- An inkjet cartridge is much more than a reservoir for ink. Each tiny nozzle is individually heated and controlled by circuitry within the cartridge.
- Heater burnout is the primary cause of permanent inkjet cartridge failure. Cartridges can be refurbished from three to five times before such issues occur.
- Printers that see only occasional use are subject to clogging at the printer head. Periodic use of the printer's test or maintenance feature will keep the printer head open.
- Printer contacts must be kept clean to receive command signals from the printer's computer. The cartridge should be replaced or removed for sealed storage without actually touching the contacts.
- Missing lines of print may indicate more than simple clogging of printer nozzles. If ink supplies are good and the maintenance printout doesn't clear the problem, you may have a burned out heater and need a new cartridge.
- Replacement cartridges for older printers may be hard to find, but refill kits are common. The process can be messy, and instructions are often inadequate to cover every type of inkjet printer cartridge.
