UV printer maintenance: daily care, downtime and cleaning
are explained briefly when you hover over or tap them.
A UV printer forgives very little. A week without care can be enough for nozzles to fail or white ink to settle. The good news: daily care takes only a few minutes. The recommendations here come from manuals and support pages from Mimaki, Procolored, eufyMake and Roland DG. Your machine may differ, and the manual always takes priority.
Maintenance schedule
| When | What | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Daily before printing | Shake white ink, print a nozzle check, clean if necessary | White settles, detect failures early |
| Daily after printing | Remove ink splashes, clean as per the manual, head in park position (capping) | Keep nozzles moist, prevent drying on |
| Weekly | White maintenance, clean wiper and capping station, check filter at the UV lamp | Avoid deposits and droplet deflection |
| Monthly | Clean or replace fan and ink mist filters, clean guide rails, check wear parts | Dust and ink mist interfere with mechanics and cooling |
| As needed | Empty waste tank, replace wiper and pads | Avoid overflow and poor cleaning |
At its core, this breakdown follows the maintenance schedule that Mimaki publishes for the JFX series. Desktop machines have fewer filters, but the principle is the same.
Nozzle check
The nozzle check prints a fine line pattern for each colour channel. Missing or crooked lines show clogged or deflected nozzles.
- Print a test before every working day
- If only individual lines are missing: one normal cleaning, then test again
- If lines are still missing after two cleanings: do not keep cleaning blindly, it only costs ink. Then read Clogged nozzles
- Keep a good nozzle check as a comparison
Cleaning wiper and capping
The wiper wipes the nozzle plate, and the capping station covers the head in the rest position and keeps it moist. Over time both collect ink, which cures.
- Move the machine to the maintenance position as described in the manual
- Put on gloves
- Clean wiper and capping with a cleaning swab and cleaning fluid, no lint-shedding cloths
- Check the edges of the cap for crusts; the cap must close tightly
- Never touch the nozzle plate with fingers or a dry cloth
Replace damaged or hard wipers. For the E1, eufyMake recommends replacement every few months depending on use.
Keeping white ink moving
White UV ink contains titanium dioxide. The pigments are heavy and settle. The results are streaks, pale white and clogged nozzles.
- Mimaki recommends shaking white cartridges gently up and down more than 20 times before switching on, wearing gloves and with a cloth over the opening.
- If less than 2 ml of white is used per day, white maintenance should run at least every two weeks, according to Mimaki (UJF-6042).
- If the machine stands for more than two weeks, white settles so much, according to Mimaki, that parts have to be replaced.
- Procolored generally advises shaking ink bottles before filling, because UV ink settles.
Many machines have a circulation pump for white. It only runs when the machine is switched on.
Room climate
| Manufacturer | Operating temperature | Humidity |
|---|---|---|
| eufyMake E1 | 15 to 35 °C | 20 to 85 % |
| Roland DG (UV machines) | 20 to 32 °C | 35 to 80 %, non-condensing |
Cold makes ink viscous, which leads to gaps and clogging. Heat stresses seals and adhesives. Air that is too dry encourages dust and static charge. Roland recommends an air-conditioned, dust-free room and not placing the machine in direct sunlight. Sunlight can cure ink in the lines. Store ink under the same conditions, cool and dark.
Downtime and holidays
The manufacturers agree on one point: do not simply switch the printer off and forget about it.
- Mimaki: For a break of a week or more, do not switch off the main switch. Run the storage cleaning (Custody Wash) beforehand and empty the waste tank. After the break: shake cartridges, white maintenance, nozzle check.
- Procolored: Leave the machine switched on daily if possible. If it stands for three days or longer, protect the print head with a moisturising device.
- eufyMake: When switched on, the E1 cleans itself automatically and moistens the nozzles after 24 hours without printing. This uses ink but protects the head.
Before a holiday: print a nozzle check and keep it, top up ink, check capping, empty the waste tank, leave the machine switched on. After the holiday: shake white, clean, new nozzle check, compare it with the old one. Why downtime costs money is explained in Running costs of a UV printer.
Disposing of waste ink
Liquid UV ink and cleaning fluid do not belong down the drain or in household waste. Mimaki refers to local regulations. In practice this means: collect waste ink in a sealed, labelled container and hand it in at the recycling centre or hazardous waste collection. Exactly what applies is stated in the safety data sheet of your ink, and you can find out from your waste disposal provider. Procolored also points out that you should remove spilled waste ink immediately, because it can attack components.
Gloves and protection
Liquid UV ink can irritate the skin and trigger allergies. Wear nitrile gloves for every maintenance task. Change them as soon as there is ink on them, and do not touch door handles or phones with them. More in UV printing and safety.
For business use
Set a fixed routine for start and end of the working day and hang it next to the machine. Note cleanings, part replacements and anything unusual in a maintenance log. This helps with a complaint or a warranty claim, and you see early on when a head is weakening.
Continue with: Clogged nozzles and Streaks in the print