These days most printers have the print head built into the printer instead of the cartridge. Print heads can get clogged if the printer has not been used in awhile or a print cartridge has been run or stored empty. Clogs in print heads can cause problems with the print job quality. This article will tell you how to clean print heads. To prevent dried print heads please print at least every 1-2 weeks. It is often cheaper to replace the printer than to replace a print head. Please do not try to print with an empty cartridge, as this is likely to damage your print heads.
Easy Print Head Cleaning For The Brother Inkjet You Bought From Ink and Toner Planet
Press Menu on the control panel located on the front of your printer.
Select Ink and press OK
Select Cleaning and press OK
Choose Black, Color or All
Print a test page and check results. Repeat cleaning if needed.
Self Cleaning for Windows Users
Open the control panel and select Printers
Choose the printer to be cleaned and right click. Select Properties in the drop-down menu.
Choose the tab for cleaning. Depending on your printer it could be listed under different names such as services, cleaning or maintenance.
Select the nozzles that should be cleaned, if applicable to your printer, and run the printer’s cleaning program.
Print a test page and check results. Repeat cleaning if necessary.
Self Clean Program for MAC Users
Click on System Preferences and select Open Print and Fax
Choose the printer that needs to be cleaned and open Print Queue
Click the utility icon for the applicable printer and select Maintenance. Select Cleaning from the pop-up menu and click OK. You might have to choose the tank you want to have cleaned.
Run the head cleaning program and print out a test page. Repeat cleaning if needed.
Manual Cleaning
Check your printer’s owner manual for the location of your print head. Refer to the directions below if the head is in the printer and not part of the individual ink cartridges.
Remove the ink cartridges and dab clean, hot water or isopropyl alcohol onto a cotton swab.
Run the swab against the print head to loosen dried ink. You can also use a dropper to drop 7-10 drops of the isopropyl alcohol into the ink receptacle if your print head is deep in the printer.
Run the printer’s own cleaning program twice, then let the printer sit overnight.
Repeat the self-cleaning utility the following day.
Print Head Built Into Cartridge
Soak ink cartridge in a bowl of clean, hot water overnight.
Remove the cartridge from the water and dry it thoroughly with a paper towel. Put it back into the printer and run the cleaning program twice.
If the quality isn’t fixed place the ink cartridge into a bowl of isopropyl alcohol and let it soak overnight.
Remove the cartridge and wipe it off with a damp towel before drying it.
Run the self-cleaning program again. If it still doesn’t work you need a new cartridge.
