951 ink cartridge 'drying' out

[Ed407]

I rarely use this printer, few pages a month if that, only get 50 or so pages per my 951 cartridge before printer shows empty.  I've seen posts where they say it doesn't dry out.  What's the deal? Does it or doesn't it dry out?  Can't clean heads--printer won't print with 'empty' cartridge.  Currently soaking tips of cartridges in warm water, as per the 'experts' online.  Options?

[ShlomiL]

Hi, It is not drying but being used for maintnance porpuses, this is typical for any IIC printers with 4 individual ink cartridges.

See below documentation about ink usage, mostly see the 'Some ink is used to service the print head and prevent clogging' section, and mainly the 'Time between print jobs impacts ink available for printing' section which describe it:

https://www8.hp.com/h71041/learn-about-supplies/us/en/howInkIsUsed.html

To print, you will need to replace any empty ink cartridges for your printer first.

Please consider that, if you rarely use the printer it may worth getting a lower end IPH printer instead, any printer with 2 ink cartridges (e.g. HP Officejet 5200, Officejet 3830), such printers uses much last ink for servicing purposes over time, and can be used with black ink only as example if the Tri-color cartridge is empty as an example, considering long term it may be much cheaper than replacing ink every few months without using the printer much.

Shlomi