5 Most Common Situations to Keep Printheads Clean. Avoiding printhead clogging not only ensures high-quality printing on substrates and T-shirts, meeting customer needs, but also keeps the DTF printer in a healthy printing state, reduces ink consumption, improves consumable efficiency, and thus reduces investment costs and brings more return on investment for printing enterprises. Therefore, understanding the basic information of printheads and knowing the best printhead cleaning solutions is very important.
- What is a printhead?
The printhead is a part of the printer that transfers ink onto a substrate through nozzles that can drip or eject, so as to print images onto materials. There are different types of printheads such as piezoelectric and thermal. The printhead is one of the most important parts in various digital printers. The quality and condition of the printhead directly affect printing performance, quality, and results. - Why are printheads so important for DTF printers?
DTF printers are used for direct-to-film printing, such as T-shirt printing. The core of a DTF printer is the printhead. The number of printheads and ink cartridges basically determines the printing quality. Printing precision, speed, color, and ink dot size all depend on the printhead. Therefore, the level of the printhead directly determines the level of the printer. Once the printhead malfunctions, it will directly affect the final printing effect. - What is printhead clogging? Why does the printhead clog?
Printhead clogging refers to the nozzles being blocked by air, dried ink, or dust, hindering the flow of ink from the ink cartridge or onto the printing material. The following picture clearly shows the printing difference between a clogged printhead and a good, unclogged printhead.
Printhead clogging causes ink droplets to break. As shown in the above printing result, after cleaning the printhead, the DTF printer should print a good result as shown in the “good” result.
There are four major reasons for printhead or nozzle clogging:
(1) Dried ink
(2) Impurities in ink (ink quality)
(3) Printhead maintenance issues
(4) Damage due to excessive use
Dried ink
If the printer is not used frequently for a long time or the ink cartridge is open to components, DTF printhead clogging may occur. Dried ink on the surface of the printhead may cause clogging and prevent ink from flowing through the nozzles.
Impurities in DTF ink (ink quality)
The quality of ink is very important. Inkjet printers need clean ink to flow through the printhead. Impurities or particles in the ink may clog the nozzles and cause clogging. This may occur if the ink cartridge is stored incorrectly or the printer uses poor-quality or expired ink (recommended high-quality DTF ink).
Printhead maintenance
Inkjet printers require daily maintenance to keep the printhead clean and free from clogging. If the printer is not cleaned regularly or the maintenance cycle is not run as instructed, ink may accumulate and cause clogging.
Damage to the printhead due to excessive use
Over time, the inkjet printer printhead may be damaged due to wear and tear or improper use of the printer. This may cause ink clogging or uneven ink flow, resulting in poor printing quality or even damage to the printer.
- Best practices: DTF printhead cleaning solutions
Since the printhead is crucial for the entire DTF printing process and the quality of the final result, there are many technical factors indicating its performance, such as viscosity, ink droplet volume, number of nozzles, etc. In addition, keeping the printhead clean is the last step in addition to the technical part.
This video provides a step-by-step guide to printhead cleaning solutions in some of the most common situations in direct-to-film (DTF) printing: new printheads, lack of ink in nozzle holes or air in nozzle holes, nozzle friction against film, removing the printhead and cleaning it, and cleaning the printhead while printing. - Cleaning a new printhead
Even if it is a new printhead, you still need to clean it so that you can obtain the true performance of the expensive part of the DTF printer. Here are the detailed steps for preparing, installing, and cleaning a new printhead:
(a) When a new printhead is available, wash the printhead with pure water until the bubbles on the surface of the printhead disappear.
(b) Verify the array head status: Apply pressure with a syringe and check the water level of the printhead. If there is no water, rinse with cleaning solution. (If cleaning solution is not used, the printhead is prone to ink breakage.)
(c) Suck out ink 3 times, wait for 5 seconds, and then perform automatic cleaning. 95% of the holes are cleaned in one round, and then automatic cleaning is performed 2 or 3 times. The printhead can basically continue.
(d) Manually suck out ink 3 times, wait for 5 seconds, and then perform automatic cleaning. 95% of the nozzle holes can be cleaned in this round of operation.
(e) Directly suck out ink with long suction time, and then perform automatic cleaning 3-5 times. If the cleaning situation is poor, soak the nozzle for 5-6 minutes and then repeat automatic cleaning. - Printhead cleaning: Lack of ink in nozzle holes, air in nozzle holes
If there are irregular nozzle holes causing ink breakage, manually suck out ink 2-3 times, wait for 1 minute, and then perform automatic cleaning. If there is still no ink in the same position, manually suck out ink 3 times and then wait for 5 minutes. Then it will perform automatic cleaning. If ink still does not come out, soak it in cleaning solution for 10 minutes. - Clean the printhead if the nozzle rubs against the film
(a) Remove the carriage, dip a non-woven fabric in cleaning solution and wipe the bottom of the nozzle in one direction. Remember not to wipe left and right to prevent ink and film hardener from entering the nozzle hole.
(b) Then put the carriage back in place and soak the nozzle in cleaning solution for 5-10 minutes.
(c) Suck out ink by hand 2-3 times to ensure that the blockage in the nozzle can be sucked out.
Then automatic cleaning will be performed, and click the test strip to confirm the status. - Remove the printhead and clean it
When the film friction is very serious and the above treatment does not work, you may need to remove the printhead from the DTF printer and clean it. When removing the printhead for cleaning, always remember to clean in reverse and do not rinse under the nozzle. Because there is a curing agent that can react quickly in the nozzle hole. If a chemical reaction occurs between the ink in the nozzle hole, it will dry and form lumps. If rinsed downward, the nozzle will be clogged more severely.
If you are worried about whether there is a curing agent on the nozzle surface when wiping the film, soak the nozzle in cleaning solution. The presence of hardener in the cleaning solution may cause secondary damage to the nozzle. The first wipe is to remove the hardener on the nozzle surface to the greatest extent.
After removing the printhead from the DTF printer, it may be more convenient to clean the printhead separately.
To safely remove the printhead from the DTF printer, consult your DTF manufacturer or refer to the user guide. - Clean the printhead during DTF printing
Sometimes the problem of printhead clogging occurs during the printing process. Fortunately, some new industrial manufacturers’ DTF printers can provide real-time solutions to the problem of nozzle friction during the printing process. No complicated process is required before continuing printing. This ideal printhead cleaning solution can save time and improve printing efficiency. The following video provides a good example of how the printhead can easily solve the friction problem when working. - The best way to clean printheads: Prevent clogging
The printhead clogging problem is one of the seven most common problems that may occur on DTF printers. Although the printhead is a consumable and has its own life cycle, there are some tips to help you avoid clogging problems on the DTF printer and keep the printhead working properly for as long as possible. It is strongly recommended to read Tips to Avoid Printhead Clogging.