5 Common Printhead Problems & How to Fix Them

Printers might just be the most frustrating piece of equipment in most home offices and unfortunately, that’s often true in industrial printing operations too. If you’ve spent hours of your day trying to figure out why everything you print has rows of stripes or why the paper jams every time you click “Print,” you’re not alone. The good news is that many of the most common printer head problems are simple to fix. Here’s a quick troubleshooting guide for how to fix printhead problems.

Know Your Printer

First, consult your printer manual. Every printer has its own quirks, so when you’re experiencing printhead issues, it’s a good idea to get advice directly from the source. If there is a problem with the printhead, the tips below will work for most brands, but it’s important to check first. 

Air Blockages in the Nozzles

Your printer’s print cleaning cycle is a little bit like a self-cleaning oven—when you’re lucky, your printer can take care of the problem itself, but often, it needs an assist from you. If air blockages are causing your printer’s issues, the print cleaning cycle can help clear them. It’s important to note that you shouldn’t run more than three print cleaning cycles at a time because this can cause ink buildup in the printhead nozzles. 

Dried Ink Buildup on the Printhead

If the print cleaning cycle doesn’t work, dried ink may be the culprit. Take the printhead out and wipe the nozzles clean to remove any buildup. Depending on the model of your printer, this may be difficult—some printheads are harder to remove than others.

Dust Buildup Inside the Printer

Dust can build up inside the printer, which can exacerbate any problems with clogged printer nozzles. Ideally, you’ll dust your printer regularly in order to prevent printhead issues from occurring due to dust build-up, but at the very least you should dust if you’re experiencing problems printing. Use a vacuum attachment or an air duster—don’t dust with cloths or paper towels, which can leave lint behind.

The Printer Is Always On

One of the most common problems with printers is that people leave them on 24/7. Whenever you turn a printer on, it runs a quick cleaning cycle; if you never turn your printer off, it doesn’t have the opportunity to run this cycle each day. You should turn your printer off at the end of the day and turn it on again in the morning.

Your Printer Gets Low Use

Because clogged printer nozzles cause many printhead issues, you need to keep them from clogging, which means using your printer regularly. Regular use also prevents negative air pressure and dust from collecting, so you’re preventing three printhead issues with one simple step. 

When to Replace the Printhead

If you try each of these steps and they don’t seem to help, follow your printer’s manual for more specialized instructions. Some may advise using wet paper towels or even soaking a printhead to remove blockages. After you’ve exhausted all of your options, you may need to replace your printhead. When choosing a printhead, make sure it’s the right model for your printer.

Clogged Printhead Devices & Printer Head Cleaning Liquid

Sign Printer Parts offers a range of devices that are highly specialized in unclogging printer heads. Our solutions are especially equipped to handle issues that arise from white ink which, in most cases, is the most problematic color due to the heavier particles in the ink compared to CMYK colors. White ink is denser and causes most printheads to be susceptible to clogging. The Printhead Doctor is a professional system that enables you to recuperate your clogged printhead and save thousands in early replacements. Also, we provide a complete set of recovering chemicals, including printer head cleaning liquid, that can help you maintain your printheads.

Learn More About How Sign Printer Parts Can Help

At Sign Printer Parts, we specialize in providing replacement printheads for a wide variety of commercial printers. Contact us today to learn more about us and what we can do for your business.