When UV Needs TLC

Different types of UV lamps will affect the frequency of cleanings, advises Colton. "Air-cooled, shuttered lamps act like big vacuum cleaners as air is pulled across them, attracting ink fly, dust and contaminants to the reflector and bulb," he says. A thorough cleaning with isopropyl alcohol should be done weekly, or ink will bake on and cannot be removed without scratching the reflector, he cautions. Filtered lamps, which are cooled with water tubes instead of air, can run clean for up to a year, he notes. The ion levels in the water are monitored by a microprocessor.