While technology has come a long way since the printing press, modern printers can last a long time with proper care and maintenance. One way to save yourself money and time is proper printer maintenance, and cleaning the print heads can go a long way to getting the most out of not just your printer, but also getting more ink from the cartridges as well. With proper cleaning and care, your print heads will ensure ink is used appropriately and reduce printing errors.
Page Contents (Click Icon To Open/Close)
What Is A Printhead And How Does It Work?
A print head is essentially the component that puts ink to paper in the printer by excreting small ink drops out of many nozzles either directly onto the page, a printing ribbon, or a printing plate. The nozzle pattern on the print head itself will vary depending on the manufacturer and whether it is multi-color or mono-color.
A print head can be located either on the ink cartridges themselves or built into the printer. Dot-matrix printers will typically have the print head located just above the print output and move back and forth, similar to a typewriter while printing and impress the ink onto the page.
Inkjet printers will often have them on the ink cartridge and are located on the side of the cartridge that faces inside the printer when loaded and are typically underneath a ribbon when packaged for sale to prevent drying.
Inkjet printers that use an integrated print head are located near the front or side of the printer with an access panel for easier access. Here is a handy link to learn more about inkjet printers and how they work.

Two Types Of Print Heads: How They Differ
Besides where the print head is located, as discussed before, there is another key difference in print heads based on your printer manufacturer and how electricity is applied to the print head to produce images.
Piezoelectric Print Heads
Used by Epson inkjet printers, the piezoelectric print head contains microscopic piezoelectric pieces that conduct electricity and bend backwards behind the print nozzle, releasing the ink. Since this process is caused by an electrical charge, it is much easier to get precise dots of various sizes.
Thermal Print Heads
HP and Canon inkjet printers use electricity to heat resistors behind the print nozzle that vaporizes the ink so quickly that a bubble forms and explodes, letting the ink onto the paper. After ejection, the chamber is cooled and lets in more ink to repeat the process to continue to create the image.

How Can You Tell If A Printhead Is Clogged: When To Clean
Ink levels are normal, but the printer prints blank pages.
After identifying an issue like the ones listed above, there are a few steps to take to determine whether your problem can be resolved by cleaning the print head(s).
One of the most effective ways is to perform a nozzle check, which simply means having your printer create a test page that includes several patterns and all available colors.
If your printer has built-in controls, you can find options to print a test page under "Maintenance/Settings." Many printers also work with your computer's operating system. By entering your system preferences or settings and selecting "Printers & Scanners," you should also find an option to print a test page.
Once you have confirmed an issue with the nozzle or print head, you can start the process of cleaning your print head with the tips below.
Cleaning Your Printer Heads: Maintenance For Popular Printer Brands
1. How to Clean HP Print heads?
Automatic Cleaning – How do I get my HP printer to clean itself?
Manual Cleaning
Supplies: Waterproof container, dry paper towels, lint-free cloth, filtered/distilled hot water
2. How to Clean Epson Print heads?
Automatic Cleaning
Manual Cleaning
Supplies: Paper towels, tape, distilled/filtered water
3. How to Clean Canon Print heads?
Automatic Cleaning
Manual Cleaning
Supplies: Waterproof container, dry paper towels, lint-free cloth, filtered/distilled hot water
4. How to Clean Brother Print heads?
Automatic Cleaning
Manual Cleaning
Supplies: Distilled/filtered water, lint-free cloth or paper towel, waterproof container
5. How to Clean Print Heads on Ink Cartridges
Manual Cleaning
Supplies: Distilled/filtered water, paper towel

People Also Ask (FAQs)
Can you use rubbing alcohol to clean printer heads? What about vinegar?
Yes, but only to clean the contacts on the print heads by blotting on a paper towel soaked with rubbing alcohol or a diluted vinegar and water solution.
How do I prevent my print head from clogging?
Run the automatic printer head cleaning process at least once a month if the printer does not see frequent use and if the printer has not been used for longer than a month, perform a manual cleaning.
Does print head cleaning waste ink?
Print head cleaning does use ink which is why it is recommended only to attempt the automatic process a few times before resorting to manual methods.
How often should you clean printer heads?
For printers that see daily use, run the automatic cleaning process once a month. For printers that have not been used in over a month, attempt the automatic cleaning process before use and manually clean if needed.
What causes print head failure?
Infrequent use of the printer can allow ink to dry and cause print head failure. However, faulty ink cartridges can also cause issues if they leak. For those anticipating infrequent use, check out this article on top printers for infrequent use.
How long does a print head last?
With regular cleaning and maintenance, the print head can last as long as the other components of the printer.
Conclusion
Regular print head cleaning and maintenance can save you the hassle and cost of buying new ink cartridges too frequently (or having to refill) and extend the life of your printer for many years. Be sure to refer to the instruction manual of your printer for any additional details and use the steps from this article to increase the quality of your prints.
Andrew White is the founder of TechGearoid, a leading technology review & information website that is designed to help consumers make better decisions when it comes to their IT purchases. As a specialist tech writer (nerd) with over 10 years of experience, he enjoys writing about everything there is to do with modern technology & the newest market innovations. When he isn’t providing value for his readers, he’s usually drinking coffee or at the beach. Andrew lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and family.