Maintenance¶
Work in progress
Procedures are being documented and checked on the reference build.
Purging¶
Use a purge to fire nozzles without printing an image. This helps clear air or dried ink and prime the head:
Move the head over a waste area or wiper before purging. Drops land directly below its current position. Purging is also the first check for missing-nozzle streaks; see Troubleshooting.
Nozzle health¶
The RIP can generate a labelled nozzle check for visual inspection without a scanner. Each plumbed ink gets a comb pattern: one dash per nozzle, arranged diagonally, with a numbered ruler and guides every 10 nozzles.
python rip/rip.py --target nozzle_check -o nz.json --dpi 630 --preview nz.png
# encode and print nz.json, then read it by eye:
# find the gap -> follow the guide line up to the ruler -> read the number
python tools/record_dead_nozzles.py --dead "C:89;M:4,7;K:58" \
--profile rip/profiles/mymedia.json
Several consecutive missing nozzles usually indicate a clog. Purge and reprint
the check before recording failures. rip.py --nozzle-comp retouch can
compensate for isolated failed nozzles and the edges of a cluster. It cannot
fill the interior of a cluster, where no healthy neighbour is available.
Failed nozzles are recorded by physical slot, so the record remains valid when the ink map changes.
Storage and idling¶
TBD: capping and parking recommendations, ink shelf-life, and the first-use priming procedure for the reference head.