Printheads clog Why?

[orfajackson]

Hello guys.
I have an HP 1200 Business Inkjet printer. I am printing out my own artwork - colorful covers - the fronts of my home DVDs. I am doing it on HP glossy paper.

The printheads seem to be clogging up quickly. Why is this? Is it because it is glossy paper? Are Inkjet printers only supposed to use mattt finish paper? Is gloss paper for laserjet printers? I have replaced the yellow and red printheads twice this month - very expensive at $35 each.

Yhank you.

little orfa

[guns1inger]

Using non-branded inks and ink refills can lead to clogging, as can very dusty environments. Using glossy paper should not lead to clogging, but again, it may depend on the brand and type. Get glossy paper that is specifically for inkjet printing - it will say this on the packaging.

[johns0]

If you dont print anything for a week or more then the inks can dry up causing clogs,I switched to a laser printer cause of that reason.

[redwudz]

If it's hot and dry where your printer sits, then the cartridge print heads may clog fairly often. You can put them in a shallow bowl of warm water with a drop of dish soap to soak for a few hours to soften up the clogs and then try a cleaning cycle and see if that makes them last a little longer.

If you have a HP photo printer with the small 02 cartridges, it's usually cheaper to buy the whole set than just a few at a time.

[TimA-C]

If you use generic inks then use generic paper otherwise the inks may not be chemically compatible with the coating on the branded paper. Also, make sure that you've got the paper settings correct for the type of paper that you're using. It's probably not a bad idea to occasionally clean the insides of the printer with a can of compressed air to blow out some of the paper dust that can contribute to blocked nozzles.

[orfajackson]

This is all good advice. Thank you, guys.



Does a Laser printer have nozzles to clog up?

What problems do Laser printers have ?

Are Laserprinters able to render colors with the clarity and brillancy of an Ink jet printer?

All the high volume printers (Business Printers and Commercial Printers) seem to be Laser Printers and not Ink jet printers. Is this true? Why is that?


Little orfa

[johns0]

Laser printers have toners,nothing to clog and give just as good pictures depending on the brand.

[orsetto]

Its damned if you do, damned if you don't: inkjets are capable of way better photo prints than laser, but they burn thru ink and clog like a sumbitch. Lasers never clog, they can sit unused for months and go right back to work without having to "clean the heads", but they cost a lot more initially and some replaceable parts like the drum can cost as much as an entire midrange inkjet.

It depends what your priorities are: the HP 1200 is a five year old "business class" inkjet. When HP labels something "business class", what they really mean is "don't use it for photos: we won't promise great quality, this model is for churning out business docs with spot color". If that's what you mostly need a color printer for, documents with text and some color highlights or borders or illustrations, you will be delighted with a color laser. Get a Brother or Koni-Minolta and don't look back. For CD or DVD covers, I think color lasers kick ass and are so much easier than inkjet.

Photos are another story and more complicated. Color lasers are not fond of gloss paper, they prefer plainer surfaces. The laser printing process itself leaves a semi-gloss finish, but its uneven and not very photo-like. The color and sharpness are fine if the photos are used as part of a document, or small prints are made for casual viewing, but if your goal is to make an 8x10 to hang on the wall forget it. Good high-gloss photo prints are the special trick of inkjets and really the only reason anyone tolerates all the bullsh*t of constant clogs and overpriced ink that yields 30 pages for $30. A lot depends on your skill as a user, though: getting really stunning high-gloss inkjet prints that blow laser into the weeds takes a bit of work. Your average inkjet is not going to produce killer output automatically. You should just duck into the nearest Staples or OfficeMax and print the demo page on a few color lasers, to get a feel for what laser photos look like. If it seems good enough for your needs, you're all set. If not, consider getting a laser for the bulk of your documents and an inkjet for the occasional important photo. For that matter, you can have digital photos printed at a store instead and avoid the aggravation and supply costs of inkjet altogether (unless you truly need "on demand" gloss photos).

[johns0]

I print glossy photo quality laser prints,enuff said.

[GKar]

oops

[hech54]

I don't print much. My printer(HP) clogs from lack of use.