I have an HP all in one printer fax scanner, that I don't use very often.........

[askyourgran]

but every time I come to use the printer itself I find the ink has dried up and I'm forking out more money for yet another cartridge. Does anyone else have this problem, and any ideas of how to overcome this.

[sara3]

hey gran :o)

have you tried wiping the cartridge contact points with a damp lint-free cloth?

[askyourgran]

I tried that the last time, and when I went to the cartridge shop and told the salesman about it he said that he would try to 'blow' the cartridge. I bought another cartridge at the time and I didn't take him up on the offer then, so I'd feel a bit cheeky taking one back now.

[sara3]

sorry, that was a bit useless then. I have an HP printer and we get through loads of ink, but my daughter prints a lot of photos for her school work.

costs a bloody fortune though!

[lardhelmet]

I gave mine away gran as it was costing me a fortune in cartridges and kept breaking down. Couldn't be @rsed with it after daughter left school!

[askyourgran]

Not to worry, I've even thought about taking the cartridge out and keeping it in a plastic bag to see if that works. it's a real faff when I do want to use it to find it's dried up again.

[alanogden]

Make a test page in Paint with a few coloured squiggles and some text and print it a couple of times a week. It stops the nozzles drying out.

[askyourgran]

Thanks alanogden I'll try to remember to do that, I have a laptop but the printer is in the spare room, I've hardly used it (never used the fax) I don't want to get rid of it because of the scanner for photos and the occasional letter to type for the family.

Like your avatar, really cute lardy.

[lardhelmet]

Thanks gran - a chav pussy innit?

[AlBags]

Take out cartridge, hold nozzles over a steamimg outlet from kettle.
Try again and purge through. Often works.
Water-based inks seem to be worst than spirit-based inks for drying up.

[askyourgran]

Thanks Albags I don't know what device the lad at the cartridge shop was going to use. Probably the kettle, lol

[AlBags]

The lad at the shop said he was going to "blow" it!
Are you sure you didn't go in the sex shop by mistake? pmsl.

[Hugh Spencer]

Similar to alanogden, I have a small colourful advertisement cut from a magazine which I print from every few weeks if I haven't used the printer. I can print several on the same sheet of A4.

[Wak]

Try putting the cartridge in a saucer of hot water (not boiling as this could buckle the plastic at the print head and damage the electrics) so that the print head only is in the water. Occasionally brush the print head with a small artist's paint brush. ( the brush is small, not the artist!)
Leave until the water is cool and then replace in printer and try the HP cleaning program. Repeat if necessary.
Alternatively hold the print head under the hot tap and use the artist's brush.
If successful, print a small photo or text file every two weeks as suggested above just to keep the ink flowing.

[Mattstinkyink]

http://www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk/ provides both original and compatible versions of nearly all ink and toner cartridges. You also get free delivery and 100% product guarantee, good retailer.