A problem we sometimes have with printer cartridges is “printer unable to recognize cartridges” or similar error. We have had some success with the procedures listed below. These procedures involve cleaning the cartridge and printer contacts as well and a 15 second power restart.
Note: This cleaning procedure is written as a universal procedure and you may have to adapt it to suit your printer model.
Clean the problem cartridge chip
Clean the chip on the cartridge with a dry lint-free cloth.
Clean the problem cartridge electrical contacts
- Gather the following items to clean the cartridge and printer carriage
- Clean bottled or filtered water is preferable, however tap water should be fine (there has also been some success with isopropyl alcohol (note that alcohol is damaging to some plastics and rubbers).
- Clean cotton swabs or any soft, lint-free material that will not stick to the cartridges.
- Remove the cartridge.
- NOTE: Try to clean the contacts quickly enough that the cartridge is not outside of the printer for more than 30 minutes. The ink can dry and clog the nozzles if the cartridge is outside of the printer for too long.
- Unplug the printer.
- Dip a swab in the clean water, then squeeze it to remove most of the moisture. The swab should only be slightly damp.
- Clean the print cartridge contacts.
Clean the printer contacts
- Clean the contacts in the print carriage, inside the printer.
- Wait ten minutes to allow the contacts to dry, then re-install the cartridge, plug the printer back in, and close the cartridge access door.
A Power Reset
- Press the Power button to turn off the printer.
- Disconnect the power cord from the back of the printer or the wall outlet.
- Wait at least 15 seconds to allow electronic components to discharge.
- Connect the power cord to the back of the printer or wall outlet.
- If the printer does not turn on by itself, press Power button to turn it on.
- Try to print.
If these options don’t work for you then you may have a faulty cartridge or cartridge chip. If you purchased your cartridge from Easyink please send us an email or call 0800 893 797 and we will sort it out for you.
