There are a lot of used large-format printers out there it seems. With many small businesses squeezed financially, there are many great deals to be found. But how do you know if you’re getting a good deal or just taking possession of someone else’s headache?
Fortunately, there are some things that you can check that will tell you more about what condition a used printer is really in. Let’s discuss some quick and relatively non-invasive ways to inspect a used digital printer.
The best way to determine the condition of any equipment is to inspect it in person. I think it’s important to mention here that there are many printers available online through eBay, Craigslist or other classified advertising and auction sites; however, these are usually private parties asking for cash and offering no guarantees. Pictures are nice but don’t tell you anything about what condition the printer is really in. These services can be great tools to help you find a potential seller, but I would suggest finding something local or at least no farther than you are willing to travel. Regardless of how you find it, the next step is to go and see the printer for yourself.

Once in front of the printer there are a couple of things you can look for right away that will tell you a lot about how the printer has been treated. Note any spills or ink splatters on the printer. Also check for missing screws or covers that don’t align correctly or are bent (see Image 1). Check the floor around the printer, too. If you see spills, this can be a sign that there previously may have been a leak. All of these point to possible abuse and apathy, but it could also be that the printer was worked hard and regular maintenance may have been neglected. In and of itself, this is not necessarily a deal breaker, but it hints that the seller probably only responded to issues as needed and not preventively.

You can also ask the seller when the printer was serviced last and why, as well as the last time any regular maintenance might have been performed. Take note of this. If you are able to produce a service report from the printer, you can compare the seller’s statements for accuracy. More on this later.

Other ways to determine a printer’s condition is to look at the ink (if any) that may already be inserted into the printer. Has it expired? If so, when? This can tell you a lot about the last time the printer likely had unexpired ink flowing through it. Computer chips on the cartridges tell the printer what type of ink is in the cartridge and its expiration date. Since many printers will not allow you to use expired ink, this insinuates that the printer may have been sitting for a while. Some printers don’t check the “chips” on the cartridges, but either way, if the seller has been using expired ink, this may cause issues later on with clogging. So take a look at the dates on the ink cartridges.

NOTE: The best way to store unused printers is to flush the ink lines with cleaning fluid and drain any remaining fluid that may be in the lines. However, this is a best case scenario. On the other hand, if the printer has been flushed and you are there to inspect the printer in person, then how can you have the printer produce a test print to check if the print heads are working? Make sure that when you make arrangements to see the printer that you tell the seller you expect to see it printing.

The only way to determine the condition of the print heads is to actually see them printing. Ask the seller to perform a test print pattern (see Image 2). Since print heads can get expensive and are essential to print quality, knowing their condition can tell you a lot about what kind of work (if any) the printer may need.

If the print heads are working or at least printing acceptable test patterns, no matter what condition the rest of the printer is in, this is a good sign. At the very least, it confirms that the print heads are working and the systems that support ink flow throughout the printer are also working, for now.

Keep in mind that missing nozzles don’t necessarily mean there are issues with the print heads. Sometimes failing ink pumps, a damaged or dirty capping station and dampers might be at fault here. See my August/September/October 2008 articles for a review on how to inspect dampers and pumps. But remember that bad test patterns mean that the printer needs work, and if the seller cannot get the printer printing acceptable patterns (at least 90 percent of the nozzles for each print head are firing), then I would recommend you hold off on your purchase.

At this point, if you’re seeing the printer in person and the seller has been nice enough to invite you into his or her shop, perhaps whipping out a screwdriver and asking them if you can remove the covers and inspect the pumps and caps may be bit presumptuous. Fortunately, there are some indirect ways you can inspect these systems that should give you a pretty good idea of their condition.

One way to check that the ink pumps are moving ink through the printer is to simply look at the waste tank as the printer does a cleaning cycle (see Image 3). Usually a printer will perform a cleaning when it is powered up and sometimes a short cleaning cycle may be performed just before a test print. Take note of where the waste tank is located then ask the seller if they can have the printer perform several cleaning cycles. During these cleanings, ask the seller if they would be kind enough to perform a test print pattern before and after each cleaning. Make sure the test patterns remain consistent from test print to test print and nozzles don’t come and go between cleanings.

Also, watch the waste tank while the printer performs these cleanings and make sure that ink is actually flowing into the tank. If there is no ink flowing into the waste tank and nozzle check patterns are not printing correctly or do not improve after multiple cleanings, then this indicates that ink is not flowing correctly through the print heads and the printer needs work before you purchase it.

The capping station is designed to not only protect your print heads when not in use (to prevent them from drying up) but also acts to create a firm seal with the heads so that the pumps can operate correctly. If the seal on the capping station is covered with dry ink or warped because of age, this can prevent the caps from making a good seal and lead to poor pump performance. For this reason, the capping station is another good indicator of the printer’s condition (see Image 4).

NOTE: A great way to inspect the caps is to wait for the printer to perform a test print or media cut and just lift the lid or the printer when the carriage moves out of the way. The printer should pause and you should be able to look inside and see the capping station. Another way to do this is to (provided the seller is familiar with how to do this) have the seller show you how to replace a wiper. This procedure is basic and also can be found in the operator manual. Most printers will move the carriage aside and present the wipers for changing, which will give you an excellent look at the capping station. Some printers will have a procedure to move the carriage aside within the menu.

Either way, once you get a look at the caps, check if the caps are damaged or dirty. Look for debris or dried ink on each cap. Make sure the caps are not cracked or the rubber has warped or even torn away.

A history report is an internal printout that acts like a log of what errors the printer has encountered in its lifetime (see Image 5). History reports will show the serial number, firmware revision as well as other vital statistics about the printer. Some manufacturers will even log how many times certain systems encountered errors, how many hours the printer has been on and even when the printer was manufactured.

This report can sometimes be found in the standard user menu but is usually only accessible through a service/maintenance menu. You may need to seek out a service manual for instructions on how to access these menus or perhaps a good Internet search may be helpful, too. Nevertheless, all of this information can be used to support what the seller told you earlier about service and maintenance history and might even provide additional leverage during price negotiations.

Another idea might be to simply bring along a service technician who is familiar with the printer. If they discover an issue, then it was money well spent and perhaps your service technician will work with the seller to get it fixed.

Unlike cars, there is no PrinterFax out there to give us a history on used printers; however, I hope that some of these suggestions might help you avoid purchasing something that is not what it seems. Perhaps these tips will even help you negotiate a better or fairer price for the printer. Remember that damaged or failing components can give you leverage when negotiating a final price.

For those who already own a printer and are not looking for used equipment, this article also reads as a checklist of points that should be inspected on your printer regularly. Regular maintenance is critical to the life of printers and only takes a few minutes. For those selling a printer, I would submit to you that this article reads like a checklist for you as well. Make sure that the printer can pass a basic inspection and that the test patterns are printing correctly and consistently before posting it for sale.

Good Luck!