Tips to make your inkjet cartridges last

Nothing is more important than running the Print Head Clean option on a regular basis to ensure the head is cleaned. Most printers 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. This is especially important in those printers where the print head is not an integral part of the cartridge (eg. Epson Stylus, Canon BJ300). We have known cases where a printer has failed to print all but a print shadow, and the customer has been advised by others to replace the print head - when the problem could have been solved by allowing the print head with cartridge inserted to stand for 24 hours and then carry out the head clean and test procedures for 2 or 3 cycles.

While 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.

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 about 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. HP cartridge print heads should show a nice shiny brass area with slight ink seepage; Canon print heads will be clean without any ink over the head itself. (See our special rules for Epson cartridges.) There is no need to dry the head, which should still be moist when returned to the printer. (The electrical contacts should not get wet, however.)

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 other 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 if left unused for long periods in the printer. Capillary action causes colors 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 them as soon as possible. In cold weather, do not place them on the car floor as the heater may also cause the cartridge to leak. 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 carrying case and store it in a cool place. Alternatively, if a case is not available, simply wrap it in glad wrap 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 applies particularly 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 color cartridge, all of the colors 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.

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 electronics.

If in doubt and you still cannot rectify the problem, bring your cartridge to us at Cartridge World.