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Working with a Fussy InkJet Printer
By Tony Lee
Todays printers aren't what they used to be. It's amazing to experience the quality and color that present day InkJet printers can produce. I can remember years back that wasn't the case. Printers were bulky, heavy and the quality was substandard. And most important, expensive as heck! You can purchase a printer pretty cheap nowadays. Of course you'll pay an arm and leg for cartridges, but the photo quality is unbeatable. In fact, because of the technology involved and toner verses ink, a $200.00 InkJet printer can run circles around a $80,000 zerox color copier at your local Kinkos copy shop. Even when you print digitally to one of these high end machines, the CMYK dry toner just can't reach the color spectrum that InkJet printers can. So I guess we can say that InkJets are king, right? Well, not exactly. The first thing we notice is how fast those ink cartridges go. We get so busy printing out our great prints, that we fail to realize we are running dry. Quickly we run out to our local Staples or Circuit City and spend $60 to $80 on refills. One forth to one-half of the price of the printer!
Now you know why that great machine was so cheap. You see printer manufacturers don't make a profit from the printer itself, it's made from the cartridges. Yes, they put out great photos. But after a few months of use, most of us know the problems that sometimes occur with these little babies. Here are some tips to keep your InkJet printer healthy and running smooth. To get the best quality print from your machine, always buy the same brand of cartridge that your machine is. If you have an Epson, buy ONLY Epson cartridges. I'm not trying to sell cartridges for them, but the simple truth is: Using a "generic" brand will not only give you less quality prints, but may also clog or damage your printer. The so called "generic" cartridges contain a far less quality ink and the electronic contacts that let the printer "talk" to the printer are not always compatible. The print heads are the heart your machine. They disperse ink onto the paper through the information that your photo file (digital data) sends to your printer. Occasionally they get clogged or fall out of alignment. Heres how to fix that:
The software that came with your printer has a maintenance
feature built in. When you print an image, a print window will open. Your utilities tabs should be visible at the top of the window. "Printhead alignment" "clean nozzles", or "nozzle check" and other utilities should be visible. I recommend running it once a month to keep the printer running smoothly. NEVER, (did I say never?) NEVER put any sharp objects inside the cartridge bays or carriage area to clean the print heads. This is the best way to turn your printer into a very big paper weight or nice door stop. Never let your printer sit for months with no activity. The best way to get clogged nozzles, is to let it set without using it. I recommend printing a full color photo at least twice a month to keep the print heads clear, other wise the ink will dry and clog the heads. Paper type is something users never think about. Don't expect a great photo on #20 regular bond paper. It ain't gonna happen. Make sure you read the printer manual regarding paper weights, types and colors. Brand name paper is best. In addition to the type of paper, make sure that you "set" the "paper type" in your printer settings. Using a bond paper setting with photo gloss paper will produce less than perfect prints. Printers are picky creatures. Following your users manual to the letter and you should have your printer kicking out great prints for years to come!
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Camera Film
| Sony Photo Printers
| Kodak Photo Printers
| Canon 35mm SLR Cameras
| Nikon 35mm SLR Cameras
| Light Meters, Spot Meters
| Photo Color Meters
| Photo Flash Meters
| Photo Spot Meters
| Portable Photo Flashes/Strobes
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This intel was contributed by Tony Lee
Tony Lee
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May, 2012
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