Inkjet Cartridge FAQ:
PrinTip: Getting the Most from Your Inkjet Cartridges
Having issues with your inkjet cartridges? Need a little guidance on properly handling and managing them? We've composed a short FAQ that should help you address common cartridge issues. As a bonus, read on and you'll find links to great deals from Databazaar on the products you need to help your printer perform at its best. Good luck and happy printing.
How should I store and handle my inkjet cartridges?
First, make sure to store your cartridges in an upright position. Second, keep them at room temperature. Finally, never touch the nozzles, which you'll find under the protective tape on a new cartridge. The ink comes out through these nozzles and improper handling could cause blockage.
How do I know how many pages my inkjet cartridge can print?
Check the specs on your printer. You should see something that says "X pages, Y%." X represents the number of normal quality pages you can print with one ink cartridge. The number Y tells you what percent of the blank page your text will cover. For example, if the spec says "2,000 pages, 5%," that means one cartridge will yield 2,000 average quality pages with text that covers 5% of the page. These figures will vary depending on factors such as font size and the image quality you typically choose.
How can I conserve ink when I print?
You can save ink every time you print if you select draft, quick print, or economy mode. While you may not get the darkest, sharpest text or image, you'll reduce your ink replacement costs. Remember that many printers have "high quality" as the default setting, so don't forget to downgrade a little before you print. At the same time, make sure you can still read your printouts without straining your eyes.
My computer just told me I'm running low on ink. What should I do?
If you had a laser printer, you could coax more pages out of your cartridge, but this trick doesn't work with inkjet printers. Time to buy new cartridges. At Databazaar and presumably other online stores, you can shop for a new cartridge by either searching for the model number of your printer or the cartridge itself. You can also drill down by clicking on the maker of your printer and then on your printer model in the list of corresponding printers.
This means you should buy a new cartridge. Let's say you have a Canon PIXMA MP830 inkjet and you ran out of black ink. A search for either MP830 or CLI8 (the inkjet cartridge model number) brings you to the same page where you can buy the colors you need.
My printouts have one or more of the following properties: light, faded, or hazy/fuzzy edges. What's wrong and what should I do?
A few possible explanations:
1. You may need to buy inkjet paper. This special paper has a wax-like coating that maximizes resolution by holding the ink in place. Less bleeding leads to sharper images and text.
2. Your ink is low. See question 4.
3. You may have low resolution settings. Check printer properties on your computer and adjust the resolution. If this doesn't work, you may simply need to print a higher resolution image. Photograph or scan it again or touch it up with editing software.
I'm getting blank lines across my printed pages. What's wrong?
Two possible explanations:
1. You may have too much old ink from previous cartridges in the system. Try purging the printer (consult the manual or check online for instructions). This procedure basically takes the old ink and uses it to print test pages until you have "purged" the residues from your machine.
2. You may have a blocked or defective nozzle. Try cleaning it, but don't manually clean the cartridge yourself. The printer should have its own internal cleaning system that you can activate from your computer (check your manual or search online for instructions). If this doesn't work, you may need a new cartridge.
About Print Tips
Sometimes useful, sometimes fun, and always interesting, PrinTips enable you to get more out of your ink jet or laser printer. That said, we don't profess to have a monopoly on printer tips so if you have anything to add, please do so below.
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