Cleaning the printer

inkjet printer cartridge Care and maintenance needs any technique, and the one that uses the colorants - especially. Printers need to be cleaned at least once a month, and sometimes more often. Cleaning the printer is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Any owner can cope with this. We will now tell you how this is done.

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Types of

printers Printing devices that are used at home and in the office are of three types:

• matrix;
• inkjet;
• laser.

Matrix

Matrix printers appeared before others. They printed slowly and noisily, the image on paper was obtained from individual points.

The head consisted of separate needles, and during washing it was necessary to manually process every trifle.

Important! Such printers have practically come out of use, they have been replaced by more sophisticated devices - inkjet and laser.

Inkjet

Inkjet printer is similar to a matrix printer, the image is also created from dots, but instead of needles a matrix is ​​used that prints with liquid ink. This device prints quite slowly( although faster than its predecessor), but very high quality. The bottles are also not the same, accordingly - the cleaning of the printer will be somewhat different, although in general the algorithm is uniform.

They use different technologies:

• continuous ink supply;
• feed on demand;
• is piezoelectric;
• thermal.

The differences here are as follows:

• In the first case, the dye on paper is fed continuously and under pressure, the flow is broken at the output.
• Filing on demand is the most common technology. Ink feeds only during printing.
• With a piezoelectric method, a piezoelectric crystal with a diaphragm is located above the nozzle.
• When a current is applied, the crystal flexes, tightens the diaphragm - the result is a drop that is pushed onto the sheet.
• Finally, with a thermal method in the nozzle is a mini-TEN.Under the action of the current, it immediately heats up to a very high temperature( 500 ° C), as a result of which bubbles form in the ink, which pushes the drops onto the sheet.

Important! The main drawback of inkjets is that prints are afraid of water, which must be taken into account when cleaning this type of printer is planned.

Laser

The laser printer is the fastest. Many printers give quite a high quality print. Such a printer is in many respects akin to a copier. Printing occurs due to photoexposure: the laser beam illuminates the photosensitive elements. How is cleaning the cartridge laser printer, look at the text below.

As for the ways of ink transfer, there are three of them:

• two-component;
• two-component mixed;
• one-component.

Important! In a two-component system of dust particles of toner, which must fall on paper, adhere to the particles of the developer - a special magnetic powder. This happens in the development unit. Particles of the developer get a charge by rubbing against each other. In a two-component mixed system, the toner and the developer are already mixed. With a single-component feed, dyes are used, the dust particles of which already have magnetic properties.

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When should I clean the printer?

Wipe the cabinet regularly so that dust does not accumulate on it. As for the cartridges, then:

• In inkjet printers, they are cleaned if the ink is withered.
• The laser printer should be serviced at least once a month, and if you have to print a lot, then more often. It depends on the model of the device.

Important! Incomprehensible cleaning of the printer often leads to breakdowns. So, if you are not very sure that you have figured out how it's done - better contact the service center. Unfortunately, not all manufacturers complete their products with understandable instructions, in which the whole procedure would be painted down.

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General safety precautions

Before proceeding with maintenance of the laser printer, remember what to do absolutely:

• is used for cleaning internal cavities and external components of chemical and organic solvents;
• apply acid;
• intensively use liquid detergents;
• unscrew parts screwed with screws;
• to service the device included in the network, as well as not having had time to cool down;
• expose the printer to mechanical influences, such as shocks and vibrations;
• is printed immediately after cleaning.

Important! Before cleaning, leave the device at rest for about twenty minutes to cool down. Wait about an hour after cleaning, then start printing.

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Clean the case

The case of the device must be kept clean. In order to put it in order, you will need a wet napkin. It is better to buy special napkins for printers, but if they are not at hand, you can use the usual hygienic:

1. Wipe the case.
2. Process the paper tray.
3. Clean the controls.
4. Clean the output tray.
5. Wipe all surfaces with a dry cloth.

Important! If there are no napkins, you can clean the body with a damp cloth, but such that it does not leave any villi. Very suitable microfiber.

How to remove stains?

If there are spots on the surface that you can not simply erase, you will have to use a detergent. Suitable liquid or gel for household appliances. The cloth should be slightly moistened with a cleaner, rub the stain until it disappears, and then wipe with a napkin.

Important! Do not use abrasives!

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Cleaning the Laser Printer Cartridge

The cartridge is the most important part, and at the same time, the most vulnerable. This part of the printer naturally needs cleaning most of all. You can put the cartridge in order in several ways:

• using special programs;
• with special fluids.

Software cleaning

When you bought a new printer, you probably noticed that a disc is attached to it. It contains manual, instructions, drivers, as well as an installation program. Here it is you now and need:

1. Run the program on the computer.
2. Find the "Toolbar" tab in the menu.
3. Locate the "Clean Cartridges" tab.
4. Then the device will do everything without you.

Cleaning with liquids

Even if you follow your device and regularly clean the laser printer cartridges programmatically, there comes a time when they are best washed. You need:

• plastic container with flat bottom;
• fabric that absorbs water well;
• kit for cleaning the printer.

Important! Capacity can be taken any, which then can be safely thrown away - a single plate, for example, or a one-time container for food. As a rag, an ordinary bandage is suitable. As for the cleaning kit, it can be bought at any computer store. They are of two types:

• standard;
• are aggressive.

If the heads are relatively clean, a standard kit will fit, if very dirty - aggressive.

Cleaning of the laser printer cartridge is carried out with these tools in this way:

1. Pour the liquid cleaner into the container.
2. Wet a rag with plain water.
3. Wipe the bottom of the head.
4. Wet the other flap with service fluid.
5. Wipe the entire head around the nozzle outline.
6. Use a dry gauze to remove the ink seal.
7. Wash it with running water.
8. Place the gasket in place.

Important! Try not to touch the nozzle with a rag - the printheads on the head. The nozzles should not get contaminated liquid.

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Clean the inside of the head and the nozzle

Clear the outer part - it's not even half the case. The most important thing for you is yet to come. Let's start cleaning the inside of the head:

1. Place a gauze layered under the head.
2. Preheat the service liquid to approximately 55 ° C.
3. Take the syringe from the kit and fill it with liquid.
4. Apply a few drops to the fittings.
5. Continue to rinse, while on the gauze there are traces of ink( gauze should be periodically changed).
6. When the traces on the gauze cease to appear, the rinsing will end.

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Cleaning the Printer Drum

A drum unit, a photoreceptor or simply a drum, is the bulk of the cartridge. If, God forbid, scratches or streaks appear on its surface - with a dream of quality printing, you will have to say goodbye. Before you begin to tidy up this important detail, which is not without reason called the "heart" of the cartridge, you need to understand how it works.

The drum is a roller with a selenium coating. Usually it is blue or light green in color. The principle of its operation looks something like this:

1. An image is projected onto the selenium cover.
2. The toner gets into the affected area.
3. The drum transfers toner to paper.
4. The toner melts and sticks.

Important! On one photoconductor can print up to 12 thousand pages - this is a fairly solid resource. However, quite often the roller breaks down much earlier. The service life is affected by:

• type of toner;
• type and quality of paper;
• humidity;
• compliance with the temperature in the room.

If the printer is new, do not clean the drum. This will make for you a special device - squeegee. This blade, which eventually wears off and stops removing ink.

Of course, foreign objects should not get into the drum - most often there are staples. The roller should be periodically cleaned, and if there are dots and dashes on paper, the process must be carried out immediately. Put this element in order and immediately after the cartridge is refilled.

Important! Use ink of the same company as the drum unit.

Begin cleaning

The drum is only handled manually - there is no software method:

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Open the front cover( there is a special button on the case).
3. Lower the lock that is on the left.
4. Remove the cartridge.
5. Slide the curtain.
6. Take the drum by the ends.
7. Carefully turn without touching the selenium surface.
8. Place the roller on a blank sheet of paper.
9. Clean the surface with a lint-free pad or a damp cloth.
10. If you use a napkin - wipe the part dry.
11. Put the drum in place by pressing it until it clicks.

Important! Do not clean the drum unit under bright light - this can seriously damage the photocells. And do not use detergents containing alcohol or ammonia.

Daily maintenance of the

The printer does not only need a general cleaning. It should be serviced constantly:

1. Once a week, wipe the body with a damp cloth, especially if there is a lot of dust in the room.
2. Periodically clean the print cartridges programmatically.

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Clean the inside of the printer

Prepare to start with everything you need. It is very important to ensure that there is no nap on the material that you are wiping the details of.

You will need:

• special tampons for printer;
• large format paper( you can take newspapers);
• respirator;
• latex gloves;
• special wipes;
• vacuum cleaner;
• soft brush;
• isopropyl alcohol.

Important! Tampons can be taken and ordinary lint-free, but special ones are more convenient, because the holders are longer.

Safety precautions

Cleaning is a messy process when particles of different substances appear in the air that a person inhales. The risk of getting such particles into the lungs should be reduced:

1. Remove the rest of the paper.
2. Turn off the printer and allow it to cool.
3. Close the doors and windows in the room so that there is no air circulation.
4. If you are using an air conditioner or a fan, turn off the appliances.
5. Wear a respirator and gloves.

Sequence of actions

Work should be carried out on a flat surface. If you do this on the table, it is better to close it with something - newspapers, pieces of wallpaper, etc.

Then the algorithm for cleaning the printer is as follows:

1. Place the device on the newspaper.
2. Open the printer and remove the cartridge.
3. Begin stretching the cleaning cloth.
4. Clean the cartridge.
5. Put it on a clean rag.
6. Clean the inside of the printer with a vacuum cleaner or wipe it with a tampon moistened with isopropyl alcohol.
7. With a soft brush, clean all loose parts.
8. After all is cleaned, replace the cartridge.
9. Close the cover.
10. Connect the printer.
11. After a while, run a test print.

Important! The vacuum cleaner should be powerful, keep the nozzle at a distance so that it collects the toner particles well, but does not touch the fragments of the printer. But it is better to use a toner vacuum.

You can just wipe the

If you are afraid to use a vacuum cleaner, clean the inside of the printer with cotton swabs moistened with isopropyl alcohol. This is a sparing, albeit more labor-intensive option. But there is a guarantee that you will not damage the numerous fragile wiring, which is directly packed with your unit.

Important! The swab should be done carefully, without any pressure.

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Clean the ink cartridge of the

inkjet cartridge. The ink jet cartridge is usually cleaned when the printer has been idle for a long time. Sometimes you have to buy a new one, and some models can not clean the cartridges at all. But in most cases, it makes sense to try.

Make sure that there is no dirt or ink on the electrical contacts. Prepare the necessary materials and tools:

• wiper "Master shine";
• distilled water;
• vise;
• pliers;
• wipes.

The cartridge must be stationary during operation. Therefore, the cleaning should be done in this order:

1. Secure the print head in a vice.
2. Remove the cover using a pair of pliers.
3. Dilute the wiper with water in a 1: 1 ratio.
4. Fill the cartridge.
5. Drain the liquid.
6. Wash the cartridge with hot water.
7. Repeat rinsing until the water becomes clear.
8. Blow the case.
9. Wash the cartridge with distilled water.
10. Once again blow.
11. Put the sponge.
12. Refill the cartridge.
13. Remove excess toner with a syringe.
14. Close and secure the cover.

The most important preventative measure is not to let the printer be lazy. It should work constantly, thus it is necessary to use ink of all colors. Then cleaning the printer will be easier for you.