What could be the cause of an Ink blob/puddle inside printer

[JD-Web_24]

The hole seen in the pile of ink is from a Que-tip.

[Bob_Headrick · Accepted solution]

 This is normal, the ink you see is the ink used in servicing to keep the printhead from clogging.  

There are a few things you can do to minimize the amount of ink used for servicing:

• Always keep the printer plugged into a live outlet.  If an outlet switch or some other external switch is used to turn off the power more ink will be used at startup.box 
• Do not run manual cleaning cycles from the front panel or computer toolbox unless necessary.  It is rarely necessary, and such cleaning cycles will use more ink.

 The document here describes how ink is used.  

[JD-Web_24]

Thanks for your explanation, it makes sense seeing that it gets moved around quite often. My work requires printing away from home so I box it up in its original box and take it with.  This may cause me to do more maintenance cleanings, but then again it is 3+ years old.

 Any advice on moving it around as often as I do?

[Bob_Headrick]

There are a few things I would suggest:

• Always turn the printer off first from its power switch and wait for the printhead to "park" before you unplug the printer.  This will reduce the need for manual cleaning cycles.
• When transporting the printer always keep it upright.  I have forgotten this, I spilled some waste ink on my carpet by carrying a printer under my arm into the house.

I normally would suggest that folks do not clean the service station area, doing so can cause more harm than good for the average user.  If you are going to need to ship the printer commercially in a manner that could result in it being turned upside down or on its back you might first use some paper towels to soak up the liquid portion of the excess ink.  Be careful, this can be a messy process.