them upright so the ink doesn't spill or trickle out. Automatic Cleaning Systems To monitor, recognize and correct printhead issues, there are fully automatic cleaning systems that you can buy. The package will include a motor that pumps cleaning solution to the printhead plus has a tracking system to detect clogs and execute the cleaning cycles when necessary. Some systems also come with applications for computers and mobile devices so that you can keep tabs on the cleaning schedule, perform cleaning cycle remotely and collect data on printhead performance and maintenance. Send Your Clogged Printheads to the Pros Computer software and manual cleaning efforts might be ineffective when dealing with more severe clogs. If investing in an automatic cleaning system is not entirely possible for your business, you can mail your printheads to a professional printhead cleaning service. The cleaners may use a mechanical cleaning system to unblock your printhead and return the printhead back to DigitalSignTech.net
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Printhead Cleaning Made Simple you. You can send your printheads on a regular basis as part of your preventive maintenance program or reserve the service for tougher clogs and larger volume jobs. Printhead Preventive Maintenance The best upkeep will be prevention. You'll want to print small samples on a weekly basis to prevent the ink from drying and solidifying in the printhead. Do not allow an empty ink cartridge to sit in the printer if not being used. Replace cartridges when they become empty, or keep the printhead in a sealed bag or container to prevent drying while it is not in use. By changing out the cartridge before it runs out you could prevent wasted ink and paper. Pay close attention to the level as shown on your printer software to avoid unnecessary clogging and frequent cleaning. Get in touch with Digital Sign Technologies for printhead cleaning services if you've changed your ink cartridge and are still having difficulties. Find out about Digital Sign Technologies by visiting their website which is http://www.digitalsigntech.net/.
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