Best way to clean a printhead

[Martini]

I'm getting slight banding on hp z3100 on uniform black background so I printed test image and it looks like slightly clogged matte black/red printhead. I took it out and washed gently with a paper hand towel - looks better although not perfect yet - should I repeat it the same way or is there a magic way of dealing with the problem? (printhead is not old and it takes at least 2 days to have a new delivered so I'd rather deal with it at home)
Many thanks

[feppe]

Best way to clean a printhead.

[Ernst Dinkla]

I'm getting slight banding on hp z3100 on uniform black background so I printed test image and it looks like slightly clogged matte black/red printhead. I took it out and washed gently with a paper hand towel - looks better although not perfect yet - should I repeat it the same way or is there a magic way of dealing with the problem? (printhead is not old and it takes at least 2 days to have a new delivered so I'd rather deal with it at home)
Many thanks

If too many nozzles's are clogged there should be a warning that the head is no longer usable  etc. If the symptoms you describe happen without that warning then it may have another cause than clogged nozzles. Be careful with the electric contacts in the the head slot and the head. Make sure they are clean and dry. It could be the PK head or next grey head too depending on the media preset you use.

After you cleaned the head there's normally a head realignment done. That done too?

Best way is using the same foam pad that came with the head. I kept them wrapped in an air tight plastic bag..
I guess the fluid used will be an ethylene, propylene glycol or alike. Think anti-freeze.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[Damir]

I use very simple technique, so far never failed - take a paper towel, dump it with destilled water then just put the head on it to rest on dumped area for half a minute. I never use any sort of presure just the weight of head itself. After half a minute remove head, you will se the ink spread on paper towel. Than put the head for one more round on another clean part of towel (also water dumped). Then on dry area, for a few seconds. That usualy do the job.

You can actualy see difference, usually on first place where head rests there are empty areas without ink, on last paper it should be uniformly inked, if it is not try one more cycle of cleaning. I cleaned several heads this way, and they work perfectly. I have Z3100, 8850 and 9180 - all the same heads. Had problem with matte black on Z, and other heads on smaler printers.

[artobest]

Best way to clean a printhead.

How mean.

[feppe]

How mean.

No, it was quite appropriate and informative - I've actually done exactly this search to clean my printer's head and followed the instructions in the first links successfully.

Now, this would have been mean