Why Your Refilled Black Cartridge Isn’t Printing & Heats Up — DTF Printer Troubleshooting Guide

Customer Question:

I refilled my black cartridge on my Epson L1800 (used for DTF printing), but it’s not printing. The paper comes out blank, and when I remove the cartridge after printing, it feels warm to the touch. The cartridge isn’t blocked, so what could be the issue?

Answer:

Understanding the Problem: Blank Prints and Cartridge Heat-Up

You mentioned two critical symptoms:

1. Blank pages despite printing attempts

2. Heat is observed in the cartridge when it is removed

These are significant clues and point to an issue beyond a simple clog.

1. Cartridge Not Blocked, But Still No Ink Output

If you’ve confirmed that the cartridge is not clogged, yet no ink appears on the paper, there’s a good chance that the ink isn't flowing properly from the cartridge to the printhead. This can be caused by:

• Air bubbles or an air gap in the ink outlet or the sponge inside the cartridge.

• Poor contact between the cartridge and the ink receptor (printhead ink inlet).

• Dried ink near the outlet nozzle, even if the rest of the cartridge appears fine.

This is particularly common after a refill, especially if the cartridge wasn’t properly primed afterward.

2. Cartridge Feels Warm

Heating in the cartridge usually means the printhead nozzles are firing—electric current is being applied to heat the ink chamber—but no ink is flowing out. This creates thermal stress on the nozzle. The result: heat builds up in the cartridge body. While this won’t cause an immediate failure, it can damage the printhead over time if left unresolved.

Recommended Fixes

Here are a few steps to troubleshoot and hopefully resolve the issue:

A. Prime the Cartridge

Even if the cartridge looks full, air can be trapped. Perform a gentle manual priming:

• Use a priming tool or syringe to draw ink from the cartridge outlet to ensure proper ink flow.

• This also helps eliminate air bubbles that prevent ink from reaching the printhead.

B. Check Cartridge Seating

Make sure the cartridge is firmly and fully seated in the printhead carriage. Poor alignment can result in miscontact between the ink exit and the nozzle assembly.

C. Inspect the Outlet Seal

The cartridge’s outlet should have a soft rubber seal that interfaces with the printhead. If it’s damaged, hardened, or misaligned, ink won’t flow even if the cartridge appears fine.

D. Perform a Nozzle Check & Cleaning

After addressing flow and priming, run a nozzle check via your printer’s software or control panel. Follow up with a cleaning cycle to ensure all channels are primed with ink.

E. Avoid Running Multiple Dry Prints

If the nozzles are firing without ink, they’re running dry, which causes heat accumulation and risks burning out the nozzle. Avoid running multiple blank pages to “force” printing—it can make things worse.

Important Considerations

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. Therefore, we're unable to provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs. We offer an in-person evaluation and repair service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service) via our local diagnostic facility. Given the high demand, we operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, it may take a few weeks before we can arrange for your printer to drop it off. Our services are structured to repair either the whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. However, we acknowledge that our rates aren't the most economical. Thus, we highly recommend that you resort to self-help via online research. You can start by checking out YouTube or visiting our YouTube channel's homepage (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Look for specific videos using the search icon next to "About" on the right-hand side of the menu bar. I receive dozens of queries every day asking about videos for specific topics. Having created videos over the past nine years, it's challenging to remember every single one. Therefore, using YouTube's search function would be most efficient. Plus, YouTube might suggest relevant videos from other channels that could assist you.

Thank you once again for your question and for being part of our growing community. Your continued support keeps us motivated to share better guides and insights!