Storing an injet printer

  • Thread starter Thread starter smtp
  • Start date Start date
S

smtp

What is the best way to store an injet printer? We have the Epson
RX500.
Should I leave the ink in it or take it out etc...
 
What is the best way to store an injet printer? We have the Epson
RX500.
Should I leave the ink in it or take it out etc...
Click to expand...

Never take the ink out of a printer unless you have an HP or Lexmark
with the print head on the cartridge. For your Epson, the best bet is
to put it in a heavy, airtight bag, with a /slightly/ damp paper towel
(use distilled water) inside it.

Epson R-series printers are less likely to clog, on a whole, than the
C-series, which use a different kind of ink.

--

http://www.FenrirOnline.com

Computer services, custom metal etching,
arts, crafts, and much more.
 
What is the best way to store an injet printer? We have the Epson
RX500.
Should I leave the ink in it or take it out etc...
Click to expand...

A little while ago, someone at HP told me their printers cap the
cardridges to prevent them from drying out. I don't know if that's the
case for all inkjet-printers. If you do take the cardridges out, store
them in aluminium foil or in an air-tight container.



HTH,
Mark VB
 
(e-mail address removed) wrote on 13/07/2006 18:39

A little while ago, someone at HP told me their printers cap the
cardridges to prevent them from drying out. I don't know if that's the
case for all inkjet-printers. If you do take the cardridges out, store
them in aluminium foil or in an air-tight container.
Click to expand...

Heavy sigh ....
If you do that to an Epson RX500, which is what the OP asked, you'll
ruin the printer because of ink drying up in the printhead.
 
Mark said:
A little while ago, someone at HP told me their printers cap the
cardridges to prevent them from drying out. I don't know if that's the
case for all inkjet-printers. If you do take the cardridges out, store
them in aluminium foil or in an air-tight container.



HTH,
Mark VB
Click to expand...

Well I guess thats my question. Should I remove the cartridges or leave
them in. If I remove them will the ink dry out in the print head?
 
Well I guess thats my question. Should I remove the cartridges or leave
them in. If I remove them will the ink dry out in the print head?
Click to expand...

Leave them in. With an Epson or Canon, you will definitely ruin the
printer if you take them out.

--

http://www.FenrirOnline.com

Computer services, custom metal etching,
arts, crafts, and much more.
 
Leaving the ink cartridges in place is a priority. Removal allows oxidation
and thickening of the ink. How long will you be storing the printer? Epson
suggests replacement of any ink after 6 months in a cartridge that's been
opened. Apparently the carrier fluid must thicken after time even with a
small amount of air. Though I haven't done it I would consider actually
using cleaning cartridges in place of the ink cartridges if I were going to
store the printer over 6 or more months just to keep the ink from getting
more viscous.
What I have done in the past with our seventy Epsons at school is to
place each in a small trash bag along with a moistened sponge, then expel as
much air as possible, and tie the bag closed with a flexible wire tie strip,
and put them in a dark place.
 
So when I store it should I have full ink cartidges or does it matter?
Click to expand...

As I said above, just put it in a bag with a damp paper towel to keep
the humidity level up.

It shouldn't matter whether the cartridges are full or used, as long
as they're in place, which keeps the printhead sealed up.

Epsons have a long history of clogging problems, so no method is 100%
guaranteed to work. However, with an R series printer, the chance of
clogging is much lower.

--

http://www.FenrirOnline.com

Computer services, custom metal etching,
arts, crafts, and much more.
 
Ultrachrome inks are slow drying and do not clog nearly as often or as
badly as do the Durabrite or even the dye inks.

I don't know how long you will be leaving the unit in storage, but there
are a few things you can do to help prevent difficult clogs from developing:

1) just before shutting the printer down for the last time, place some
ammoniated window cleaner into the cleaning station with an eye dropper.
This adds extra moisture to keep the heads moist when they part. You
can also use water, or a glycol mixture.

2) If the printer will be in storage for long periods, you can place
the whole printer in a large plastic bag and seal it to keep moisture.
You can also take a small damp sponge, and place it outside the printer
in a small bowl, and then package the printer in a plastic bag with the
sponge and bowl in the bag but not in the printer per se.

Art
 
Back
Top