A print test file that exercises all the colors/nozzles?

[Johnny_Boy]

I have a ipf8300. My business is going into a winter hibernation :-), so I won't be using the printer a lot. I would like to send a job to my printer once a week to ensure all the nozzles are firing and uses up some ink. What is the best way to do this? Is there a file that I can create in photoshop?

I tried to use the print nozzle pattern, but it wastes a lot of paper and very little ink. I want it to print a bit more ink over smaller amount of paper (use 2 inches of height of 36" wide roll).
 

[aduke]

I found one at inksupply.com for Epson 6-color printers and modified it for my 4880. They created it as a purge image for their Continuous Flow Systems. Search the Internet for "printer purge pattern" and see what shows up.

 It took a little work to get all colors to file, but the Epson job statistics helped to verify that they were all used.

Alan

[PeterAit]

There's a program called Harvey Head Cleaner that's designed for this.

[Landscapes]

I am using the iPF6100, which is of course different in software, but I have just been printing out a nozzle check.  I am intrigued by these threads where people want to get an image to print and ensure that all inks are being used when doing a nozzle check fulfills this exactly.  It might only use up a minute amount of ink, but at least its getting pushed through the nozzles.  I also find that if I wait 3 days or more, then the printer will first do a cleaning cycle which is unfortunately wasting ink.  So before 3 days are up, I either print an image or do a nozzle check and I"ve had no problems at all.  When I miss this 2 or 3 day window, the printer will do that cleaning cycle first before a print or nozzle check, and I just cringe at all the ink going down the drain.  My fear is that if you will be printing this image only once a week, then the printer will still be doing routine cleaning cycles and waste even more ink than if you just make sure to print out a nozzle check every couple of days.