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A happy printer is a well maintained one. Regular maintenance will ensure you spend less time troubleshooting when you have an urgent job to print. The printhead clean is performed as part of the regular edible printer maintenance routine or whenever a nozzle check indicates it is necessary. If the printhead does require cleaning the printed nozzle check will not look like the one displayed on the screen.

STEP 1 | Remove the printhead

Open the printer and wait until the cartridge carriage stops moving.

Remove the ink cartridges and place sponge side facing up on paper towel.

Release the carriage tray lever which will release the printhead.

For the A3 Canon ix 6860 and the A4 TR8660a the lever will lift up.

For the A4 Canon MG5660 and MG5760 the lever pulls out.

For the A4 Canon TS5060 the lever pulls out then lifts up.

Then reach in and grip the printhead tab and remove it from the printer.

Watch Video:

STEP 2 | Clean the printhead

Fill a jug with enough warm to hot water (not boiling) to soak the entire printhead.

Submerge the printhead gently into the hot water and leave it there overnight or for an equivalent time frame or until ink is no longer colouring the water.

Continually change out the water for fresh water as it colours with ink.

When ink no longer colours the water remove the printhead and leave to dry completely on paper towel.

It can be wiped with a lint free cloth or dried with a hairdryer using cold air if you are in a hurry.

Watch Video:

STEP 3 | Reinstall the printhead

Hold the printhead tab, with the front of the printhead facing down and the green circuit board on the back of the printhead facing up so you can see it.

Place it gently back into the printer, exactly the same it was removed.

Either lower the carriage tray lever or push it back or lower and push it back, depending on your printer model, to lock the head into place.

Put the ink cartridges back

STEP 4 | Clean and print

In the printer maintenance menu run the cleaning function to get the ink flowing through your clean printhead.

Print a nozzle check.

STEP 5 | Problem not resolved?

Run another cleaning function, followed by another nozzle check.

Repeat the soaking process.

Check how many times the ink cartridges have been refilled, as this could be the problem not the printhead.

It may be time to replace your printhead or printer.

For more information on Edible Ink Printers and troubleshooting tips visit our FAQ's page on our website.

Note: The information contained in this document is for customers of Edible Image Supplies who have purchased Edible Printing Systems with Canon printers.