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Unpacking and preparing CW San Diego ink cartridges for use
Posted in: Tips & Tricks, blog by CW on 9 August 2010
This tutorial covers a topic about which we receive at least one phone call a week.
Our ink cartridges are packaged to prevent damage to the print head and to prevent the print head from drying out from contact with the air. Since we don’t have the equipment on-hand to vacuum pack our cartridges like the original manufacturers do, we use tape and clips to achieve the same results.
1. Packaged ink cartridges
1. In the first image you see the cartridges as they appear right out of the box. They are heat sealed in plastic to reduce the amount of air to which they are exposed. They are also taped across the print head and the color cartridge is in a clip. These are more visible in a later image.
2. With the plastic removed
2. With the plastic wrap removed the clip on the color cartridge is more visible. After removing the plastic wrap you’re ready to remove the clip and tape.
3. Showing the tape and clip on the print head
3. This is a reverse view of the cartridges clearly showing the clip and tape that need to be removed prior to installing them in your printer.
We always tape the print heads on black ink cartridges but don’t always tape the color cartridges. When we use a clip there’s not any need to use the tape since both perform the same function. So you’ll always need to remove the tape from a black ink cartridge but on a color cartridge you may only encounter a clip.
4. Clip and tape removed
4. Here the clip and tape have been removed. The clip on the color cartridge has a thumb tab that helps in removing the clip. Set the cartridge on a solid surface as shown and push the thumb tab away from the cartridge. It should pop off as seen in image #4. You can also see in this picture that the blue tape has been removed from the black ink cartridge. Pulling on the red tab will remove the tape. This is a very light-adhesive tape and should never be replaced with ordinary Scotch-brand tape as that tape leaves an adhesive residue that will affect the performance of the cartridge and may even cause the print head to stick to the paper as it passes over the page it’s printing on.
5. Tape and clip fully removed
5. Here the tape and clip have been completely removed. The tape not only prevents air from reaching the actual print head (see image #6) but also protects the electronic strip on the front of the cartridge. The “electronics” is that strip of copper that runs from the front of the cartridge down and around to the print head. Embedded in this strip are tiny wires that carry the electric signals from the contact points (the little dots in image #5) to the print head. The contact points match the contact points on the printer and deliver the signals that tell the cartridge where to put the ink and in what amount. If that strip is damaged or removed the cartridge will no longer function. This strip should not be touched as fingerprint oil will cause the metal to corrode over time.
At this point the cartridges are ready to be put into the printer. Keep the clip. It can be used to remove and store the color cartridge should you need to do so, as well as transporting the cartridge back to the store for recycling. We do reuse the clips.
6. The print head portion of the cartridge
6. Here you can see the bottom of the cartridge and the actual print head. This is what’s responsible for putting the ink on the paper. Make sure not to rest the print head on any surface that can be damaged by ink and don’t touch the print head with your bare hands. This image also shows how the light-adhesive tape is used to keep the print head protected from contact and exposure to the air.
Two points I’d like to stress from the information above.
- Do not touch the copper strip that contains the electronic wires and surrounds the print head.
- Do not replace the light-adhesive tape with normal tape of any kind. Standard adhesive tape residue will damage the cartridge.
As always, should you have any questions or comments please call us at 858-581-9191 or email us, cwsandiego.com
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