[comp.sys.mac.hardware] HP DeskWriter problem.

Drako@cup.portal.com (Chris Del Grande) (05/17/91)

Hello,
	There seems to be a problem with my DeskWriter, although it may
be extremely minor.
	During a printing session it seems as though the ink cartridge was
running out of ink; ie, only have of a character would print, either upper
half or lower half, or the middle would be missing across an entire
row of text, and the characters weren't black but gray. Ok. So I replace
the cartridge with one the I had bought about 8 months ago, but still in
its multi-sealed packaging, etc. After priming the ink cartridge, I resumed
printing, but still the letters are off-black and there is a hairline
streak of non-print that runs through the center of every letter across
a sentence.
	Anybody experience a similar anamoly? Or is this new cartridge
dried up somehow (remember, it was fully packaged in its airtight
container. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much!|


Chris Del Grande
Drako@cup.portal.com

CAH0@bunny.gte.com (Chuck Hoffman) (05/21/91)

Try the Prime feature.  Worked for me.


Chuck Hoffman, GTE Laboratories, Inc.    |  I'm not sure why we're here,
cah0@bunny.gte.com                       |  but I am sure that while we're
Telephone (U.S.A.) 617-466-2131          |  here, we're supposed to help
GTE VoiceNet: 679-2131                   |  each other.
GTE Telemail: C.HOFFMAN                  |

stevewi@hpspdra.spd.HP.COM (Steve Witten) (05/23/91)

Sometimes the print head nozzles get a bit clogged with dried ink.  A
few quick wipes with a Kleenex usually will fix the problem.
Sometimes you have to poke on the back of the ink bladder with a sharp
object (CAREFULLY! so as to not puncture the bladder) to force a bit
of ink through the nozzles before wiping it.  A small hole is provided
on the back of the cartridge for doing this.

This procedure should be described in your owners manual.  I carried
over my experience with ThinkJets...

===============================================================================
Steve Witten                    stevewi%hpspdra@hplabs.hp.com
Intelligent Networks Operation  ...!hplabs!hpspdra!stevewi
Hewlett-Packard Co.             stevewi@hpspdra.spd.hp.com

neff@hp-vcd.HP.COM (Dave Neff) (05/25/91)

>Sometimes the print head nozzles get a bit clogged with dried ink.  A
>few quick wipes with a Kleenex usually will fix the problem.
>Sometimes you have to poke on the back of the ink bladder with a sharp
>object (CAREFULLY! so as to not puncture the bladder) to force a bit
>of ink through the nozzles before wiping it.  A small hole is provided
>on the back of the cartridge for doing this.
>
>This procedure should be described in your owners manual.  I carried
>over my experience with ThinkJets...
>
>===============================================================================
>Steve Witten                    stevewi%hpspdra@hplabs.hp.com

Strange, the DeskJet pens don't have a bladder (the ThinkJet pens did).
The DeskJet pens have foam to supply the back pressure.  Poking a sharp
object into the hole can't puncture the bladder since there isn't one
but it could force a bit of ink out the nozzles anyway due to the pressure
on the foam.  Its easier just to blow in the hole if you need to force
some ink through.  Usually blowing on the hole and then using kleenex
on the pen clears up any problem priming wont.

Dave Neff
neff@hpvcfs1.HP.COM