Diagnosing and Cleaning Clogged Printer Nozzles

Clogged printer nozzles are usually caused by one of two reasons.
  1. Head strikes
  2. Not using the printer or maintaining the printer properly.

Cleaning Clogged Printer Nozzles

  1. After you have the machine, print a check nozzle pattern as indicated below:
    • The pattern should display a consistent stair-step. Crooked or broken lines indicate that you have missing or misdirected nozzles.VJ Setup Pic 8
  2. Move the print head carriage assembly to the left by one of the following methods depending on the model of your printer:
    • If you are operating the VJ-1204 or 1304, press the head carriage release switch. Gently pull the head carriage assembly to the left.
      VJ Setup Pic 9
Head Release as seen on VJ-1204 and VJ-1304
  • If you are operating the VJ-1604 or 1614, you will need to select MENU; tap the RIGHT ARROW button once; then tap the DOWN ARROW button until you have highlighted CR MAINTENANCE. Press ENTER to select this option and then ENTER again to start.
3. Using a lint-free swab saturated with cleaning solvent, clean around the seal at the capping pad.
 
VJ Setup Pic 10
Make sure to clean any debris or ink build-up in or around the capping pad and seal.
VJ Setup Pic 11
4. Note that the seal around the capping pad acts as a “dam”. Using a syringe or eye-dropper, fill this area with cleaning solvent.
  • In extreme cases of missing nozzles, you may want to place a lint-free cloth over the capping station and saturate it with cleaning solvent. Let the nozzles rest on this saturated cloth for 30 minutes.
5. Thoroughly clean the wiper.
CLOGGED_NOZZLES instructions 5
6. Move the head carriage assembly back to the home position and perform a strong cleaning.
  • If you originally moved the carriage by hand, return the carriage to the home position by hand.
  • If you moved the carriage using the CR Maintenance menu option, simply select END and press ENTER.
7. Print another check nozzle pattern and inspect for improvement. If you see improvement but still have clogged nozzles, repeat this process until all nozzles print correctly.
Misdirected or clogged printer nozzles are NOT covered under warranty as they are usually the result of head strike or poor maintenance. However, most clogged nozzles can be resolved with patience and a little work.