Caring For Your HP InkJet Printer

The popularity of InkJet printers has risen dramatically in the past few years. With low prices and full color these little workhorses have become a staple for home and business printing. In 1997 we serviced fewer than 20 InkJet printers, by late 1998 we were seeing more than 20 per week. While most of the printers we see do need professional care, many need nothing more than the simple steps outlined here.

Before starting there are a few simple supplies you will need:

• 8-10 Lint-free Swabs
• A soft lint-free cloth
• A pair of disposable gloves
• A small amount of bottled water
• An old newspaper
• A Flashlight
• Simple-Green cleaner (optional)

The printer depicted in the diagram is a 800 series printer. While there are some differences in design the instructions provided apply to all 500, 600, and 800 series HP printers. These instructions are provided for informational purposes and the reader accepts all responsibility should the printer be damaged performing this cleaning. Additional instructions and diagrams, specific to your printer model, are available on hp’s website at http://www.hp.com/cposupport/nonjsnav/djpr.html.

Preparation
Lay out several layers of newspaper on your work surface to catch any spilled ink. Rubber gloves and old clothes are recommended as ink will not wash out of skin, clothing or carpet. Plug in the printer and turn it on. Open the top cover and wait for the cartridges to move to the center (on 500 series printers press the "Change Cartridge" button). Unplug the power cord from the printer (without turning the printer off). Remove the print cartridges and set them aside on a scrap piece of paper. Avoid leaving the cartridges out of the printer for more than 30 minutes as they can dry out and become unusable. Remove the paper tray assembly from the printer and set aside.

Cleaning
Using bottled or distilled water and a lint-free swab, clean the bottom of the print cartridges of all fibers and ink. Do not clean the Gold colored nozzle plate. Inspect the cartridges by holding up to the light at an angle while looking for fibers and debris.

On HP 600 series printers only; clean the underside of the cartridge carriage using a lint-free swab and bottled water. Ensure that no fibers remain. If smearing is still evident when the printer is tested repeat the cartridge and carriage cleaning steps.

Caution: Avoid touching the carriage rod (highlighted red in the diagram). The carriage rod should not be cleaned or lubricated except by qualified service personnel.

The encoder strip is a thin Mylar strip just above the carriage rod. Exercise care when cleaning the encoder strip as it is very fragile. Slide the carriage gently to the right. Moisten a small lint-free cloth with water and gently grasp the strip between the thumb and forefinger and drag the cloth in a right-to-left direction. Repeat with a clean damp cloth to ensure all debris is removed. Slide the carriage to the far left and repeat the procedure on the remaining portion of the strip, always cleaning from right-to-left. Using a lint-free swab and water clean the cartridge contacts, in the carriage assembly, of all ink and debris. Using a dry swab or cloth make sure the contacts are completely dry.

Only if the printer has problems picking up paper; clean the large feed tires and attached pivot assembly with a lint-free cloth dampened with water. Do not manually turn the feed tires as this may damage the printer. If you need additional directions see HP’s website for printer specific cleaning instructions.

The service station is located on the right side of the printer. You will need to reach behind the cover to clean it (a flashlight can be handy here). Using a lint-free swab and water, gently remove built-up ink and debris from the black rubber wipers and caps. A clean swab should be used for each cap to avoid contaminating the color cap with black ink. You should not expect to get this area spotless. Note: On 800 series printers you will not have access to all caps and wipers, If cleaning is needed it must be performed by a qualified technician.

On the left side of all 600 and 800 series printers is the clutch actuator. Located on the far left, under the carriage bar, it is a small piece of white or black plastic. Ensure that it is loose and free to move left-and-right about a quarter inch.

If the paper tray has a small cork pad, clean it with a cloth and water. Reinstall the print cartridges and the paper tray. Close the printer’s top cover. If desired, clean the exterior of the printer with a cloth slightly dampened with simple green cleaner (I like to dilute it about 3 to 1 with water).

Reinsert the power cord into the printer. Print a self-test page and check the output for streaking. If blank streaks are present run your printers cartridge cleaning procedure. If smearing is evident, repeat the cartridge and carriage underside cleaning steps of this procedure.

If you don’t feel comfortable performing this procedure, or if problems persist, bring your printer to Office Imaging for prompt, professional service.