Printer Types Lesson 004: Inkjet Printer Maintenance

What does Inkjet printer maintenance encompass?

Loading the paper, cleaning the printheads, replacing the cartridges, calibrating the system, and clearing paper jams.

Why do Inkjet printers tend to have a smaller tray capacity than laser printers?

Because of the cost of print, which makes them unsuitable for high print volume environments.

How many sheets of paper will a typical Inkjet printer tray hold?

100 to 200 pages.

How many sheets of paper will a large Inkjet printer tray hold?

250 to 500.

How many trays do most Inkjet printer have?

A single feed tray.

How should paper be inserted into the feed tray of an Inkjet printer?

Open the tray > verify the guides are set to proper paper size > grab new paper and tap on desk > place into feed tray > close the tray.

What should happen after paper has been restocked in an Inkjet printer and the feed tray has been closed?

The printer to recognize the paper is restocked and to start working again.

What happens to Inkjet printer printheads overtime?

They become blocked and dirty.

What will happen if the printheads in an Inkjet printer become blocked or dirty?

The printer will start missing lines or missing colors when printing.

What should be done if the printheads in an Inkjet printer have become clogged?

Run the printer through a cleaning cycle.

How would one be able to put an Inkjet printer through a cleaning cycle?

Through the front panel display or through the manufacturer’s own software through the printer drivers installed on the user’s computer.

How does an Inkjet printer clean the nozzle?

By printing out one or two pages or by trying to overheat the nozzle to overheat the nozzle to try to unblock it, clearing the nozzle of any dried ink.

What can be done if an Inkjet printer cannot clean the printheads?

Clean the printheads and clean them manually with the proper Inkjet cleaning products.

What printing method do most Inkjet printers rely on to conduct printing?

The thermal method.

What Inkjet printer’s cartridges include the printhead?

Thermal Inkjet printers.

Why are clogged printheads an uncommon issue in Inkjet thermal printers?

Because the printhead is attached to the ink cartridge and therefore is replaced along with the cartridge.

What Inkjet printer’s cartridges don’t include the printhead?

Piezoelectric Inkjet printers.

In what kind of Inkjet printer would a user have to be mindful about regularly cleaning the printheads?

In piezoelectric Inkjet printers.

What do most printer manufacturers have built into nearly every Inkjet printer?

A sensor to warn users when the ink levels start to get low or when the ink reservoir is empty.

What is considered a good practice when it comes to managing ink cartridges for an Inkjet printer?

To have a spare set of replacement ink cartridges in each color to ensure you don’t run out.

How does one replace the ink cartridges in an Inkjet printer?

Open the service panel > unsecure the retaining clip > pull the ink cartridge out > take and remove the plastic tape from the new ink cartridge > insert cartridge into the printer.

What happens after an ink cartridge has been replaced in an Inkjet printer?

The printer will go through a self test to ensure that everything is properly installed and that the printheads are aligned.

When would calibration on an Inkjet printer be necessary?

When the output on a printout is becoming skewed or parts of the printout are missing.

What would cause the output on a printout to be skewed or have parts of the printout missing on an Inkjet printer?

An empty ink cartridge, clogged printhead, or parts being misaligned.

What should be done when a printout is skewed?

A printhead alignment calibration must be done.

How is a printhead alignment calibration performed on an Inkjet printer?

By using the font panel display on the printer or by using the manufacturer’s software installed as part of the print drivers on the end-user OS.

How does a MFD Inkjet printer execute a printhead alignment calibration?

It will print out a page, scan through the printer, and then recalibrate itself automatically base off the scanned output of the printed page.

What will happen if a paper jam occurs in an Inkjet printer and the printer keeps trying to print?

All the subsequent papers will get stuck behind it.

What is the most common reason for a paper jam in an Inkjet printer?

Incorrect weight of paper (too light or too thick).

How does one clear a paper jam in an Inkjet printer when the paper jam is caused by paper that is too thick?

Power off the printer > open up the service component > locate the thick piece of paper > slowly pull it out until it releases.

How does one clear a paper jam in an Inkjet printer when the paper jam is caused by paper that is too light?

Remove the feeder tray > open up the output tray > locate the paper jam > slowly pull out the paper, making sure to not rip pieces off.

What should one do if a piece of paper gets ripped off and left inside of an Inkjet printer, when clearing out a paper jam, usually when the jam is caused by paper that is too light?

Remove it with tweezers or tools that can grab them.

What should one do after verifying that the roller and feeder assemblies are both clear of paper jams inside of an Inkjet printer?

Put the paper back in and run a test page to verify the issue has been resolved.

What does proper maintenance of an Inkjet printer ensure?

The printer performs efficiently and continues producing high quality printouts.