ECLiPSE 2002 said:
I have a Canon Pixma iP3500 color injet printer and want to store it
for possible future use. I have had print head clogs with this printer
- particularly with black pigment ink and would expect that allowing
the printer to sit idle for months would be problematic.
Is there a way to "decommision" a printer or more specifically the
print head to avoid the dreaded clogging when the printer sits idle?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Mary
Hi,
If you were asking about Epson printers I would suggest that you get a
hold of empty cartridges for each color, fill each with cleaning fluid,
install the appropriate color chip and replace each color cartridge with
each one of the cleaning cartridges in the print head. Once that was
accomplished I'd run 3 or four cleaning cycles to remove any ink from the
printing head until the nozzle check pattern printed showed no color at all
being printed. That would show that the cleaning fluid had replaced the ink.
With a Canon I'd suggest the same thing, but I am not certain where you
would get cleaning cartridges. Inksupply.com does have empty cartridges for
your printer, but I am not certrain about getting chips for them, and even
what combination of cleaming fluid. If it were an Epson I'd mix a
combination of isopropyl alcohol (90%) to ammonia (10%). I'd bet it's
similar for the Canon, but again don't want to lead you astray. What I would
suggest is that you inquire, either by email or calling the folks at
Inksupply. I have purchased from them regularly for over 6 years and found
them reliable and very helpful.
Pixma IP3500 empty cartridges (at bottom of page)
http://www.inksupply.com/inkjet_cartridges.cfm?search_getmodel=944