Let’s chat about printer purge files and why you need them. If you’ve ever been frustrated by a printer clog, you will appreciate having these files on hand.
I am talking about converted EcoTank printers today, but these purge files can be used with any printer.
You can watch me walk you through the whole process by pressing play on the video below or keep reading for all of the information.
What are Printer Purge Files?
Printer purge files are files set up to help move ink through your printer. Mine are set up to help you push a lot of ink through the printer at once.
Why Do You Need Printer Purge Files?
Printers can get clogged. Converted sublimation printers are especially prone to clogging. This is because sublimation ink is thicker than regular printer ink.
Printing purge files can help lengthen the life of your printer. Running a printhead cleaning or a power cleaning can reduce the life of your printer. You don’t want to do those unless absolutely necessary.
Running a printer purge file through your printer can get the ink flowing on its own.
Another reason you may use a printer purge file would be if you have changed the ink you’re using and want to get the new ink flowing.
Where to Get Printer Purge Files?
You can download the printer purge files shown in this post for free here.
My printer purge file bundle includes a multi-color sheet and a solid sheet for each CMYK color. You can choose to print one or multiple files as needed.
How Do You Print a Purge File?
You would print a purge file exactly like you’d print any other file. My files are downloaded as PDF documents. Simply open the file and print right from Adobe Acrobat Reader.
These files can be printed at any time. The multi-color page is a great option if you are just doing a regular print. Sublimation printers, especially converted printers, should be printed regularly.
You can even schedule your prints. I have a tutorial for doing this with an Epson EcoTank. If you have a different printer you can probably Google search how to schedule a print to it. Having prints scheduled can help prevent future clogs.
Can I Sublimate These to Check Colors?
I typically use the printer purge files for my converted EcoTank printer. Because this is sublimation ink, I could print it onto sublimation paper and press it onto a light colored polyester fabric.
However, I wouldn’t use this to check my colors. There are not enough colors to get a true representation of whether the colors are right.
I have another tutorial on correcting sublimation colors. This includes ICC profiles and the type of design I recommend for checking colors.
If you do choose to print and press this design, I would mirror the design, or the Printer Purge File text will be backward.
When Would You Use Purge Files?
You can print these purge files at any time. If you haven’t printed for a while, you can print and see if the ink is flowing correctly.
If your print has lines, you can print the four-color file to see if all the colors are having an issue or just one color.
I would recommend using the four-color file for regular maintenance to get ink flowing. I would only use the single-color sheets if I was having an issue with one or more colors.
What if the Files Don’t Fix My Printer?
If you print multiple pages of printer purge files and you’re still having issues like lines or specific colors not printing, you may have a more extensive clog that will require you to do more steps.
I have a tutorial on getting clogs out of Epson EcoTank printers. If you’re using a different type of printer, I would search on YouTube to see if you can find a tutorial for your exact printer.
Why I Recommend Printer Purge Files
The goal with printer purge files is to move a lot of ink through the printer to help get ink flowing. You’ll want to print like 10 to 20 pages.
If I have a problem with my magenta ink, I would send 10 prints to the printer and see if the ink started flowing. If it doesn’t, send 10 more prints.
I reuse the paper over and over until the ink starts flowing so I don’t waste paper.
If you’re having issues with your printer, these printer purge files are great. They can really help get the ink flowing. If you haven’t used your printer in a while and want to see how the colors are doing I would start by printing the four-color file.
I hope I’ve answered any questions about what a printer purge file is and why you’d need to use them. If you have any additional questions, leave them in the comments, and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.
