Cartridge Care

Inkjet Cartridge Care and Storage for Maximum Refills and Quality Print

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 (eg. Fridge).

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, allow it to cool slightly 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, contact your Ink on the Run technician for assistance and they will organise an alternative product or assist you with the one you have.