| This guide will teach you how to clean a dirty or clogged printhead on common HP and Canon inkjets.[br] |
| ***NOTE: These steps do not apply to Epson printers as the design and ink formulation do not allow this method to work and the ink type (ET or cartridge base) does not change this.*** |
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| * ***IMPORTANT: ''This does not fix every printer. These steps will not work on failed hardware!''*** |
| ** ***''If the problem persists, it IS due to a hardware problem with the printhead in many cases. On the model I used here (HP B210a), I am noticing more often than not, it is not a clogged head: it is commonly becoming an HW failure with these more often than it was at the time I published this guide; back then, the issue was due to clogs and ink on the contacts which is recoverable. Keep this in mind if using these steps on an older printer. I am not saying this to discourage you from trying; rather, I am setting expectations based on experience from the source guide. This was duplicated from and altered from the HP B210a version of this guide. Do not expect repairs to be economical when it's a hardware fault as inkjets are "loss leaders" to the literal extreme of using big brother ink DRM to make sure you use OEM ink.''*** |
| Guide Notes |
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| * ***WARNING: ''THIS PROCEDURE MAY DAMAGE PRINTHEADS WITH EXISTING DEFECTS BEYOND REPAIR! Use caution if you suspect an HW issue that could be made worse; write the printer off mentally if tou use these steps if it is older and may be damaged permanently. This is especially common with older printers.''*** |
| * ***The printhead removal steps were written around the HP B210a and similarly designed printers (564/920 removable). If yours differs, you may need to find a different guide to remove the printhead.*** |
| * ***HP ONLY: ''Non-removable printhead models (E.g., Photosmart 6520) require special attention to preserve the calibration.''*** |