Missing segments in nozzle check

[apetitphoto]

Besides "none," how many segments can be missing in a nozzle check? My WF-3620 has one segment missing on the black channel. This is after switching to PC inks & cartridges and several nozzle checks and 4 or 5 head cleanings over a few hours.

Thanks

 

[turbguy]

A complicated answer:

Depending on the paper and quality chosen, you may, or may not, see any effect from one "missing" nozzle.

Try a draft print of text on plain paper (a tough test). Do you see any missing lines in the text?

That said, a missing segment can be caused by an air bubble in the head. Let is sit overnight and see if the nozzle check changes. Report back, please.

 

[apetitphoto]

I made the switch Thursday (a couple of days ago) and had lots of missing segments initially. That's when I did the majority of cleanings to get it working. I printed a reference image and saw no problems. The next day I printed a small image that looked clean, and in fact was very dark, but that probably
wasn't using K, as I've learned. So, just to be annoying I printed another reference and saw gaps. A subsequent nozzle check showed more black gaps. So another head clean and nozzle check that showed the one missing segment. Text works fine. Haven't had a chance to print since then.

 

[apetitphoto]

Having a chance to exercise the printer after a couple days of non-use (powered on and idle), the first nozzle check was a mess but subsequent checks went back to the one consistently missing black segment.

Quick question about nozzle check patterns: What I see is essentially K,K,CMY,CMY. Does this mean that there are two sets of nozzles for each group?

 

[mikling]

At some point, you might need to consider that the "one" nozzle or whatever might not be clogged but actually not working anymore. Fixing printers is always a cross your finger endeavour. Something simple go bad sometimes and cannot be remedied or fixed.

Nozzles of the same color are staggered as well to allow for drying times to increase between the laying down of a dot. You ideally will not want to put the same color next to each other if you can stagger them to allow one some time to dry before another one is printed very close. Thus it is not just one line vertically but all across the nozzle plate. This should give an idea of the precision that these machines must achieve where the travel speed of the droplet must be accounted for as well as the height of plate.

 

[apetitphoto]

Not exactly what I wanted to hear about a printer less than 4 months old... I don't really want to fight a warranty battle.

Thanks for the print head/nozzle information.

 

[mikling]

Not exactly what I wanted to hear about a printer less than 4 months old... I don't really want to fight a warranty battle.

Thanks for the print head/nozzle information.

Sometimes printers can be defective. If it is 4 months old, put in some OEM color carts...the ones that you had saved before switching to this B&W stuff and see what happens. Warranties are there for a reason. If it is under warranty you really should not be mucking around too much in there...lest something you do could actually really messes it up and then it is really your causation.

 

[turbguy]

Having a chance to exercise the printer after a couple days of non-use (powered on and idle), the first nozzle check was a mess but subsequent checks went back to the one consistently missing black segment.

Quick question about nozzle check patterns: What I see is essentially K,K,CMY,CMY. Does this mean that there are two sets of nozzles for each group?

Please post a scan or image of your current nozzle check.

 

[apetitphoto]

@turbguy here is the nozzle check:

 

[turbguy]

I'm not certain, but it does appear you have two sets of nozzles for each color.

Anyone else have an opinion??