Printer Test Pages

[Daffy D]

If you have a inkjet printer that does not get much use it's a good idea to print a test page at least every couple of weeks to keep the jets from clogging up.

This is especially true for printers with external tanks as they seem to clog/dry up quicker than original cartridges.

I regularly run one of these pages through my printer.

Here's a lot more if you don't like those two :- https://www.google.co.th/search?q=printer+test+page&biw=1280&bih=566&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=RpC3U7DIHYr68QXaxoF4&sqi=2&ved=0CBoQsAQ

Just thought I'd share

[KhunBENQ]

And write the date of printing on the page and keep them for future comparision (degradation).

[WhizBang]

Inject printers, especially the color ones, are more trouble than they are worth. Which is why I bought a good old fashioned laser printer. It can sit for months unused, and then print a perfect page as needed. No fuss, no muss. Just works.

Great if all you need is to print documents (as I do).

[TPI]

Thanks for the link!

[aarn]

Talk about bringing a printer back from the dead... I have an HP deskjet 2050 copy/print/scan machine, puchased ~ 18m ago for just <2000B. Hadn't used it for a year.

Firing it up, finally got linux and windoze updates for the drivers etc. The tri-colour cartridge was still functional but the black one dead as a door nail.

But no need to buy overpriced replacement ink cartridges, just google/youtube 'how to revive printer'.

Then to ebay, refill ink from Honkers (with instructions) only 60B, including ordinary postage to LoS.

Of course, you'll never better the corner photocopy shop, 1B/copy. AA

[Pib]

Since I don't use my Canon inkjet printer (it scans and copies also) with external tanks that often...only every few weeks... I turn it on, I have a color pattern laying in the printer's scanner top but the color pattern bars are only about an inch long to save on ink, I press the copy button, the pattern prints outs, I date the print-out and leave it laying in the output tray so I know when I last did a pattern printout. I do this around every two weeks or so. Only takes a minute for the printer to fire-up, since I'm using it's built-in scanner I don't need a computer hooked up to it/turned on, then I press the copy button, the pattern scans and prints out, I then date the copy....good for another two weeks or so. It sure has kept my inkjet print-head from clogging up due to infrequent use.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Pib

[tifino]

wow, that's a lot of ink down the drain DD.

I never use the onboard test print function either.

But always do a test at lest every 3 weeks, which means never needing to perform a declogging from lack of use.

I have a Method which achieves the same result of PIbs, but instead of scaning and displacing the image on paper, I do it with msPaint:

What I did was to open 'paint', and created my own test pattern, which uses the common colours.

Method:

Scroll the screen as required, so that you can see the rectangular 'colour pallete'

It's either at the bottom for vintage Paint applications, or a the top for latter ones.

Do a screen print.

paste the image into paint, then rotate and trim the page down, until

all you have left is the rectangular pallette image. An array of little squares with different clours in each square.

White, colours and Black all represented. Graphic grey squares areb there to see quality of lines...

One sheet of paper can be used repeatedly for about 50 test prints.

All you do is start at the top left. You'll have a blank sheet, and so you paste the rectangular pallette image there

print.

Save the 'paint' as a jpg

Next time 3 weeks later: open the image file, in Edit

Copy and paste the 'pallete', a little bit below where it was.

Print the page out

Save the jpg page size image, for using again...

Keep repeating this every 3 weeks

Not as much Ink is Used

Most represented colour combinations, including Black are involved in these Tests

I'd like to Paste an image here of the Pallette, but I can't? and I don't have a url of the image I have just created on my PC.

(I've attached it)

(I have the little blank space below for time/date/comments)

Been using this method since my first colour printer back in 1998.

You can achieve multitudes of triple-columned 'pallettes down each page, before it's finally filled.

This method saves a lot on wasted paper too!

I am onto my 6th page, in all thos years!!!, and it illustrates at a glance how long my cartridges last too!!

I annotate when a cartridge is replaced, time and dated...

Edited July 6, 2014 by tifino

[tifino]

oh! - I meant to add...

after you have Pasted the copied 'pallette' - Delete the previous 'pallette' of 3 weeks earlier (before Printing)...

your sheet will otherwise become over populated by a headachefull page of multi-printed pallete images

which of course would defeat the ink-saving intentions

.

[Pomthai]

Whats the current consensus on the cheapest no frills color laser printer?

Needs to print A4. Dont care about scanning or copying - únless a Multi function device is the best choice.

I'll spend the money if I don't have to mess around with ink cartridges or refils ever again.

I'm happy to replace toner when it runs out assuming the opportunity for it to run out is given with a laser printer - as in it won't dry up like ink jets.

[tifino]

gotta be careful with some models...

... had, repeat - HAD a: Samsung...CLP350(a ?).. model colour scanner/fax/priner. Can't confirm the exact Model now as I threw all trace in the bin.

Great results, easy to install/ use etc,

BUT - even whether you do one page a day or 100 - the image roller only has a 12 month life

and it really did fade away in that timeframe

but it was CHEAP

Edited July 7, 2014 by tifino

[Daffy D]

tifino@ wow, that's a lot of ink down the drain

Depends how you look at it.

In the past when I forgot to run test prints or just could not be bothered, I would have to spend hours removing the cartridges cleaning the print head and then running the maintenance cleaning that used a lot of ink and filled up the waste ink tank.

I have a Canon printer with external tanks. A set of refill ink bottles cost about 800Bt. These will last me a year or more even with running regular print sheet tests.

It is not necessary to run a whole A4 each time. I can set to print only 1/4 or 1/2 page.

If I wanted to be a real cheap Charlie I could set to print one time in each corner than turn the paper over and do the same again. That way I could get 8 print tests on one sheet of A4.

[tifino]

'the lot of ink' reference was only to do with the particular example on your Initial Post, DD

...All those solid colour Bars.

That's why I reinforced your concept, introducing my own example of a multi-colour test pattern.

The little 'pallette' I offered in my Post as a jpg image, measured just 5*1 cm, and enabled approx 60test prints to be done on a single A4 sheet...

so, we're on the same side with this...

...that regular tests are far better, than to have to do cleaning if no tests were done regularly

[Daffy D]

so, we're on the same side with this...

...that regular tests are far better, than to have to do cleaning if no tests were done regularly