Why Do Printer Cartridges Dry Out?

Last Updated on June 16, 2020 by Christian Ralph

If you’re a first-time printer owner, it’s important to get to grips with all the supplies you require.

Printer cartridges will be one of the first things on your list, but It’s important to recognise which cartridges are compatible with your printer first.

The ink in your cartridge is what you’ll end up seeing on your printer paper after a successful printing job, but it’s important to treat these components with care or they won’t last for long.

Why do printer cartridges dry out?

When you urgently require the use of your printer but the ink cartridge has dried up for an unforeseen reason, it can be extremely frustrating.

There can be a vast number of reasons for why your ink cartridges are failing on you at the crucial times you need them, but some of these issues are more prominent than others.

If you’re concerned that your cartridges keeping drying out earlier than expected, see if you’re at fault of one of these cartridge mishaps.

Stored at the wrong temperature

One of the most common reasons for ink cartridges drying out unexpectedly is that they are either stored in extremely high or low temperature environments.

Temperature can play a huge part in your printer’s efficiency, so by keeping your cartridges at room temperature, you’re going to ensure that your ink doesn’t dry out for this reason.

For offices, especially during the summer and winter months, despite how hot or cold the office environment can become, make sure that you don’t crank the heater or air conditioning up too high to ensure that your printer resources don’t go to waste.

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Not being used often enough

A printer cartridge is not a cheap purchase, so when making a buying decision, you should consider how often you use your printer before acquiring the best cartridges on the market.

The reason for this is that cartridges can dry up and become clogged due to insufficient usage, and if one of your office printers is being used sparingly, then the cartridge can be completely dry within a matter of months.

To guarantee that this issue doesn’t happen to you, print off a few documents each week to make sure it’s getting the usage it requires.

Users choose the refillable option

Refilling a printer cartridge is not an easy task, and more often enough it requires a professional touch.

Yes, it may be the cheaper option, but it leads users to be very wasteful with their ink. When this task isn’t conducted correctly, air can creep into the cartridge and dry out the ink and clog the nozzle heads.

We recommend that you shouldn’t use refillable options at all, as it’s both tricky and risky.

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Filthy cartridge heads

To allow your printer to work efficiently, their print heads need regular cleaning.

Without regular cleaning, these print heads can result in unclear and streaky printing as your ink dries up at the head of the cartridge.

For some lucky printer users, their device will have automatic head cleaning utilities built into them, but for those with an older model, they’re required to clean their print heads manually.

Cleaning your cartridge heads is very straight forward. Firstly, you need to wipe the cartridge gently with a soft cloth to ensure that it does no damage to it, before cleaning the nozzle by using your vacuum hose on it for no more than a few seconds. Once that is done, wipe off any residue with a new soft cloth.

To avoid getting your hands dirty, wear protective gloves when dealing with dried ink.

When you get your hands on a new, high quality cartridge, avoid these common printing mishaps so you can fully benefit from its longevity.

However, if you’re still having issues with your printer cartridges, or your printing device in general, get in touch with one of our helpful team today so you can enjoy top quality, efficient printing.