How to keep my inkjet printer in good condition

[John Dalton]

I've just bought a new inkjet printer, a Canon Pixma iP4700, to replace my old iP4300. I shall be mainly using it for B&W text printing, possibly often using the grey scale setting. However, when I do use it for colour printing photos etc I would like the highest quality I can get from the printer. Should I be worried about the print head colour jets clogging if they are only used infrequently? If so, would it be best to occasionally print a colour page and how often should this be done?

 

[NoixPecan]

As long as you print something regularly, even if it is pure black, the printer automatically performs enough cleaning to keep all the nozzles in good condition. That said, it is a good habit to print a nozzle check every week.

 

[ghwellsjr]

Good answer, NoixPecan, and also, it is a good idea to leave your printer turned on so that it can clean itself if you don't print something regularly for a very long time.

 

[msmart]

Ah, another nozzle check thread....

...it is a good habit to print a nozzle check every week.

To do it automatically, check this out:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3977

 

[John Dalton]

Many thanks for the information.

I generally print out something, normally B&W text, every few days; so this should be sufficient then?

I'm intrigued by the comment that leaving the printer on will enable some sort of automatic cleaning process. Is this general for all printers? I normally switch my printer off when not used because, years ago, I read a comment that switching off a printer at the mains, rather than pressing the off button on the printer itself, would not do the printer any good. If I left the printer on permanently I never could remember to switch it off before closing down my PC so I got into the habit of switching it off when not in use.

 

[ghwellsjr]

I don't know about any other printers but Canon printers will do a cleaning cycle everytime you turn them on and print something. As you pointed out, it is bad to remove power from a printer without first turning it off because the print head may not be properly parked which is necessary to keep the ink in the nozzles from drying out. I leave my printer turned on all the time to avoid wasting ink everytime I turn it on to print something and since it is connected to my desktop computer which acts as a print server for wireless printing from my laptop in another room, I leave my desktop computer on all the time too.

So either way, if you turn your printer on and off everyday that you use it, or if you leave it on all the time, the printer will do cleaning cycles. But printing just B&W text won't alert you if you have a problem with your color nozzles. It may not even alert you if you have a problem with your black nozzles because depending on the number of nozzles your print head has and the font size, you may not be using all the nozzles. This is why it is a good idea to do a nozzle check once a week or so. It will exercise every single nozzle and let you see that they are all good. If you ever discover that any nozzles are not printing, you should not continue to print anything else except nozzle checks until you fix the problem, otherwise you can turn a clogged nozzle into a permanently burned out nozzle.

By the way, when the printer does a cleaning cycle, it also exercises every nozzle, but you just can't tell if any of them are clogged and the printer itself has no way of knowing.

 

[The Hat]

I am intrigue by the debate of whether to leave you printer on or off all day. All canon printers have a power setting in properties to disable/enable shut off after 5 to 60 Mins. idle. And will turn on the minute you hit print from desktops or laptops that are connected by firewire or USB. The option to turn off your printer with your computer at night for safety reasons is there or just leave it plugged in its still off all be on standby. The newer Canons dont need nozzle checks to keep them printing so long as you use quality or OEM inks. When the printer reacts to a print command on standby, if its a day or a week since its last print it just has a quick wash and shave then prints no manual cleaning needed..

 

[John Dalton]

The power setting option looks quite useful. I was vaguely aware of it but I didn't realise that it would switch back on if you decided to print something. I shall definitely check it out.

 

[d1hamby]

I am intrigue by the debate of whether to leave you printer on or off all day. All canon printers have a power setting in properties to disable/enable shut off after 5 to 60 Mins. idle. And will turn on the minute you hit print from desktops or laptops that are connected by firewire or USB. The option to turn off your printer with your computer at night for safety reasons is there or just leave it plugged in its still off all be on standby. The newer Canons dont need nozzle checks to keep them printing so long as you use quality or OEM inks. When the printer reacts to a print command on standby, if its a day or a week since its last print it just has a quick wash and shave then prints no manual cleaning needed..

My MX860 does not have any power settings that I can control to turn the the printer off after a set amount of time. I was told by Canon to leave it on because it goes through a cleaning process on its own. It does go into a power saving mode after a fixed amount of time, but it regularly wakes up and does something every few hours. The screen comes on but I don't hear any movement. I don't know the interval or what it's doing. The only time I would turn it off is if I was not going to be printing for 2 weeks or more.