imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 clogged head

[dkoretz]

The MBK part of my head is clogged. My bad: I make sure to print from time to time to prevent this, but it didn't occur to me to print in matte paper from time to time to protect against clogs.

Two regular cleanings didn't work. I just did a deep cleaning, and it STARTED to work--about 25% of the test pattern for MBK now prints. the rest remains blank.

Is there any harm in doing multiple deep cleanings? I vaguely recall reading a warning years ago, but I can't find it.

The alternative is a new head, which along with the ink wasted in a head replacement costs nearly as much as the printer.

Thanks

[jrsforums]

As I mentioned earlier, Qimage Ultimate prints out a full (or 1/2) page of what it calls a ‘purge sheet’.  I have mine set up to print a 1/2 page of all colors, plus photo black, and a 1/2 page of just matte black.  This is scheduled automatically every 4 days at 2:00AM.

YT video: https://youtu.be/ZHqneKbQtmI?si=4HgLprokM_Q02lU0

example of purge sheet:

[dkoretz]

@jrsforums: it seems to me that one can accomplish the same thing by printing a nozzle check from time to time. I don't print with Qimage. Doesn't Qimage require that the computer be left on to do this? I don't leave my computer equipment running when I'm not using it to lessen my carbon footprint. Leaving an 87W macbook running 24/7 uses as much electricity in a month as my EV uses to drive about 230 miles.

My takeaway from this is that when I am not printing for real, I'll print a nozzle check once a week or so,

[jrsforums]

Your assumption is correct.  Environmentally, I praise you.  Cost wise, your multiple cleanings probably cost more in ink than the electricity use.  While my computers do other things during the day (and night) justifying keeping them on, my experience in the computer industry…and as a user…have shown me that electronics does better when consistently on, than subject to on/off.

[microprint314]

A system cleaning also worked for me yesterday after having the same types of symptoms.  Afterward I was out of ink and needed to spend $650 but besides that, woo hoo!

[gwoj]

How do you do a system cleaning. I have an IPF700 and I can't find any info on a deep clean.  Thank you

[dkoretz]

Deep cleaning and system cleaning are different. System cleaning is more extreme and uses more ink. I don't k now your printer, but if your printer has these, it should be in the manual, which you can find online.

Again, your printer may be different from mine, but on my Pro 1000, you can access both of these both through the on-printer menu and from the maintenance tab of the printer properties dialog. the latter is better because you can specify which inks to clear.

[dkoretz]

@microprint: I think the problem is that printing doesn't necessarily use both inks. I was fine printing every few weeks, EXCEPT for MBK. I think the problem is that in practice, I hadn't used MBK for months, even though I had printed more frequently, so MBK eventually clogged.

I hope the system cleaning works for you. In addition to getting a clean nozzle check, I have done some matte printing since I did the system cleaning, and it's been flawless.