2-3 nozzle check dashes on same level

[Paul W.]

I'm using an Epson 1430, it has six cartridges. In my case, a few yellow position dashes are at the same level in the nozzle check. Doesn't seem to affect results, but I still would like to have the dashes behave themselves. BTW, am not using color carts but do use the carbon 6 cartridges.

Thank you!

Paul W.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I have seen similar effects with 3rd party dye inks; there are most likely minute deposits at the rim of the affected nozzles slightly deflecting the direction the droplets move. I got away with it by switching to genuine inks. Rinsing the ink channels with a piece of tube and a syringe with a cleaner may help as well. The print quality may be affected with very small white lines - effects you cannot remove via the printhead alignment function since not all nozzles are affected.

 

[PeterBJ]

I wonder if the cleaning method and cleaning solution by @pharmacist could clear the partly blocked nozzles?

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I wonder if the cleaning method and cleaning solution by @pharmacist could clear the partly blocked nozzles?

It is def. worth a try - latest when problems become visible in printouts.

 

[Paul W.]

I'm not ignoring you guys! Been doing some trial and error runs. Turns out that a small square lightly soaked with alcohol did the trick. Didn't have any propylene glycol on immediate hand.

BTW I'm pretty sure my ink, although third party, is pigment not dye.

Thanks to both of you!

 

[PeterBJ]

I'm glad you succeeded in unclogging the print head, but I think you were lucky. Alcohol alone is not a good print head cleaner, it can actually make matters worse, see this post. Instead a mixture containing alcohol, demineralized water and more ingredients is much better, like for instance pharmacist's cleaning solution.

Another good print head cleaner is a window cleaner with ammonia. In the US the "Original Windex with Ammonia-D" is recommended.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Thanks for your feedback, it's always good to know which treatments fixed a particular problem.

 

[Paul W.]

Well, my luck ran out. The ink in the Yellow position cart is mis-behaving and I'm getting 2 or 3 dashes at the same level again. The ink in that position is actually a mixture of Blue and Cyan taken from Canon originals, so I guess that would be considered an original ink. It's being used a coolant.

That ink is used for only 5-10% of the final, the remainder 5 positions containing various dilutions of Carbon black. So what I'm saying is a few dashes in the Yellow position is not all that serious. Perhaps that's heresy on my part!