Four ways to ensure your inkjet printer is well-kept

Purchasing any printer, whether for home or office use, can be a big investment. So, once you’ve added hardware and consumables to your total spend, you’ll want to take good care of your device.

While there are obvious steps to take, such as always placing your printer in an appropriate place, there are four more ways you can ensure an inkjet printer remains functional for as long as possible:

Buy reliable consumables

One of the best ways to prolong your printer’s lifetime is to ensure you’re using the correct printer ink. It can seem attractive to purchase the cheapest ink available, but in order to ensure the best quality prints possible, you should only use genuine manufacturer consumables with your printer.

For example, if you’ve purchased an Epson inkjet printer, such as the Epson Workforce WF-7710DWF, it’s recommended that you only use genuine Epson ink rather than any third party alternative.

Always store ink properly

It might seem like the easiest thing in the world. Once you’ve purchased your printer ink, you simply put it in an office drawer. Unfortunately, it’s not quite this simple.

While it’s true that storing ink in your office is usually fine, your cartridges should be kept in cool, ventilated places as exposure to heat or sunlight can cause the ink to foam and leak. You should also ensure that your cartridges are stored upright. If inks are laid down, they could be in danger of mixing.

If you have any ink cartridges currently not in use, it’s always recommended that you keep them sealed until needed. Understanding how to store your consumables correctly will ensure they last much longer.

Undertake cleaning and maintenance

As with any other office equipment, your new hardware, whether that is an Epson printer or a device from another manufacturer, should be regularly cleaned. But as well as giving the printer itself a dust, it requires internal maintenance too.

One of the most crucial steps to take with cleaning is to ensure you have a clean print head. Inkjet printers all have a print head which sprays the ink onto the media you’re using.

If you’re seeing white lines running across your freshly printed documents or photos, this is a good indication that your print head needs cleaning. A great investment is a print head cleaning set, which you can buy in a range of shops for a good price.

Always ensure that you allow your print head to return to its default position before switching the printer off, and always consult your manufacturer manual to check how to maintain your printer correctly.

Avoid ink clogging

If you’re not planning to use your inkjet printer daily, ink clogging could be an issue you face. When ink cartridges are left for long periods, they can dry out and result in blocked nozzles.

While some websites will tell you that you’re able to clean the nozzles with alcohol, this isn’t recommended and could invalidate your warranty. In this case, preventing clogging is the best option. Regularly printing a test page, which requires a very small amount of ink, will help you to keep your printer ink operating.

Once you’ve made an investment in an inkjet printer, you’ll want to get the best value for money possible. Keeping these four tips in mind will help you to ensure your hardware lasts its lifetime.

 

 

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