THIS IS AN INK CARTRIDGE WITH THE PRINT HEAD INTEGRATED.

This is a cartridge that is used in Pitney Bowes, Astrojet, Secap, Bryce, and Rena postage machines.

This is dye based ink.

 

Not Recognizing

 

Verify they have the correct cartridge for their specific model printer.

 

There may be a piece of tape present on the cartridge that covers the print head and some of the contacts.  Make sure this piece of tape has been removed if it’s present.

 

Using a coffee filter or a lint-free cloth gently wipe the gold/copper connection points found on the side of the cartridge.  Sometimes if dried ink, finger print oil, or some of the tape residue stays on the contacts it can cause the cartridge not to recognize.

 

To remove and install this cartridge into a Pitney Bowes DA400 machine do the following;

–          Make sure the printer is OFF LINE.  With the printer on, press the On Line key until the indicator light above the key goes out.

–          Open the print station cover.

 

–          Grasp the blue cartridge latch and lift it up.  The cartridge will “pop” loose.

 

–          Hold the handle on the print cartridge and lift the cartridge out of the cradle.

 

–          Raise the latch all the way up on the Head Print Assembly.  Hold the new cartridge from the notched handle on top of the cartridge.  Gently insert the cartridge down at approximately a 45 degree angle into the cradle.

 

–          Push down on the ink cartridge until it is seated on the bottom of the Head Print Assembly.  Push and rock the print cartridge forward to stand the ink cartridge up.

 

–          Press down the blue latch to lock the print cartridge in place.

 

–          Close the top cover.

 

Print Quality Issues

 

There is a black plastic protective clip on the outside of the cartridge which must be removed prior to installation.  It will snap off.

 

There is a protective piece of tape that covers the print head and some of the contacts which must be removed.  Make sure this tape has been removed.

 

The print head is located on the bottom of the cartridge.  Do NOT touch the print head with your fingers.  Take a warm damp paper towel or coffee filter and blot the cartridge with the print heads facing down onto the paper towel to remove the dried ink on the print head. Then, taking a DRY paper towel or coffee filter, hold the cartridge down against the paper towel for 2-3 minutes. A dry paper towel will wick the ink out. Do not wipe the print head as this may cause damage.

 

 

Click on the YouTube video below to watch a video on performing the paper towel method

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqCWn-S9cgo[/youtube]

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There is a print head purging feature on the machine to help clean the print head.  To run this cleaning do the following;

–          Press the MENU button on the control panel.

 

–          Use the + or – keys to scroll to the PURGE PRINT HEAD menu item.

–          Press Enter.

–          The purge process fires all the ink jet nozzles onto a piece of media to dislodge and clear any dried ink on the nozzles.

 

Not Fitting

 

There may be a protective clip on the outside of the cartridge which must be removed.  If the customer is saying the cartridge looks too big they probably have not removed this protective clip.  The clip will just snap off the cartridge.

 

Verify they have the correct cartridge for their specific machine.