Prevent ink drying out

[RO-Vancouver]

We recently bought a T120 for occasional use, about 3 to 6 times per month, printing about 8 to 20 black & white pages sized 24" x 36" each time. We keep the power turned off when not in use. Will ink cartridges dry out due to our infrequent use? Does turning the power on for a few minutes cycle the ink cartridges and keep them from drying out?

[Mikeg81 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

The ink on the ink cartridges will not dry out.

But, since you keep the printer off you will have problems with the printhead

When the printer is not in use it will go to sleep mode, wake up from time to time to do maintenance to the printhead and then will go back to sleep.

If this maintenance is not done, the nozzles on the printhead will dry out.

You can do a printhead cleaning for that, but eventually they will get to a state were they could not be recover and you will need to replace the printhead.

[RO-Vancouver]

Thanks for your input. Would it be OK to set the Auto Off function at 2 hours? Would that allow the printer to wake up when required to do printhead maintenance?

[Mikeg81]

hi,

If the printer is off, it cannot turn on by it-self. You will need to do it manually

If the printer is on, it will go to sleep, wake up for maintenance and back to sleep.

[RO-Vancouver]

Sorry to ask about this again, but does turning the printer off and on cause it to run a cleaning and prep cycle that will keep the ink from drying out?

Thanks,

Robert

[Mikeg81]

Hi,

The printer will check if the ink cartridges and printheads are install

Will do a quick wipe

But will not check the nozzels as it will do on a cleaning.

[RO-Vancouver]

Thanks Mike. So if I turn the printer on twice a month, print out a small test page in colour, then turn it off for 2 weeks it should be OK and avoid having to do a cleaning cycle?

[Mikeg81]

That could worn out the printhead. Again. The best is to keep it on and allow it to do it maintenance.

[RO-Vancouver]

OK, thanks for your help and advice.