What Is a Printhead? Where It Is, How It Works, and When to Replace It

Quick answer: A printhead is the part of an inkjet printer that actually puts ink on the paper. It's a small chip covered in hundreds to thousands of microscopic nozzles that fire ink droplets as the carriage slides across the page. On some printers the printhead is built into every ink cartridge (HP 67, Canon PG-245); on others it's a permanent part of the printer (Epson, Brother, HP OfficeJet Pro).

Updated October 16, 2026 · By Lauren Elward, Castle Ink

Key Takeaways

• The printhead is the nozzle plate that fires ink. The cartridge or tank just stores ink. Sometimes they're one part, sometimes two.
• Integrated printheads (most HP and Canon home cartridges) come new with every cartridge, so a clogged head is usually fixed by a new cartridge.
• Permanent printheads (all Epson and Brother inkjets, HP OfficeJet Pro, Canon MegaTank) stay in the printer. Ink is cheaper, but clogs have to be cleaned out.
• Streaks, missing lines or a missing color that survive two or three cleaning cycles, or errors like HP's "Printhead Problem" or Canon's 1401/1403, point to the printhead.
• Replacement heads, where you can buy them, run from roughly $80 to $340. On many printers that's close to the price of a new machine.
• The best protection is simple: print something every week, turn the printer off with its own button, and replace empty cartridges promptly.

What Is a Printhead on a Printer?

A printhead (also written "print head") is the component in an inkjet printer that turns digital dots into ink on paper. It contains rows of microscopic nozzles, each able to fire a droplet of ink on command, thousands of times per second.

Every inkjet has one, whether it's a $60 all-in-one or a wide-format poster printer. Here's what it does:

• Fires the ink. The printer's controller tells each nozzle exactly when to fire as the head moves across the page.
• Places each color. Separate nozzle rows handle black, cyan, magenta and yellow (plus extra photo inks on some models). Tiny dots of these colors blend into every shade you see.
• Controls detail. The number of nozzles, how closely they're spaced and the droplet size set how sharp text and photos look.

How many nozzles is "a lot"? Canon's spec sheet for one of its basic cartridge PIXMA models, the PIXMA TS307a, lists 1,280 nozzles in total across its two cartridges. Epson's industrial PrecisionCore printheads pack 800 to 3,200 nozzles into a single chip at 600 nozzles per inch. The droplets themselves measure only a few picoliters (trillionths of a liter).

What Does a Print Head Look Like?

On a cartridge with a built-in printhead, it's the small metal strip on the bottom of the cartridge, usually next to a copper-colored contact strip. On a printer with a permanent head, it's a flat block on the underside of the carriage that you normally can't see without removing the ink cartridges or tanks.

• Integrated head (HP 67, HP 62, Canon PG-245 and similar): turn the cartridge over and you'll see a tiny rectangular nozzle plate, often gold or silver, with nozzle rows too small to see individually. The copper contacts on the side carry the firing signals. Never touch either one with your fingers.
• Permanent head (Epson, Brother, HP OfficeJet Pro): the ink cartridges plug into the top of a carriage, and the printhead sits underneath it facing the paper. When the printer is idle, the carriage parks the head on a rubber cap at one end to keep the nozzles from drying.
• Removable separate head (some HP OfficeJet and Canon PIXMA models): a plastic block about the size of a matchbox or deck of cards, with a socket for each ink tank on top and the nozzle plate underneath.

How Does an Inkjet Printhead Work?

An inkjet printhead fires droplets in one of two ways: thermal heads (HP, Canon) flash-heat a tiny resistor to make a vapor bubble that pushes a drop out, and piezoelectric heads (Epson, Brother) flex a crystal to squeeze a drop out without heat.

That difference explains a lot about why printheads are built the way they are. Thermal heads are cheaper to make, so HP and Canon can put a new one on every cartridge. Piezo heads cost more to make, so Epson and Brother build them into the printer for its whole life. Epson says each piezo element in its PrecisionCore heads fires nearly 50,000 times per second through nozzles about 20 microns across. For the full explanation, with diagrams, see how an inkjet printer works: thermal vs. piezo printheads.

Where Is the Printhead on My Printer?

The printhead always rides on the carriage, the part that slides side to side when you print. What changes by brand is whether it's attached to the cartridge, a separate part you can lift out, or a permanent part of the printer.

HP printers

HP DeskJet, ENVY and most budget OfficeJet models use cartridges with the printhead built in, such as the HP 62, 63, 64, 65, 67 and 302. HP OfficeJet Pro models that use HP 902, 910, 952 or 962 ink, and older OfficeJets that use HP 920, 932/933, 940 or 950/951 ink, have a separate printhead that sits in the carriage under the ink cartridges.

Canon printers

Canon PIXMA models that take two "FINE" cartridges, such as PG-245/CL-246 or PG-275/CL-276, have the printhead built into each cartridge. PIXMA models that take five or six individual PGI/CLI ink tanks use a separate, removable print head that the tanks clip into. Canon MegaTank G-series printers use two print heads (one black, one color) that Canon's own manuals describe how to replace.

Epson printers

Every Epson inkjet, including EcoTank, Expression, WorkForce and SureColor models, has a permanent piezo printhead inside the printer. Epson's cartridges and ink bottles hold ink only. Epson describes the head in its current EcoTank ET-2900 as a "permanent printhead ... engineered to last the life of the printer."

Brother printers

Brother inkjets that use LC-series cartridges, along with INKvestment Tank models, also have a permanent piezo printhead in the printer. The cartridges are ink-only containers. The head isn't a part owners are meant to replace; it's a service repair.

Not sure which ink your printer takes? Look it up on Find Ink by Printer, and the cartridge number tells you which column you're in.

Is the Printhead Built Into the Ink Cartridge?

Sometimes. On "integrated" designs the printhead is part of every ink cartridge, so you get a brand-new head each time you change ink. On "permanent" designs the cartridge or tank is only an ink container, and the printhead stays in the printer for years.

Wikipedia's inkjet printing article sums up the trade-off well: a disposable head makes a clog easy to fix but adds to the cost of every cartridge, while a permanent head lowers ink costs but "can become expensive" to replace if it fails.

If you print rarely, the integrated design is more forgiving. If you print a lot, permanent-head printers usually cost less to run. Our comparison of ink tank vs. cartridge printers runs the numbers.

What's the Difference Between a Printhead and an Ink Cartridge?

The ink cartridge stores ink; the printhead fires it. On integrated designs they're molded into one part, which is why people use the terms interchangeably. On permanent-head printers they're separate, and replacing a cartridge does nothing to the head.

This matters when you troubleshoot. If an HP 67 printer suddenly drops a color, a fresh cartridge replaces the printhead too. If an Epson EcoTank drops a color, more ink won't help; the permanent head needs cleaning. And a brand-new printer's first setup cartridges partly go toward priming that permanent head with ink.

How Long Does a Printhead Last?

An integrated printhead lasts as long as its cartridge. A permanent printhead is designed to last the life of the printer, often several years, but only if it's used regularly and never allowed to dry out.

• Integrated heads: thermal heads are inexpensive to make and wear with use, which is part of why HP and Canon put them on the cartridge. You replace the head every time you replace ink.
• Epson and Brother: Epson states its EcoTank printhead is "engineered to last the life of the printer." In practice, a head that dries out from months of disuse can fail far sooner.
• HP OfficeJet Pro and Canon separate heads: these are built to last a long time but can wear out or fail electrically, especially after heavy use or being run with an empty cartridge.

Manufacturers don't publish page counts for consumer printheads, so treat any specific "X pages" claim with skepticism. For how long the rest of the printer typically lasts, see how long printers last.

What Are the Signs of a Failing Printhead?

The classic signs are streaks, gaps or missing colors that don't go away after two or three cleaning cycles, plus error messages that mention the printhead. A one-off streak is usually just a clog; a problem that survives repeated cleaning points to the head itself.

• Missing lines or banding in text and photos. See how to fix missing lines and why your printer prints streaks.
• A color that's gone or wrong even with a full cartridge, including a printer that stops printing black.
• Blank pages when the ink is full. Rule out tape and empty cartridges first using our blank pages guide.
• A nozzle check pattern with the same gaps every time, even after cleaning.
• HP error messages such as "Printhead Problem", "Missing or Failed Printhead" or a printhead that "appears to be missing" on OfficeJet and OfficeJet Pro models.
• Canon support codes such as 1401 (print head not detected or not compatible), 1403 or 1405 (print head problem), and B200 (a serious fault, usually the print head or its voltage). Our Canon error codes list has the full table.

What Causes Printhead Failure?

Most printhead failures come from dried ink blocking the nozzles. The rest come from air in the ink path, running a cartridge empty, electrical damage to the contacts, or physical damage to the nozzle plate.

1. Dried ink from disuse. Wikipedia's inkjet article calls ink drying on the nozzles "the primary cause of inkjet printing problems." The printer caps the head when idle, but the seal isn't perfect, so weeks without printing let ink thicken in the nozzles. See do ink cartridges dry out?
2. Running a cartridge empty. Ink cools the nozzles as it flows, and a thermal head firing with no ink can overheat. Canon's support code page for code 1688 (ink has run out) warns that "printing under the current condition may damage the machine."
3. Air in the ink path. Leaving cartridges out, installing a dried-out cartridge or a poor refill can pull air into the head, causing missing colors that cleaning struggles to clear.
4. Unplugging mid-cycle. Cutting power at a power strip can leave the head uncapped, where it dries out fast.
5. Electrical damage. Ink on the contacts, a short in the head or a power surge can produce "printhead problem" or B200-type errors.
6. Physical damage. Scratching the nozzle plate with a tissue, poking it, or a paper jam that drags across the head.
7. Normal wear. Thermal heaters gradually wear out. On integrated cartridges you'll never notice; on long-lived separate heads it eventually catches up.

How Do You Clean a Printhead?

Start with the printer's built-in nozzle check and printhead cleaning tool, which flushes ink through the nozzles. If the pattern isn't perfect after two or three cycles, let the printer rest a few hours and try once more, then move on to manual cleaning or a cleaning kit.

Print head cleaning means pushing ink (or cleaning fluid) through the nozzles to dissolve dried ink and clear air. Here's the order that works:

1. Run a nozzle check (also called a print quality report or test page) to see which colors have gaps.
2. Run one cleaning cycle from the printer menu or software. On Windows, HP's own guide to cleaning a printhead uses Printing Preferences > Service > Clean Printheads; most printers also offer it under Maintenance or Tools on the control panel.
3. Check again and repeat up to two or three times. Each cycle uses ink and fills the internal waste pad, so don't run a dozen. Epson owners can eventually hit a "service required" waste ink pad message or need a new maintenance box.
4. Rest the printer for a few hours or overnight, then try one more cycle. HP suggests the same.
5. Clean manually or use a cleaning kit if the gaps remain. Our guides cover how to clean print heads by hand, Canon print heads, when a cleaning kit beats the built-in cycle and printhead cleaning solution.
6. Align the printhead once the nozzles are clean if lines look doubled or text looks fuzzy. See our print head alignment guide.

On an integrated-head cartridge, the fastest "cleaning" is often a fresh cartridge. If a new cartridge prints perfectly, the old one's head was the problem.

How Do I Remove a Print Head?

Only some printers have a print head you can remove. On integrated-head models, removing the cartridge removes the head. Some older HP OfficeJets, Canon PIXMA models with individual PGI/CLI tanks and Canon MegaTank G-series printers have a separate head you can lift out. Epson and Brother heads are not designed to be removed by owners.

Before you start

• Check your printer's manual or support page for your exact model. Removing a head the printer wasn't designed to release can break the carriage.
• Have a lint-free cloth, a paper towel to set parts on, and a few minutes. Don't leave the head out longer than necessary; Canon's manuals say to replace a print head "immediately and do not leave the printer with the print head removed."
• Never touch the nozzle plate or the electrical contacts with your fingers.

HP OfficeJet and OfficeJet Pro with a removable printhead

Older OfficeJets that use HP 920 ink (OfficeJet 6000, 6500, 7000, 7500A), HP 932/933 ink (OfficeJet 6100, 6600, 6700, 7110, 7610) and HP 950/951 ink (OfficeJet Pro 8100, 8600, 8610, 8620, 8630, 251dw, 276dw) have a printhead that lifts out of the carriage. The OfficeJet Pro 8000 and 8500 (HP 940 ink) use two separate printheads, C4900A (black/yellow) and C4901A (magenta/cyan). These steps follow the reseating procedure HP support agents share on the HP Support Community:

1. Turn the printer on and wait until it's idle.
2. Open the ink cartridge access door and wait for the carriage to move to the center and stop.
3. Unplug the power cord so the carriage can't move while your hands are inside.
4. Lift the carriage latch (the handle on top of the carriage). Remove the ink cartridges first if your model's instructions call for it.
5. Grasp the printhead by its sides and lift it straight up and out.
6. To clean the contacts, wipe the copper contacts on the head (and in the carriage) gently with a lint-free cloth barely dampened with distilled water. Let them dry for about 10 minutes, as HP recommends.
7. Guide the printhead back into the carriage, rock it gently side to side so it's fully seated, then lower the latch all the way.
8. Reinstall the cartridges, close the door, plug the printer back in and let it finish initializing. Run an alignment afterward.

HP OfficeJet Pro 8710, 9015 and other newer models

On newer OfficeJet Pro printers that use HP 952 or HP 962 ink, the printhead is a semi-permanent assembly. HP's support document for the OfficeJet Pro 8710 through 8745 and OfficeJet Pro 8210 says "replacement printhead assemblies are available only from HP Support and authorized service providers." HP's support staff have also told OfficeJet Pro 9010 owners the printer doesn't have a removable printhead. If you get a "Printhead Problem" error on these models, try a full power reset and reseat the ink cartridges, then contact HP.

Canon PIXMA with PGI/CLI ink tanks

Canon PIXMA models that use five or six individual tanks, such as the iP7220, MG5420, MG5520 and MG6420 (print head part QY6-0082 in retail listings) or the MG6320, MG7120 and iP8720 (QY6-0083), have a removable print head under the tanks.

1. Turn the printer on and open the scanner unit or top cover. The holder moves to the replacement position.
2. Remove each ink tank by pressing its tab and lifting it out. Set them on a paper towel.
3. Raise the print head lock lever on the holder all the way up.
4. Lift the print head straight out, holding it by its sides.
5. To reinstall, set the head in the holder, lower the lock lever fully, then snap each tank back in until its lamp lights.
6. Close the cover and run a print head alignment.

If the printer then shows support code 1401 or 1403, Canon's manuals say to reseat the head and lock lever; if the code persists, the head may be damaged (see Canon's support code 1401 page).

Canon MegaTank G-series

Canon's online manual for the G3010 series includes an official Replacing the Print Head procedure, and many G-series models work the same way:

1. With the printer on, open the scanning unit/cover.
2. Press and hold Stop for 5 seconds; the holder moves left. Press and hold Stop again for 5 seconds; it moves to the replacement position.
3. Open both ink tank covers.
4. Pinch the tabs to open the print head locking cover, pull the head slightly toward you and lift it out. Print head C (color) goes on the left, print head B (black) on the right.
5. Unpack the new head, remove the label and protective tape, insert it and press the locking cover down until it clicks.
6. Push both joint buttons down until they click, close the ink tank covers and close the scanning unit.

HP DesignJet

Wide-format HP DesignJets have user-replaceable printheads. For example, the HP 711 DesignJet Printhead Replacement Kit (C1Q10A) fits the DesignJet T120, T125, T130, T520, T525 and T530.

Epson and Brother

Epson and Brother inkjet printheads are permanent parts of the printer and aren't sold to owners as replaceable parts. Removing one means taking the printer apart, and a new head typically has to be set up with the manufacturer's service software. If cleaning won't bring an Epson or Brother head back, the realistic options are an authorized repair or a new printer.

How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Printer Head?

If your printhead is built into the cartridge, replacing it costs the price of a cartridge. Separate genuine printheads, where you can still buy them, typically run about $80 to $340. Epson and Brother printheads require a service repair, which often costs as much as or more than a new entry-level printer.

Prices change often, discontinued heads get scarce, and marketplace listings are full of refurbished or pulled parts of uncertain quality. Check the part number printed on your old head before you order.

Should I Replace the Printhead or Buy a New Printer?

Replace the printhead if it's an integrated cartridge, or if a genuine separate head costs well under half the price of a comparable new printer and the rest of your printer is in good shape. Otherwise, a new printer is usually the smarter buy.

• Replace the head if the printer is a higher-end model you like (a 6-color photo PIXMA, an OfficeJet Pro or a DesignJet), the head is available as a genuine part, and you've ruled out empty or bad cartridges.
• Replace the printer if it's an inexpensive model, the head costs more than half of a new printer, it's an Epson or Brother out of warranty, or other parts (waste ink pads, feed rollers) are also worn.
• Check the warranty first. A printhead failure inside the warranty period may be covered, so check your coverage (and whether you registered the printer) before paying for parts or repairs.

Does Third-Party or Remanufactured Ink Damage Printheads?

Quality matters more than the label. Well-made remanufactured and compatible cartridges are used every day without harming printheads, while cheap, poorly formulated ink can clog nozzles. Printer makers do discourage third-party ink, citing possible head damage, so it pays to buy from a reputable supplier.

The design of your printer changes the risk:

• Integrated-head cartridges carry their own printhead, so a remanufactured cartridge can't damage the printer's head because the printer doesn't have one. Each remanufactured HP 67XL, HP 62XL, Canon PG-245XL or similar cartridge brings its own head, and if one ever misbehaves, swapping the cartridge fixes it.
• Permanent-head printers keep using the same head, so ink quality matters more. Stick with inks made for your printer model, and don't mix in mystery refill ink. If you refill yourself, read refilling your own ink cartridges: do this first.

For the full, balanced picture, including warranties and HP firmware locks, see are compatible ink cartridges safe to use?

How Do I Keep My Printhead Healthy?

Print at least one page every week, turn the printer off with its own power button, and replace cartridges as soon as they run out. Those three habits prevent most printhead failures.

1. Print weekly. A color page once a week keeps ink moving through every nozzle. HP gives the same once-a-week advice.
2. Use the power button, not the power strip. The printer caps the head as it shuts down. Cutting power can leave it uncapped.
3. Never interrupt a cleaning or startup cycle. Unplugging mid-cycle can leave ink half-primed and air in the lines.
4. Replace empty cartridges promptly, and don't leave a cartridge slot empty for days.
5. Don't over-clean. Run cleaning cycles when a nozzle check shows gaps, not on a schedule.
6. Store spare cartridges properly: sealed, upright as packaged, at room temperature, and use them before their date.
7. If you'll be away for months, an integrated-head printer is the safer one to leave idle. For a permanent-head printer, print a test page before you go and run a nozzle check when you return.

Do Laser Printers Have Printheads?

No. Laser and LED printers don't spray ink, so they have no printhead. They use a laser or LED array to draw the page on a drum, which picks up toner powder that a fuser melts onto the paper. See how a laser printer works.

Thermal label and receipt printers do have a printhead, but it's a row of tiny heating elements rather than ink nozzles. It darkens heat-sensitive paper or melts a ribbon onto a label. Read more in what is a thermal printer?

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep Your Printer Stocked

If your printer uses integrated-head cartridges, a fresh cartridge is a fresh printhead. Castle Ink's remanufactured cartridges for those printers include HP 67XL black and tri-color, HP 62XL, HP 63XL, HP 64XL, HP 65XL, Canon PG-245XL/CL-246XL and Canon PG-275XL/CL-276XL.

If your printer has a permanent head, keep fresh ink in it so the nozzles never run dry: remanufactured HP 962XL 4-packs for OfficeJet Pro 9000-series printers and Epson 702XL 4-packs for WorkForce Pro models are two of our most popular. Browse all HP, Canon and Epson ink, Brother toner, or find your exact model on Find Ink by Printer.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Inkjet printing
• Epson: EcoTank ET-2900 product page (permanent printhead)
• Epson: Epson Inkjet Printheads (nozzle counts and specifications)
• Epson Australia: PrecisionCore technology
• Canon: PIXMA TS307a specifications (number of nozzles)
• Canon: G3010 series online manual: Replacing the Print Head
• Canon: Support code 1401 (TR150 series manual)
• HP: How to clean a printhead
• HP Support: Printhead assembly replacement, OfficeJet Pro 8210 and 8710-8745 series
• HP Support Community: OfficeJet Pro 9010 printhead problem (HP staff replies)
• HP Store: HP 711 DesignJet Printhead Replacement Kit
• 4inkjets: HP 920 Printhead Service Kit CN643A listing
• PeakTech: HP Printhead Replacement Kit CR322A listing
• Newegg: Canon QY6-0082 printhead listing
• Adorama: HP 711 DesignJet Printhead Replacement Kit C1Q10A listing
• Canon India: A Support Code Is Displayed (codes 1600 and 1688)