Misprints that occur during the operation of printing equipment might disrupt your business’s workflow. These common problems include ink smudges, faded ink, and even color printing issues.
The good news is that inkjet printers, such as continuous and thermal inkjet models, have simple error management systems. If you are currently experiencing issues, let’s explore how to resolve them and analyze the common causes that can be addressed as a preventive strategy.
Common Causes of Misprints in Inkjet Printing
Printing mistakes that happen in your production generally have reasons. Here is a detailed explanation of the most common causes that you should be aware of.
Improper Settings
Improper print settings, such as setting the wrong resolution can affect the clarity of the printout. Incorrect color management can also lead to discrepancies. On the other hand, if the print speed is set too fast or too slow, it may result in streaks, missing lines, or even partial prints.
Clogged and Dirty Printhead
In most cases, ink may eventually clog or dry out the printhead’s small nozzles. It may result in faded prints or uneven printing. Similarly, if the printhead is dirty, the ink will not be properly applied to the paper, leading to streaks and inconsistent print.
Low Quality Ink
Low quality ink that may not be formulated properly can also cause misprints. This is because low quality ink has poor viscosity that leads to inconsistent ink delivery. On the other hand, high quality ink is designed to flow smoothly through the print head.
Thus, in this case, choosing the high quality one is crucial to ensure the readability of crucial information as part of compliance with the standards in certain sectors like the food industry.
Read About: Understanding Print Resolution and Code Readability for Food Products
Low Ink Cartridges
Another cause for printing mistakes happens when ink cartridges are running low or empty. Due to the reduced ink level, the printer will struggle to consistently deposit ink onto the paper.
This may result in some areas being overly faded, uneven color distribution, and missing details faded in the documents. In essence, the printer is struggling to produce clear result when the ink is running low.
Environmental Factors
Environmental factors can have a significant impact on the performance of your inkjet printers. Extreme temperatures, humidity, and air quality can affect the ink dry too quickly and work inconsistently.
Moreover, extreme temperatures and humidity changes can also cause the papers to contract or expand, causing misalignment, paper jams, and slight distortions. All of these factors may disrupt the process and affect the quality of printed text.
Strategies to Prevent Misprints
After reviewing the typical causes of printing issues, let’s get to know the efficient solutions that you can utilize as an initial approach.
Regular Maintenance and Cleaning
To prevent printing errors and ensure smooth operation, regular maintenance and cleaning are essential for inkjet printers, especially if they are placed in dusty environments.
Diagnostic tools are frequently accessible via the printer’s control panel or software. By conducting the tests on a regular basis, you may identify problems early and address them before they cause poor print quality and misprints.
Proper Print Head Alignment
Incomplete prints like misaligned text and graphics may arise because of misaligned print heads. The settings menu of the majority inkjet printers has a print head alignment option. Regularly running the alignment process ensures that the print head is correctly positioned for optimal print quality.
Monitor Ink Quality and Viscosity
As you know, using low quality ink can lead to print mistakes and damage the printer, so it is necessary for you to always use ink cartridges recommended by the printer manufacturer.
Additionally, regularly monitor ink levels. Replacing the cartridges before they are completely empty can prevent the print head from running dry and avoid misprints.
Control Environmental Conditions
Ensure stable room temperature and humidity. Both inkjet and laser printers should be kept out of direct sunlight and stored in dry, cool locations with minimal dust exposure. It is mainly because dust and dirt can reside inside the printer and may clog the print head or paper feed mechanism.
Read About: Inkjet vs. Laser: Which Coding and Marking Technology is Right for You?
Use Appropriate Substrates and Handling Procedures
Using the proper substrates such as premium paper is important to avoid mistakes in printing outcomes. It should also be fed into the printer correctly. As a way for right handling techniques, you also need to modify the settings frequently depending on the type of paper.
Implement Preventative Maintenance Programs
Create a regular maintenance schedule and daily checks ink levels as well as paper feed mechanism. Remove dust to keep it clean and it is highly recommended to replace worn parts. All of these preventive maintenance programs can help you ensure optimal printer performance.
Thermal Inkjet, an Ultimate Choice for Preventing Printing Mistakes!
After all, misprints can occur for a variety of reasons, including setting faults and environmental conditions. It is anticipated that the above mentioned strategies can assist you in preventing frequent printing issues and ensuring excellent prints.
As one type of inkjet printer, thermal inkjet printers (TIJ) offer superior error-handling capabilities. As long as it is properly set and regularly checked, it can be the best printer option to meet the demands of various industries. See a complete list of thermal inkjet printers here.
References:
https://blog.flextg.com/10-most-common-inkjet-printer-problems
