Tips & Tricks

The below Tips and Tricks cover general printer difficulties, HP / Lexmark / Dell / Samsung remanufactured cartridges and Epson / Canon / Brother compatible cartridges.

• What do we mean by remanufactured?
• What do we mean by compatibles?
• Do Ryman cartridges have the same capacity as original cartridges and can we guarantee the same print volume?
• How does the ink level monitor work?
• General tips for inkjet printers
  • Blurred prints
  • Horizontal Lines on your print out
  • Colour mismatch
  • The cartridge does not print
  • The printer does not print after changing the cartridge
• Manufacturer specific tips for HP / Lexmark / Dell / Samsung printers
  • For black cartridges
    • The printer does not print
    • Lines in your print
    • Ink is leaking
  • For colour cartridges
    • No ink on the paper
• Manufacturer specific tips: Epson / Canon compatibles / Brother / printers
  • Unscheduled cartridge replacement
  • Horizontal lines after the cartridge has been changed
  • The printer does not print after the cartridge has been changed
  • Printer message after inserting a chipped cartridge
  • The printer does not recognise a chipped cartridge

What do we mean by remanufactured?

These are cartridges that have the print head components with intelligent electronics that are more than capable of being recycled for economical and environmental reasons.
The cartridge is cleaned / electronically tested / refilled with the highest quality inks, matched to the original / print tested / and repackaged.

What do we mean by compatibles?

Compatible cartridges are ink tanks with very little electronics and can more cost effectively be manufactured as new products. The cartridges are manufactured to the same high standards by using the highest quality inks matched to the original.

Do Ryman cartridges have the same capacity as original cartridges and can we guarantee the same print volume?

The simple answer to this is yes and in some cases they have more. Some of our remanufactured cartridges have much more than the original, up to 200% in two cases. Look for the high capacity stickers.
With the compatibles Ryman guarantees the same print volume as the original Epson / Canon and Brother manufactured cartridge. A higher print volume is not possible due to technical reasons.

How does the ink level monitor work?

When you change a cartridge, a switch inside the printer is activated that tells the printer that it now has a certain volume of ink available. With every document printed, the ink used is deducted from this value and the remaining ink is determined. When you run the cleaning cycle or switch on your printer this also uses ink that again is deducted from the volume. The ink level is therefore a purely calculated amount and a cost effective way to print is to wait till the print becomes faint. It’s not recommended that you start to print high quality photo prints with the low ink icon flashing.

General tips for inkjet printers

Blurred prints

Possible cause:

The contour sharpness depends on the interaction between paper and ink. Using ink with high surface tension gives sharp contours. A disadvantage of these inks is the relatively long drying time as they penetrate the paper very slowly and remain on the surface of the paper for a longer period of time. Inks with lower surface tension dry very quickly but can soak into the capillaries of the paper causing the contours of the characters to blur. This effect is called bleeding. Ryman inks are therefore designed to match the OEM.

Solution:

To achieve the optimum result on normal paper, we recommend you try Ryman or different paper manufacturers. For high quality print outs, we recommend you use premium coated inkjet paper available at Ryman stores and web site.

Horizontal Lines on your print out

Possible Causes:

1. Air in the print head: This is the most common cause of printing problems. When changing the cartridges, or for other reasons, air bubbles can enter the print head. This prevents the necessary pressure build up (through heating or vibration) as a result, no ink is sprayed onto the paper and you can see white lines. This effect is also called banding.
   Solution:
   To improve your print, most printers feature a print head cleaning cycle. Ink is flushed through the print head to re-establish the ink flow. It may be that you have to carry out this procedure several times to achieve the desired result.
2. Blocked nozzles: If the printer is not used for a long period, particles can build up and block the print head.
   Solution:
   To remove this blockage, run the cleaning cycle. If you cannot achieve satisfactory result, use a nozzle cleaning fluid, which is available from the Ryman web site.
3. Defective print head: Print heads are exposed to high stress. The temperature variation in thermal print heads can vary by 100`s of degrees centigrade up to 10000 Hertz (10.000 times per second). Therefore print heads have a certain amount of wear and tear. Depending on the manufacturer and price, print heads have a limited life. Epson uses Piezo print heads, which guarantee a long life. However if they do become defective, compared to other printers, the repair can be costly.

Solution:
With printers that feature integrated print heads that are separate from the ink tank (that is for example, Epson and most Canon machines) all that remains is to change the print head. With HP Lexmark and Dell the print head is part of the cartridge, and is automatically replaced each time you replace the cartridge.

Colour mismatch

Possible causes:

1. Large colour variations: It could be that the print head is worn. If, for example, you get areas that should be green but are light blue, this would indicate that no yellow ink is being printed onto the paper.
   Solution:
   Perform a nozzle test to determine whether your print head is still functioning (you can find the nozzle test in your printer driver software under utilities). Should some nozzles not work, several cleaning cycles might solve the problem. If this does not help, a new print head has to be installed.
2. Small colour variations: Here you have to realise that colour reproduction with scanners monitors and printers depends on the machines that rely on different technologies. For this reason certain colour variations when using different machines are unavoidable.
   Solution:
   Most printer drivers feature an integrated colour management system that you can use to minimise colour variations, for example by changing contrast, brightness and saturation settings. As previously mentioned under Blurred Prints, the paper can also be part of the problem. Please test different types of paper to achieve optimum results.

The cartridge does not print

Possible Cause:

If you do not use your printer for long periods a dried up print head could be the cause.

Solution:
Several cleaning cycles or the use of the nozzle cleaner can resolve this problem. Caution under no circumstances use aggressive cleaning agents or solvents as these can destroy the print head. If the above steps do not solve the problem, it could be that either the cleaning function or the print head seal is defective. To check this, read the hints and tips for your printer manufacturer.

The printer does not print after changing the cartridge

Possible cause:
If the printer does not work after changing the cartridge, one cause could be that the cartridge is not ventilated. With most cartridges you have to remove the tape or similar sealing device. Under certain circumstances there may be residue left from the tape adhesive that is covering the breather hole. The pressure can therefore not equalise and ink cannot leave the cartridge.
Solution:
Remove all residues from the cartridge. If this does not solve the problem, read the hints and tips for your printer manufacturer.

Manufacturer specific tips for HP / Lexmark / Dell / Samsung printers

For black cartridges

The printer does not print

Possible cause:
If the print head moves across the page without printing, the print head could be dry.
Solution:
Remove the cartridge from your printer and place the nozzles on to a paper towel soaked in water or a nozzle cleaner. Caution: Ink may leak from the cartridge during this process. To avoid soiling your furniture, we recommend you place the cartridge on a plate or bowl. After a short time you should see a black mark on the paper towel as the dried ink dissolves. Leave the cartridge on the towel for half an hour after which time you can carefully wipe the print head with a clean towel. Re-install the cartridge and print.

Lines in your print

Possible causes:

1. White lines: The nozzles in your print head could be blocked. With most cartridges you have to remove the tape or similar sealing device. Under certain circumstances there may be residue left from the tape adhesive that is covering the breather hole. The pressure can therefore not equalise and ink cannot leave the cartridge.
   Solution:
   Remove all residues from the cartridge. If this does not solve the problem, read the hints and tips for your printer manufacturer.
2. Thin irregular lines: The contacts on the cartridge could be dirty. If the paper feeder is soiled with dust particles or similar, this can cause lines in your print. If you do not use your printer for long periods a dried up print head could be the cause.
   Solution:
   Several cleaning cycles or the use of the nozzle cleaner can resolve this problem. Caution under no circumstances use aggressive cleaning agents or solvents as these can destroy the print head. If the above steps do not solve the problem, it could be that either the cleaning function or the print head seal is defective. To check this, read the hints and tips for your printer manufacturer.
   Solution:
   Disconnect the printer from the power supply, check and clean the cartridge carriage in your printer as necessary.

Ink is leaking

Possible Causes:

1. Occasionally small droplets form on the cartridge: The negative pressure inside the cartridge is inadequate or non-existent.
   Solution:
   Print one or several full black pages. This will create the necessary negative pressure inside the cartridge that prevents leakage.
2. The cartridge is leaking heavily: Inside the cartridge there is a bag that maintains the negative pressure. If this bag is malfunctioning, the cartridge will leak, cracks in the cartridge could cause similar problems.
   Solution:
   The cartridge is defective. Your Ryman store will be pleased to replace the cartridge.

For Colour-Cartridges

No ink on the paper

Possible cause:
An air bubble has formed inside of the cartridge, which prevents ink flowing through the nozzles.
Solution:
Take a syringe without the needle (e.g. syringe of a Refill-Set) and fill it up with air. Put the syringe onto the fill hole (located on the top of the cartridge) and press air very slowly into the cartridge until ink forms at the nozzles. Remove ink with an absorbent tissue and repeat the process with the two other colours.

Manufacturer specific tips: Epson / Canon compatibles / Brother / printers

Unscheduled cartridge replacement

Possible cause:
One problem with many of the above printers is that changing cartridges, before being alerted to do so by the printer, is not well explained by the manufacturer’s manuals.
Solution:
Switch the printer on and hold down the paper feed button for three seconds. The print head then moves to the position that allows you to change cartridges. After the cartridge has been changed, briefly press the paper feed or cleaning cycle button and the print head should return to its original position. If this fails to work consult your printer manual or visit the manufacturer’s web site for specific instructions on cartridge removal.

Horizontal lines after the cartridge has been changed

Possible Cause:
The most common cause is air in the print head.
Solution:
If you detect lines in your print out after the cartridge has been changed, run one or two cleaning cycles followed by a nozzle test (see manual). If this does not solve the problem, leave your printer standing switched on for one hour. The air inside the nozzles should then be able to escape. After that perform another nozzle test to check the result.

The printer does not print after the cartridge has been changed

Possible Cause:
If the printer does not work after changing the cartridge, one cause could be that the cartridge is not ventilated. With most cartridges you have to remove the tape or similar sealing device. Under certain circumstances there may be residue left from the tape adhesive that is covering the breather hole. The pressure can therefore not equalise and ink cannot leave the cartridge.
Solution:
Remove all residues from the cartridge.

Printer message after inserting a chipped cartridge

Cause:
For legal reasons manufacturers of compatible products are not allowed to use OEM reference numbers. Because of this you will be informed that you are not using an original cartridge with its OEM reference number. You will be asked if you want to continue and use the installed cartridge.
Solution:
Click on Yes and proceed. This message will only reappear the next time you change your cartridge.

The printer does not recognise a chipped cartridge

Possible Causes:

1. Contamination: If the chip is contaminated it is possible that the printer may not recognise the cartridge.
   Solution:
   Remove the cartridge from the printer, check the chip and clean it with a fluff free cloth, re-install the cartridge. If this still does not clear the error message, remove the cartridge and rub a pencil eraser gently over the chip to remove any protective film.
2. Chip is defective:
   If the microchip is not working the cartridge will not print. Your Ryman store will be pleased to replace the cartridge.

Cartridge search: BrotherCanonDELLEpsonHPLexmark Model