DH90 Printhead Startup Summary - Kodak

DH90 Printhead Startup Summary 

Use the following procedures to start production and correct any printhead problems with the DH90 printhead. See “Preventing 

Printhead Problems” to reduce the need for corrective procedures. 

Bring the Printheads to READY 

1. Place all printheads to be used in the service position. 

2. Select READY for all printheads to be used. (Select PSI, 

then select PRINTHEAD → READY for each printhead.) 

• If a printhead charge short occurs, select ACK 

ERROR on the PSI Details screen and let the 

autorecovery cycle complete. 

• If the printhead charge shorts again during this 

automatic Ready cycle, use “Recovery from a 

Charge Short” to correct the problem. 

Recovery from a Charge Short 

The printhead should be in service position. 

1. Wet the catchpan O-ring with replenisher and install the 

catchpan. 

2. From the PSI Summary screen, select PRINTHEAD → 

CLEAN, and allow this sequence to complete. 

3. Select SERVICE EYELID. 

4. Select STEP TO READY. 

Wait until the system stops at the Step Forward state 

(See the Sequence Summary area of the PSI screen). 

5. Inspect the jets. 

If no inkjet problem exists, select STEP UP, wait two seconds, 

and select STEP UP again to bring to Ready. Go to 

step 6. 

If the ink curtain has inkjet straightness problems or 

streakers, go to “Swab the Printhead”. 

6. When Step To Ready 

sequence is complete, 

clean the inside of the 

eyelid with a swab 

moistened with 

replenisher. 

7. Select CLOSE EYELID. 

8. Remove the catchpan. 

9. Remove the wicking pad, if 

one is applied. 

10. Moisten a lint-free cloth with 

replenisher, and clean the 

bottom of the printhead until 

the cloth wipes off relatively 

clean. 

Wipe at an angle away from 

the eyelid seal to avoid 

pushing debris into the 

closed eyelid. 

11. Apply a fresh wicking pad. 

12. Move the printhead to print position, and resume printing 

the job. 

Swab the Printhead 

If using this procedure by itself, move the printhead to service 

position, insert the catchpan, and select SERVICE EYE- 

LID. 

1. Starting at the PSI Summary screen, select PRINTHEAD 

→ CLEAN. 

2. During the first 30 seconds after selecting Clean—while 

ink weeps down the catcher face—saturate a swab with 

ink from the orifice plate. 

3. Gently, but firmly, swab 

the orifice plate and the 

edge of the charge plate. 

4. When the Clean sequence 

is complete, select STEP 

TO READY.

5. When the printhead reaches the Step Forward state, 

inspect the jets, and use one of the following steps: 

• If you do not observe any crooked jets, allow 

STEPREADY to continue. Go to step 14. 

• If you observe crooked jets, repeat step 2 through 

step 5. 

• If you have repeated the swabbing and you still 

observe crooked jets, go to step 6. 

6. Saturate a swab with KODAK VERSAMARK FR1042 

Replenisher Fluid (part 6091042). 

7. Select CLEAN. 

8. For the 25 seconds before 

the ink weep step, swab at 

the area where the crooked 

jets were observed. 

Note: Never squirt fluid 

directly into the 

orifice plate or 

charge plate area, 

but onto the swab. 

9. After the Printhead Clean 

sequence is complete, select STEP TO READY. 


inspect the jets, and use one of the following steps: 



• If you observe crooked jets, repeat step 6 through 

step 10. 

• If you observe crooked jets after repeating these 

steps and you have time, go to step 11. 

11. Select SHUTDOWN, and allow the printhead to complete 

the Shutdown sequence. 



observe the jets, and use one of the following steps: 



• If you observe crooked jets, replace the printhead. 

14. Select STEP UP, wait two seconds, and select STEP UP 

again. The sequence will continue bringing the printhead 

to READY state. 

15. When the Printhead status displays "Finished" with a 

green background, clean the inside of the eyelid with a 

swab moistened with replenisher. 

• Saturate the swab with replenisher. 

• Use a swab for one wipe across the full length, then 

reverse the swab for another wipe. 

• Do not reuse a swab for a third wipe. 

• Use several swabs until the swab is left relatively 

clean. 


• If a charge short occurs when closing the eyelid, go 

to “Charge Short Recovery During Operations”. 


18. Remove the wicking pad, if one is applied. 

19. Moisten a lint-free cloth or towel with replenisher, and 

clean the bottom of the printhead. Wipe several times, 

using a clean area of the towel, until the towel is 

relatively clean. 

Note: Always wipe across the width, at an angle away 

from the eyelid seal. This avoids pushing debris 

and fibers into the closed eyelid. Debris in the 

eyelid can cause print defects. 

20. Apply a fresh wicking pad. 


the job. 

Charge Short Recovery During Operations 

If any printhead develops a charge short when printing is 

stopped and the eyelid closes or when the printhead is idle 

but in READY state, use the following procedure to swab the 

ends of the charge plate. 

1. At the PSI details screen, select ACK ERROR. The 

autorecovery cycle continues. 

• The system begins an autorecovery to bring the 

printhead to READY. 

• If the autorecovery succeeds, continue with printing 

activities. 

• If another charge short develops, acknowledge the 

error and continue with step 2. 

2. If the printhead is in print position, move the printhead to 

service position. 

3. Wet the catchpan o-ring with replenisher and install the 

catchpan. 

4. From the work area, select CLEAN, and allow the 

sequence to complete. The Time remaining field will 

display “Finished.” 

5. Select SERVICE EYELID. 


7. Wait until the Printhead status field displays “Step 

forward,” and the ink jets are flowing into the catchpan. 

8. Wet a swab with 

replenisher, and swab 

the charge plate at the 

far left end, outside of 

the two-wire connection. 

9. Wet a second swab, and 

swab the charge plate at 

the far right end.




11. Inspect the inside of the eyelid. 

• If the eyelid has crystallized ink or other debris, 

continue with step 12. 

• If the eyelid is clean, continue with step 14. 

12. Saturate a swab with replenisher, and swab the inside of 

the eyelid. 

13. Repeat swabbing with a fresh swab and replenisher until 

the swab is relatively clean and the eyelid has no ink 

crystals or debris on its inside. 



16. Remove the wicking pad, if one is applied. 

17. Moisten a lint-free cloth or towel with replenisher, and 

clean the bottom of the printhead. Wipe several times, 

using a clean area of the towel, until the towel is 

relatively clean. 

Always wipe across the width, at an angle away from the 

eyelid seal. This avoids pushing debris and fibers into 

the closed eyelid. 

18. If necessary, apply a fresh wicking pad. 


the job. 

Leaks At Start-Up 

A printhead may leak soon after the print station has been 

powered on or when the eyelid is closed. Use the following 

steps to clean the eyelid quickly. 

Note: 

If a leaking printhead has just been installed, the 

printhead may require removal and installing 

again, paying attention to wetting the o-rings and 

volcano seal. 

1. If the printhead is in print position, move the printhead to 

service position. 

2. Wet the catchpan o-ring with replenisher and install the 

catchpan. 

3. From the subsystem bar, select PSI. 

4. In the work area, select the appropriate printhead. 

5. From the work area, select SERVICE EYELID. 

6. From the work area, select CLEAN, and allow the 

sequence to complete. The Time remaining field will 

display “Finished.” 

7. From the work area, select STEP TO READY. 





10. Wipe any drops from the bottom of the printhead. 

11. Continue printing activities when the printhead has 

reached READY. 

Preventing Printhead Problems 

Charge shorts, streakers, missing print, and other 

print defects result from ink build-up and foreign matter 

on the charge plate, catcher lip, and eyelid. The 

defects often develop while the printhead is idle 

between four and eight hours. If the printhead is to 

be idle, use the following guide. 

Idle time from 10 minutes to 1 hour 

Normally, leave the printhead in Ready. 

Idle time from 1 to 4 hours 

Normally, leave the printhead in Ready. Or select 

CLEAN to bring the printhead to SERVCLEAN. 

You will leave the print station powered on. 

Idle time from 4 hours to 88 hours (3 days and 16 

hours) 

Place the printheads in Wakeup Mode. You will 

leave the print station powered on. 

If any printhead develops charge shorts during this 

idle period, open its eyelid and correct the charge 

short (“Charge Short Recovery During Operations”). 

After correction, the printhead can remain in READY 

state until you resume printing. 

Wipe the bottom of each printhead and clean the 

eyelid every four hours of printing. 

Make sure the phase setting for a new printhead is in 

the middle of its phase window.

0114307-602 

0114307-603 06/2006 Revision 003 ECN K6186 

© Eastman Kodak Company, 2006. 

Kodak and Versamark are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company. Printed in China.

DH90 Printhead Startup Summary - Kodak

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