Faulty ink cartridges can cause streaks on your prints, decreased productivity, aggravation, and a pounding headache. The good news is that locating a faulty ink cartridge is simple, requiring only your eyes and hands. You’ll be back to printing in no time, with your bottom line – and your sanity – intact.
What to Look For
Because your print quality is deteriorating, you’re probably suspecting a defective ink cartridge. Streaks, stains, and stripes on your printer are all indications of a faulty cartridge, as is a lack of a specific hue or a colour that appears very faintly. When a cartridge fails, the printer will sometimes refuse to print. These are also symptoms of other printer issues, such as clogged or misaligned print heads, so consult your printer’s manual for instructions on cleaning and aligning the heads before replacing expensive ink cartridges.
Check the Simple Stuff
If cleaning and alignment do not solve the problem, conduct a physical examination of the suspect cartridge. Take it out of the printer and examine it closely. First and foremost, ensure that there is ink in the cartridge. While the printer will monitor ink levels, this is not a fail-safe system. Because some cartridges are opaque, comparing weight to a known full cartridge is the best way to check ink level. Check that all packaging and wrappers have been removed from the cartridge, that any chips or electrical contacts are not damaged, and that the nozzle is not blocked, covered, or damaged.
Check the cartridge’s expiration date, if applicable. Examine the cradle that the cartridge slips into for any extraneous items or damage. Finally, ensure that the cartridges are the correct model and original manufacturer brand for your printer. Some aftermarket cartridges will not function correctly in certain printers.
Error Codes
When you try to print, if a dialogue box with an error message appears on your screen, take note of it. Check the printer’s display screen for problem codes as well, and cross-reference with the manual as appropriate. Some printers will alert you if you have a faulty cartridge.
When All Else Fails
If you’ve exhausted all of your troubleshooting options and still haven’t found a solution, replace the questionable cartridge with a fresh one. Whether the cartridge was actually defective, contact the manufacturer to see if it will be replaced under warranty.
