Tips from Techs: Mimaki Printer Maintenance

We are excited that you have chosen Mimaki printers in your business. They are renowned for their exceptional print quality, delivering sharp, vibrant images with fine detail and accurate color reproduction. 

Mimaki printers' advanced inkjet technology allows for high-resolution output and the precision of their printheads ensures consistent performance, whether printing intricate designs or large-scale graphics. SignWarehouse is proud to be a Mimaki vendor!

In addition to print quality and reliability, Mimaki printers offer excellent versatility. They support a wide range of media and ink types, including UV, solvent, dye-sublimation, and textile inks. This flexibility allows users to explore various creative applications—from vehicle wraps and promotional materials to apparel and interior decor—making Mimaki a strong, all-around solution in the professional printing space.

Like many other valuable possessions we have (vehicles, homes, etc.) Mimaki printers require regular, preventative maintenance to keep them running at top performance. Ignoring preventative maintenance will greatly shorten the life of a printer, which could be devastating to your budget.  Let's dive into the Mimaki printer maintenance you should be scheduling

Recommended Mimaki Printer Maintenance

For Mimaki printers, there are several important steps that must be regularly taken to keep them running smoothly at full capacity. Failure to properly maintain your Mimaki printer can result in downtime, damaged parts, big repair bills, and worst of all, lost income.

Besides your own maintenance, it is vital to schedule regular preventative maintenance with SignWarehouse or Mimaki technicians. They can perform maintenance beyond a user's capability to expertly maintain your machine. However, you can and should do a few preventative maintenance steps yourself.

The frequency of required maintenance is dependent on the type of ink you use and the printer you purchased. To keep your Mimaki printer operating at its best for many years, it's essential to keep the following items on hand.

Lint-free Maintenance Swabs: Nozzle swabs  Mimaki Swab 6-Axis S

Lint-Free Wipes: Lint-Free Wipes - 4 in x 4 in - 75 count bag

Cloth Wiper Kit  Mimaki Cloth Wiper G Kit

Select Cleaning Fluid: Cleaning fluid is printer dependent. Different inks require different fluids. For eco-solvent printers, the Washing Liquid 03 is a good cleaner.

Mimaki Cleaning Cartridges: It is good to keep these on hand for storage purposes or for when you might go on extended breaks/vacations, or if asked by a technician to perform various fixes to your machine (e.g. sending it in for repair or diagnoses).

Cleaning Cartridge: SS21 Eco-Solvent printer cleaning cartridge to use weekly to clean the capping station and ink drain lines.

Several Ink Cartridges - You must have ink in the cartridges at all times. Running out of ink and waiting for more to be shipped to you increases the chances of issues popping up your printer’s operation.

NOTE: Although the variety of compatible ink types has always been a strong selling point for MIMAKI printers, it is wise to remember that this doesn't mean a user can switch from one kind of ink to another. 

Ink chemistry is such that converting from a solvent to sublimation or even from ES3 to SS21 requires extensive work by a MIMAKI-certified technician. This is why we advise shoppers to choose wisely when considering one of the many ink configurations available from MIMAKI.

Shop SignWarehouse.com to find the inks you need. Filter your search by ink type (e.g. SS21 or UV) to reduce the risk of accidentally ordering the incorrect ink. Make sure you use the size that suits your printer’s setup (see example below).

Keep the Ink Flowing

An important step in keeping your Mimaki printer in tip-top condition is keeping your printer actively printing. We recommend making at least one print each day, which keeps the ink flowing

Why do you need to print daily? Because leaving the printer idle for extended periods of time may result in clogged nozzles and, depending on the length of time it is left idle, irreparable damage to the printhead.

If you will be away from the printer for two or more weeks, SignWarehouse techs recommend completely shutting down your Mimaki printer.

Extended Downtime Instructions

If you are not going to be using your Mimaki printer for a week or more, you must perform a Custody Wash or Storage Wash. Before you perform the Custody Wash instructions, make sure you have a full set of fresh cleaning cartridges on hand.

Custody Wash instructions Mimaki JV330, CJV330, UCJV330 and TS330 sublimation printers.

Custody Wash instructions for Mimaki CJV200 printers.

Custody Wash instructions for Mimaki UJF 3042 and 6042 UV flatbed printers. 

Storage Wash instructions for Mimaki JV300, 300 Plus printers.

Mimaki preventative maintenance is not a guarantee your printer will live as long as you do without needing any repairs, but it will help you keep repair costs low and not as frequent, keeping your shop printing without interruptions as much as possible.

The proceeding information is subject to change. Each Mimaki printer version may have parts and maintenance unique to its version. Please confirm the latest cleaning routine and supplies before attempting your own Mimaki printer maintenance.