Look After Your Printer

Don Bradbury surveys some aspects of printer maintenance that can pay dividends

Modern colour printers are actually wonders of the age. With inkjets delivering picolitre droplet size, and resolutions undreamed of a few years ago, they can rival photographic prints if you're into digital photography, or take a passable stab at simulating the appearance of laser output if you demand the very best by way of text.

But it's wise to, periodically, run through one or two maintenance routines if the best is to be preserved. You may, for example, notice some colour banding from an inkjet, or some staggering of edges in sharp photographs due to misaligned vertical lines.

The graphic was taken from the Utilities menu of the Epson Stylus Photo 875DC, which was recently reviewed in PPC, but it's typical of the sort of facility printer manufacturers provide for maintaining their printer output in top condition.

The status monitor tells you how much ink remains in your colour and black cartridges, and these days that's more accurately judged - if the manufacturers are to be believed - by the incorporation of a chip in each cartridge which gauges the ink levels, even as you print.

The fact that it also means it's more difficult to find much cheaper compatibles is also a factor, though these are now beginning to appear on the market. The manufacturer won't recommend the use of compatibles, of course, and their use will probably invalidate the printer's guarantee, but wisely chosen they can cut costs significantly, and just might be worth the risk. I use them myself.

Ink nozzles

The Nozzle Check (or its equivalent) should be used if you notice that your printer output has gaps of colour, or feint areas. If you get this, use the Head Cleaning facility. What this does is clean out the printer's ink nozzles. But be aware that it does this by squirting ink through them, relying on the solvent effect of the liquid ink to dissolve residues that may have resulted from the drying out of ink after a print job.

The consequence, of course, is that a significant amount of ink is 'wasted', because the ink passes through the nozzles to waste, but it's a necessary evil if output has deteriorated to this noticeable extent. You may, in fact, have to apply the Head Cleaning facility more than once to clear the jets, but don't overdo it. Check the output after each cleaning cycle by printing a test picture, and before you repeat it.

If the above process does not succeed, you might try the special cleaning fluid cartridges that ink specialists supply. They don't always work, however; sometimes the job is just impossible, in which event it's binning time for the printer.

Head Alignment

Check this as necessary, and look carefully for evidence of misalignment of verticals in the output the printer gives you. Adjust as necessary, and then try a printout again. Usually you'll find that, once set, provided the printer doesn't get a deal of mistreatment, the alignment will be preserved, but you should make a check on any new printer.

Media

Having a huge potential influence on output quality is your choice of media. Papers are closely matched to ink composition by manufacturers, so don't expect the very best if you use other types of either ink or paper.

And don't be caught out by throw-away-price market stall paper packs that claim to be compatible with ink jet printers. Some have entirely the wrong absorbency and will produce nothing but smudge.

Mode

Finally, don't forget that printing mode is important. For the very best output, select the printer's highest resolution... and then wait for the finished product! It can take considerably longer to make a print than faster modes at lower resolution.

If your printer lets you select enhanced modes, by all means try them. It's just that, by implication, you are messing about with colour balance, and that just might spell trouble if you're after a good colour match. However, they can and do work if the subject is right.

In conclusion

Look after your printer and it will look after you. A cleanup of the outer case, with nothing but a damp cloth, also pays dividends. But do avail yourself of the facilities the manufacture provides. He knows his machine better than you do, so string along with him if you want continued immaculate printer output.

 

Don Bradbury