White cleaning methods that might clogged – Printer Cleaning Issues Part 23 ARTJET 2026

• When ink flows from the main ink bottle through the ink tube to the damper, it passes through the print head to the captop, moves through the motor pump, and drains into the waste ink tank.
• This article covers White Cleaning Methods That Might Clogged in the full ink supply problem series.
• You can view the full series index via 24 articles on ink supply issues.

Ink Storage Temperature:

• The optimal storage temperature for Epson UV inks is between 5 and 25 degrees Celsius.
• Failure to maintain this temperature can result in ink deterioration, color shifts during printing, or functional changes.
• Always check the ink bottle or confirm with your distributor for exact storage specifications.

Office Temperature Requirements for Epson Heads:

• Epson heads lack an internal heater and rely on room temperature to maintain proper jetting viscosity.
• Epson heads require an office temperature between 18 and 25°C for stable ink jetting.
• If the temperature is inappropriate, ink viscosity changes, preventing stable jetting.

To restore White nozzles, all cleaning-related hardware must function perfectly:

• Captop and Print Head Position: Must be correctly aligned. See Aligning Captop & Head Position and Capping Station Leveling.
• Peristaltic Pump Tube (Yellow Tube): Old yellow tubes degrade pumping suction. Replace the White pump yellow tube once every 3 months. See How to Replace Pump Tube.
• Captop Condition: If the White captop is contaminated or worn, replace it immediately. See How to Replace Captop.
• Damper Replacement: If pumping works but White ink in a specific channel won’t flow, replace the damper. See When to Replace Damper.

• Turn on the printer and connect to ARTJET software. The stirring device begins spinning automatically.
• Let it stir for 10 to 20 minutes to thoroughly mix heavy White ink pigments that settled at the bottom of the main tank.

While main tank stirrers mix tank ink, ink inside tubes and dampers remains uncirculated, causing heavy pigments to settle.

• Cleaning without pumping leaves unmixed, pale White ink in the lines, causing low density and faded overall colors.
• For more context on faded colors, see The Color Has Faded.
• Maintain inkload/pumping for at least 15 seconds after White ink appears in the waste bottle to completely purge separated ink.

Printing a Test Image:

• If White nozzles aren’t severely damaged after 1–2 cleanings, proceed directly to printing a test image rather than continuous cleaning.
• Set print mode to bi-directional Quality mode. In RIP software, assign Spot 1 as Material and Spot 2 as Spot color.
• White nozzle jetting naturally stabilizes during active printing. Run a nozzle test after the test print to confirm full nozzle recovery.
• Check out the video demonstration: Shorts Video Link

• Never leave the printer unused for over a month; severe White head clogging can become irreversible.
• Avoid directly injecting head-clearing liquids or alcohol into Epson heads. In test trials on 18 degraded heads, direct syringe flushing damaged the internal structures without restoring nozzles.

When left unattended for 2–3 weeks, ink dries out on the White captop. Use 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) only on the captop:

Step 1: Dissolve Dried Ink on Captop

• Fill the captop with 99% IPA using a spray bottle (shield linear encoder scale with your hand).
• Pump immediately until IPA drains into waste bottle, dissolving dried captop ink.

Step 3: Repeat & Channel Locking Backup Plan

• Clean and print test pattern. Repeat IPA captop soaking 2–3 times.
• If White nozzles fail to recover after 2–3 attempts, abandon further flushing. Lock bad White channels in software and increase density on working channels.
• See setup details: Head Offset Precision Tuning ARTJET