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UV Ink Printer Maintenance and Cleaning Routines: Daily, Overnight, Weekend and Long Shutdown Care for CMYK, White and Varnish

This page started as the uvinks.co.za "Maintenance & Cleaning Routines" page (published October 2021, last changed November 2021). It is a sound checklist, but it gives no reasons, names a cleaner by an old name, does not say which current AM.CO.ZA products to use, and does not cover power cuts, auto-clean settings, capping-station care or what to do when nozzles will not recover. This deepened version is a practical owner's guide to looking after a UV ink printer (hybrid UV roll-to-roll, UV flatbed and UV-DTF printers using Epson XP600, i1600 or i3200 class printheads). The original 2021 checklist is kept word for word at the bottom.

Facts come from the original uvinks.co.za page, the AM.CO.ZA product data behind buythis.co.za (Buythis dump and product JSON on am.im; dump dated up to 2026-10-20) and AM.CO.ZA YouTube videos, each named where it is used. Prices change, so this page quotes none: check each linked Buythis page. Stock is not shown here. Sister pages: converting a printer to UV ink, ink storage, safety and the Premium Hybrid UV inks.

Quick answer

Why UV ink needs a routine

UV ink does not dry by evaporation; it cures when UV light hits it. That is good news in the nozzles (it stays liquid much longer than eco-solvent ink) but bad news anywhere stray UV light reaches it: in the capping station, on the wiper, in the waste line or in a translucent tank. AM.CO.ZA's FAQ video on hybrid UV printers says it is "always best to have your printer in a relatively dark area" and to "keep this printer away from UV light and rather use the lighting that's provided on the printer", otherwise the inks cure inside the printer and "you'll spend more time trying to keep this thing cleaned than rather printing" (FAQ of UV Hybrid Printers, Printing Thickness, Ink Difference, Daily and Holiday Maintenance (2025-01-13)).

White UV ink is heavier: its pigment settles, so it must keep moving. The same video advises that "if you have white ink you want to leave your printer on so that the agitator keeps stirring that white ink", and to "give that bottle a good bloody shake before you add it to your printer". That is why the routine treats white separately from CMYK and clear varnish.

What you need

Item What it is for AM.CO.ZA product
UV cleaning liquid Flushing lines and heads, storing heads over short breaks, ink changes. Sold for UV-curable inks only (including hybrid UV and UV-DTF). F2-UV/CLEAN (1 litre)
Lint-free cloths Wiping the head face after a purge, and tank cleaning AM-WIPE/5 (five 30 × 30 cm microfiber cloths)
Printhead wet wipes Static-free wipes for solvent and UV printhead maintenance F-UV/WIPE (50 wipes)
Swabs Cleaning the capping station, wiper and narrow openings AM-BUD/50 (50 nonwoven swabs)
Syringe Filling the ink cap with cleaning liquid, manual flushing, sucking sediment out of a subtank Any clean syringe with a short tube
Ink filters Replaced after a long shutdown and at service intervals F-INK/FILTER/5C/UV (5 micron, CMYK), F-INK/FILTER/10C/UV (10 micron, white and varnish), F-INK/FILTER/UV (50 micron disk filters)

The ink combo packs F2-UV/COMBO/WHITE/WIPE, F2-UV/COMBO/CMYK/WIPE and, for UV-DTF printers, H-UVDTF/INK/COMBO/8 already include cleaner and wipes. The UV ink and cleaner product data gives the handling rules: shake well before pouring, agitate the ink tank once a day and before printing, store and transport between 5 °C and 35 °C, keep cool, dry and out of direct sunlight, do not stand bottles directly on the floor, and run the printer at 19 °C to 28 °C with 30% to 80% relative humidity, non-condensing.

Cleaning solvent or storage solution? AM.CO.ZA's FAQ video separates the two. Cleaning liquid "this is used for cleaning purposes only and this can eat or damage other parts so this should not be used longterm or left in the capping area". A storage (capping) solution is different: "solution is not used for cleaning and is purely used in the capping area to make sure that the head stays wet" (FAQ of UV Hybrid Printers, Printing Thickness, Ink Difference, Daily and Holiday Maintenance (2025-01-13)). The original page below calls the UV cleaner "Hybrid Cleaning Solution"; the current UV cleaner in the product data is F2-UV/CLEAN.

Daily routine

Start-up (all colours, white and clear)

  1. Switch the printer on and wait at least 15 minutes so the ink in the subtanks and printheads warms up.
  2. Purge the heads twice and wipe the face with a dry lint-free cloth. Never put flush on the cloth.
  3. Print a nozzle check and read it before you start a job.

An AM.CO.ZA technician sums up the morning habit: "every morning, you do a clean nozzle. And then once you're done, then you do the nozzle test" (Align Printhead with Ink Cap on ATools System and Daily Maintenance Tips (2025-10-26)).

During the day

Nozzle health rule. Missing nozzles must be recovered immediately. A partly blocked nozzle left overnight can become a permanent blockage.

Weekly and monthly care

Shutdown plans at a glance

Break Colours and clear White
Overnight Purge, wipe, good nozzle check, close valves, park carriage low, power off. No flush in the heads. Same as colours.
Weekend, up to 4 days Same as overnight. Purge and fill the heads with UV cleaning liquid (built-in purge or manual flush), close valves, park low, power off. On return, purge, wipe and nozzle check.
Up to 1 week Same as overnight. Treat as "more than 4 days" below.
More than 4 days (white) or more than 1 week (colours and clear) Empty and clean the main tanks, fill with UV cleaning liquid, purge each line until the liquid runs clear, close valves, park low, power off. Same, for the white line.

Restarting after a long shutdown. Empty the cleaning liquid from the main tanks and refill with ink. Purge at least 300 ml of ink through each line so no leftover flush affects curing or nozzle stability. For white, fit a new printhead filter. Bleed air from the ink delivery system using the machine's bleed function, then do the normal daily start-up.

Do not use cling film, sponge, foam or cloth caps that touch the nozzle plate, and do not use built-in flushing systems to store heads overnight. Capping systems that seal only around the edge of the face plate are fine.

Power cuts and load shedding

A sudden power cut leaves the carriage wherever it stopped, with the heads uncapped. AM.CO.ZA's load-shedding video shows how to cap the head by hand: open the side panel, turn the capping-station gear to learn which way raises the cap, move the carriage over the cap, align cap and head with a torch, then turn the gear until the cap fully seals. Then "make sure that you switch off the machine" so a power surge cannot damage the printer when power returns, and "lock your waist pipe the reason why we do this is to avoid the airflow to your head" (Printhead Emergency Maintenance When Load Shedding and Process to Protect Your Large Format Printer (2023-03-19)). The same video adds a warning worth knowing: "insurance companies are refuting claims caused by power outages on the basis that they are planned events". Related demos: Cap Printhead with Cleaning Liquid when Power Failed on Large Format Printers (2026-02-20) (filling the ink cap with cleaning liquid by hand after a power failure) and Manually Cap Printhead on A3 DTF Printer with Ink Station Knob (2026-01-28).

Long holidays, moving the printer, and blocked heads

Ink and warranty

Use AM.CO.ZA UV inks and cleaners in AM.CO.ZA UV printers. The FAQ video explains that switching ink types is costly and that there is "no warranty claim on ink that isn't AMS" (FAQ of UV Hybrid Printers, Printing Thickness, Ink Difference, Daily and Holiday Maintenance (2025-01-13)). The product terms on F2-UV/CLEAN also state that there is no warranty in respect of any consumable. Other cleaners in the range are for other ink families only: F-ECO/CLEAN for eco-solvent pigment inks (it contains gamma butyrolactone, which can cause serious eye damage) and F-AQUA/CLEAN for water-based DTG, DTF and sublimation inks. To change a printer from one ink family to UV, follow the conversion guide.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Likely cause What to do
Missing nozzles in the morning check Ink dried or cured on the face plate; air in the line Purge and wipe again, repeat the nozzle check; check cap seal and alignment
One edge of the nozzle check always weak Head not centred on the ink cap Re-align the capping station position
White fades or prints patchy White pigment settled Check the agitator or circulation pump, shake the bottle, purge white, check the subtank for sediment
Hard ink build-up on cap, wiper or waste line Stray UV light or residue left after cleaning Clean with UV cleaning liquid and swabs; move the printer away from daylight and yellow light
Curing or adhesion problems after a long stop Leftover cleaning liquid in the lines Purge at least 300 ml of ink per line
Ink leaking from a damper or valve Non-UV-rated or worn part Replace with UV-resistant dampers, valves and tubing

Data notes

FAQ

How long can a UV printer stand without printing? Overnight and up to a week for colours and clear with a normal shutdown; up to 4 days for white with the heads stored in UV cleaning liquid. Longer than that, flush the lines.

Why purge white ink when I am not printing white? White pigment settles in the lines and head. The 4-hourly purge and the agitator keep it mixed.

Can I put flush on my wiping cloth? No. Wipe with a dry lint-free cloth after a purge; the original page repeats this at every step.

Can I use any cleaner? No. Use F2-UV/CLEAN for UV inks only.

Why does my printer need a dark room? UV ink cures in daylight, reflected sunlight and yellow light, even inside the machine.

What if my nozzles will not come back? Contact AM.CO.ZA support straight away; do not keep printing on a blocked head.

Videos used on this page

Original uvinks.co.za page

Source: https://uvinks.co.za/maintenance

Required Consumables

This guide is extremely important to follow on a day to day basis by the customer. It outlines how to manage the inks on a daily, weekly, and longer basis, which includes shutting down of the machines during these periods.

Daily:

Start up, all COLOURS, WHITE & CLEAR:

During the day, if required, all COLOURS & CLEAR:

During the day, WHITE:

NOTE:It is important to maintain a good nozzle status. If nozzles are missing, ensure they are recovered immediately. If this is not done, nozzles may become permanently blocked. If you are unable to recover the nozzle status, contact our support immediately.

Shut Down:

NOTE: AM.CO.ZA does not recommend the use of capping systems that have direct contact with the nozzles on the face plate of the print heads, e.g. incorporating cling film/sponges/foam rubber/lint-free cloth, for UV printing systems. Some capping systems only seal around the perimeter of the face plate, without coming into contact with the nozzle area – in these cases the capping system can be used.

Overnight, all COLOURS, WHITE & CLEAR:

NOTE: AM.CO.ZA does not recommend the use of built-in flushing systems for overnight storage. Do not fill the print heads with flush.

Weekend – up to 1 week for COLOURS & CLEAR:

NOTE: AM.CO.ZA does not recommend the use of built-in flushing systems for overnight storage. Do not fill the print heads with flush.

Weekend – up to 4 days for WHITE:

Removal of flush:

More than 4 days for WHITE:

Removal of flush:

More than 1 week for COLOURS and CLEAR:

Removal of flush: