Why New Printer Ink Cartridges Need To Be Broken In

2010-07-07

Despite the prevalence of online documents, e-mail and image scanning, many companies still do a great deal of hard copy printing, and find that a large portion of their cost comes from the purchase of ink. Although even high-quality commercial printers are relatively inexpensive, printer ink cartridges tend to be a large portion of the percentage of the cost of the printers themselves. What this means for businesses is that although their initial purchase of a printer can be relatively cost-effective, keeping it well-stocked with ink can be extremely expensive. This problem is further compounded when a new printer ink cartridge does not live up to its potential and either prints slowly, poorly, or not at all. Having to spend large sums money to replace the most frequently used part of a printer is difficult enough - having it then not perform and replacing it early can be extremely frustrating.

One of the main reasons for the failure of a new printer ink cartridge to perform properly is that it has not been properly broken in. While it may seem logical that right out of the box printer ink cartridges should simply work with the printer they are matched to, this is not always the case, and there are several reasons for this. The first is that every printer has its own unique properties; even though for the most part, they are made in an identical fashion. Its print cartridge housing may be slightly smaller or larger than average, or may sit at a slight angle. By running the new cartridge slowly at first, and then increasing both its printing load and the quality of the copies it is set to make, it can be effectively "broken in" to that printer and be as effective and long-lasting as possible.

Another reason for the failure of new printer ink cartridges is due to a small clog in the ink jet nozzle or printer head. This is often something almost unnoticeable, until a printed sheet is made. Then, streaks or lines, in addition to the ghosting of images, may be seen. In the case of color cartridges, it is possible that the colors will not blend properly or at all, and in extreme cases, large dollops of ink will be left behind. If this occurs, it is wise to first check the printer to see if there is in fact a substantial blockage. If this is not the case, it is again a good idea to give the cartridge time to acclimatize and work out the clog on its own. If given the chance to be broken in, most cartridges will live up to their potential and save the cost of yet more replacements.