Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen - Bringing an Inkjet Printer back to life

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Bringing an Inkjet Printer back to life

Posted 2006-05-18 03:35 PM in Musings.

CanonS300-M We just upgraded to a rocking sweet new printer, but I just didn't feel right throwing the old Canon S300 away. It had become totally useless, unable to print black and yellow.

The printer was only a $50 printer and the local printer place said they'd repair it by soaking the print head for, you guessed it, $50. No way, says I. Instead I got a small plastic container and a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and soaked the print head (minus ink) overnight.

Amazingly, the printer has been brought back from the dead and prints better now than in years. I took it to my office and replaced the old Canon BJ200ex at work with my shiny new-to-me-at-work S300 Color.

New printer at home, well-loved printer at work and now an orphaned B&W inkjet on my shelf...gotta find a home for that...

Isn't recycling of techie equipment great? I just can't stand to throw anything away if it can be put to some use.

Thursday, May 18, 2006 10:10:47 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

So, the real printer geek question...
Do you refill your cartridges? I do - I bought some ink at a computer show on a whim once, and it lasted for years. I think refilling the cartridges causes the print head to wear out / permanently clog faster, but who cares? $50 for a printer is much cheaper than the hundreds you'd spend on those little ink cartridges.

The one problem - don't spill the ink. That's some powerful stuff.

Jon Galloway

Friday, May 19, 2006 4:53:25 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

I finally bought a personal laser early this year. I rarely print, and kept drying out the print heads (and wasting ink cartridges) on my Inkjet.

The inkjet went to the side of the road (for garbage pickup) but was gone with 30 minutes. Somebody has a new printer. :P