HP/Canon - Printhead cleaning -- ink tank/printhead permanently installed (modular)

ID: 173856

Description: This guide will teach you how to clean a dirty...

Steps:

  1. In addition to the parts listing, these items are highly recommended:
  2. Ink protection: Plastic bag or ink caps
  3. Only needed in specific cases: Replacement ink for preparation process after cleaning (3rd party ink works, but will nag you).
  4. This is only needed if your current ink set is risky to use in the event of a lost calibration (i.e. refilled with a used chip); RECOMMENDED if you use non-XL carts.
  5. Optional (Stubborn clogging): Gloves and 91% alcohol
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  6. If possible, use hot distilled water.
  7. If the water is dirty, get a fresh bowl - especially with sources like a coffee maker.
  8. Before removing the printhead, hot water is needed. Remove the K-Cup holder and get a bowl of water.
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  9. Print a test image as a baseline. A good image can be found here: SMPTE color bars.
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  10. Remove the ink cartridges from the printer. Install the shipping caps or put them in a plastic bag.
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  11. ANY PRINTER SPECIFIC REMOVAL STEPS ONLY APPLY TO HP PRINTERS USING A REMOVABLE 564/920 PRINTHEAD (and similar designs, like the OJ Pro 8000 series printhead). Every manufacturer uses their own mounting design.
  12. (HP ONLY) If the printer is plugged in while the printhead is removed, the calibration data may be erased. Verify the printer is unplugged FIRST!
  13. When the printer is unplugged, lift the lever up and remove the printhead.
  14. Remove the printhead as shown. IMPORTANT: Leave the scanner lid open, or put a note near the printer.
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  15. THESE STEPS MAY NOT BE REQUIRED ON ALL PRINTERS. If your printhead contact is similar, it is recommended to clean it regardless of the printer manufacturer.
  16. (HP ONLY) Failure to clean this area may result in a Ink System Failure warning, and a lost calibration.
  17. Using an alcohol wipe, clean the printhead interface to avoid any errors relating to poor printhead contact.
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  18. Alcohol should only be used as a last resort as it can damage the printhead seals! If you use alcohol, 3 water flushes are needed to purge the printhead fully!
  19. Recommended circulation times: Alcohol: 5-10 minutes. Without alcohol: 15 minutes.
  20. The water will get lighter as the ink breaks down, this is normal. If your clog is stubborn, an ultrasonic cleaner may help break it down.
  21. Put the printhead in hot water. Repeat until the printhead is reasonably clean. Change the cleaning water frequently.
  22. Wipe the printhead contacts and nozzles by hand to ensure these areas are dry.
  23. Before reinstalling the printhead, let it air dry for ~3-4 hours. Using a fan may speed this step up.
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  24. (HP ONLY) Wait until the printhead is bone dry or you risk the calibration! While recoverable, this will be an expensive mistake, especially with non-XL carts (1/2 cart waste with non-XL, 1/4 with XL). Your printer will run a minor cleaning cycle after printhead installation ("printhead preparation"), but wastes far less ink.
  25. Once the printhead is satisfactorily dry, reinstall the printhed and ink in the printer. Plug the printer in.
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  26. Authors' Note: When referring to "beyond CMYK+PK", I am referring to color sets such as CMYK+PK+GR, CMYK+PK+GR+Gloss Optimizer, CMYK+PK+GR+OR+Gloss Optimizer to name a few "common" combinations I have seen.
  27. For printers with colors beyond CMYK+PK, a more advanced test sheet that fully tests the printhead on these models is REQUIRED. I am not providing this. Consider using a reference photo set commonly used by photo labs or a photo you have taken personally on a high-end camera like the Sony Alpha series to test your printer.
  28. All ink cartridges must have ink left. If all else fails, add ink with a DYE OR PIGMENT BASE refill kit (Check your printer specs; getting this wrong leads to binding and permanent damage). Add ink to ANY low cartridge(s). FAILURE TO DO THIS MAY DAMAGE YOUR PRINTHEAD AND TOTAL OUT YOUR PRINTER.
  29. If you have a photo printer such as a 5-color model (CMYK+PK), print the test image as a photo program such as Photoshop, Photos (Mac) (or your preferred image viewer), forcing it to print in photo mode.
  30. After replacing the printhead, test the printer. Match the previous settings and check for improvement.
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