Why nozzles get clogged?
- Vian
- Jan 8, 2024
- 1 min read
Updated: Jan 28
The nozzles in Epson’s microscopic piezo printheads are around 20 μm wide. They produce tiny, round, and consistent dots about 40 μm (0.04 mm) in diameter. For comparison, a human hair is usually 50–75 μm thick, showing that these printheads can print with precision much finer than the width of a hair.
Because Epson’s microscopic nozzles are extremely small, they are more prone to clogging. Tiny particles in the air like dust, lint, fine powder, or dirt can be drawn to the printhead by static electricity. These particles may enter the ink channels and block the nozzles.
There are several ways to reduce the risk of clogging and keep the printhead working properly:
Regular printhead cleaning: Clean the printhead often, but only use a cleaning solution made specifically for your printer.
Use the right cleaning materials: When cleaning manually, avoid paper towels or regular paper. Use lint-free cloths to clean gently without leaving fibers behind.
Print regularly: Even if you don’t have jobs to print, run the printer regularly. Frequent printing keeps the ink flowing, prevents negative air pressure in the printhead, keeps dust out, and stops the ink from drying.
check out our range of cleaning solutions, lint-free cloths, and tools to assist you with printhead cleaning (link below):
