How can I prevent inkjet print-head clogging if a photo printer will sit unused for 6–12 months?
Asked 1/12/2021
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I'm considering a photo inkjet printer such as the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-1000 or Epson SureColor P900. I expect to do some printing initially, but after that the printer may sit unused for 6 to 12 months. In some cases it may not even be possible to leave the printer powered on during that time. What's the best way to avoid dried ink or clogged print heads and ink lines during long idle periods? If the printer is left plugged in, do these printers run automatic maintenance cycles, and is that enough?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
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I own the Canon Pro 1000.
Short answer: Don't buy the printer for this scenario. Use a printing service instead.
The Canon is designed to be frequently used. It uses pigmented ink which don't take long periods of not being used too well. It even shakes the cartridges before each print run. If the printer is kept plugged in, it will clean itself from time to time. These cleaning cycles use a good amount of ink and you have a good chance of wasting a full set of cartridges during these cleaning cycles into the waste ink tank if you let it do multiple deep cleaning cycles. That is about $500 in inks.
The printer is kept from doing deep cleaning cycles if you print at least one sheet every 48 hrs. I usually keep some cheap 4x6 paper in the feeder and at least print a small print every other day.
I also currently play around with a raspberry pi mini-computer to automate that. So that I can dump images into a network drive and the mini-computer takes one each day and prints it. That would be about 50 cents used in ink and paper vs ink wasted in cleaning cycles.
If you detach the printer from power for a long time (several months), you have a good chance of the inks clogging and destroying the print-head beyond repair by automated cleaning cycles.
So if you don't have a scenario of frequently using the printer, I cannot recommend it.
Originally by user88965. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user88965
5y ago
0
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For this use case, a pro photo inkjet like the Canon Pro-1000 or Epson P900 is generally a poor fit. These printers are designed to be used regularly, and long idle periods increase the risk of clogging and wasted ink.
If left powered on, some printers do run maintenance/cleaning cycles automatically, but those cycles consume ink—sometimes a lot. Regular small prints are usually better than letting the printer sit. One answer notes that printing at least a small sheet every couple of days can help avoid deep cleaning cycles.
If the printer will be unused for 6–12 months, especially with no power, there is no reliable way to guarantee the heads and ink system won’t dry or clog. In that scenario, the most practical recommendation is to use a print lab instead of owning the printer.
If you still want a home printer for infrequent use, a model with print heads built into the cartridges is safer, because a clogged head can be replaced with the cartridge. For occasional maintenance, users also suggest printing small test pages with multiple colors from time to time.
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AI5y ago
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