Intermittent or Missing Content in Inkjet Printing: Causes and Fixes

When part of the printed message goes missing or characters only appear intermittently, it affects traceability and compliance. Whether in CIJ, TIJ, or DOD printers, this issue is often related to ink flow, trigger timing, or printhead faults. This article helps you pinpoint and fix common causes of missing or partial print in industrial inkjet systems.

Common Symptoms

• ⚠️ Some characters or digits don’t appear on every product
• ⚠️ Messages begin printing halfway or cut off at the end
• ⚠️ Intermittent skips occur during continuous printing
• ⚠️ Product looks fine in preview but not in actual print

Top Causes and Solutions

1. Ink Delivery Disruption (CIJ/DOD)

• Cause: Air bubbles, filter clogs, or pump inconsistency lead to ink stream interruption
• Fix:
  • Check and bleed ink lines
  • Replace ink and makeup filters
  • Inspect pump for pressure or flow instability

2. Cartridge or Nozzle Issue (TIJ)

• Cause: Dry nozzles or low fill level reduce thermal firing consistency
• Fix:
  • Replace the cartridge if printing partially or weakly
  • Clean nozzle area and verify chip recognition

3. Faulty Trigger or Sensor Timing

• Cause: Product detection sensor not firing consistently
• Fix:
  • Check sensor alignment, sensitivity, and cable connection
  • Adjust “print delay” setting for better timing
  • Test triggering in diagnostic mode

4. Layout or Software Glitch

• Cause: Corrupted layout or unrecognized variable field
• Fix:
  • Recreate the layout using validated templates
  • Avoid excessive use of dynamic fields unless required
  • Preview message and check barcode/text composition before starting

5. Electrical or Data Communication Fault

• Cause: Printhead data not transmitted properly due to loose cable or EMI
• Fix:
  • Inspect printhead cable connections and reroute away from motor drivers
  • Test using a simplified message to isolate software vs hardware issue

Best Practices

• ✅ Clean printhead and filters weekly
• ✅ Regularly test sensor trigger function
• ✅ Back up and validate all layout files
• ✅ Perform test prints before large runs

FAQs

• Is this issue more common in TIJ or CIJ? TIJ can be more sensitive due to chip detection and thermal dependency, but CIJ suffers more from ink flow blockages
• Can software bugs cause this? Yes—especially when using barcodes, counters, or real-time variables

Conclusion

Missing or intermittent print is a multi-layer issue involving hardware, ink systems, sensors, and layout logic. With systematic inspection and preventive care, the problem can be resolved and avoided in the future. For spare parts, diagnostics support, or ink system flushing kits, contact Cheef Inkjet at sales@cheef.cn.