InkBags provides independent printhead repair for the SMARTJET FLEX 297. Italian-built all-in-one overprinter for die-cut boxes, paper bags and untreated wood packaging — 297 mm at 1200 dpi and up to 27 m/min, on HP page-wide thermal inkjet. Recovery is realistic when the fault is dried ink, blockage, contamination or air-lock; it is not when a die segment is electrically dead or the nozzle plate is damaged. Send a nozzle test print and we tell you which one you have before quoting.
SMARTJET FLEX 297 printhead specification
Parts and recovery procedures do not transfer between printhead families, even when both are HP thermal inkjet — so the engine inside the machine is the first thing to establish.
| Machine | FLEX 297 — SMARTJET, Fiorano Modenese, Italy |
| Print engine | HP page-wide thermal inkjet, per SMARTJET’s product page |
| Print width | 297 mm |
| Resolution | 1200 dpi |
| Max speed | Up to 27 m/min |
| Colours | Four-colour (CMYK) |
| Substrate thickness | Up to 350 mm; items over 900 mm wide |
| Typical substrates | Paper, cardboard and untreated wood packaging |
| Typical work | Die-cut boxes, paper bags, mailing envelopes, take-away packaging, wooden packages, coasters |
What printhead failure looks like on a FLEX 297
- A white stripe down every box or bag in the run — the dead-sector signature of a fixed page-wide head.
- Fresh scoring on the nozzle plate after a job on thick or uneven packaging — on a machine that accepts items up to 350 mm thick, head-to-substrate clearance is the thing most likely to damage a head.
- Nozzle dropout after printing untreated wood — sawdust and resin behave differently from paper dust and settle on the nozzle plate.
- Density falling away on long kraft or corrugated runs — paper dust loading the wiper and capping station.
- A colour missing after the machine has stood between short jobs — dried ink in a shop that customises in small batches rather than running continuously.
Photograph the nozzle test print before running any more recovery cycles. Repeated aggressive purging on a head that has already dried out can turn a recoverable fault into a replacement.
How we approach a FLEX 297 printhead
SMARTJET publishes 297 mm, 1200 dpi and up to 27 m/min for the FLEX 297, with print quality based on HP page-wide technology — the same numbers as the FI-1000 platform, so FI-1000 procedures, replacement heads and pigment ink apply. We still confirm the head from the machine, because SMARTJET also builds piezo drop-on-demand machines and the badge alone does not tell you which one you have.
This machine is sold on batch-of-one customisation, so it spends more time standing than running. That shifts the failure profile towards dried ink and cap-down discipline rather than wear, and most “dead head” calls on this class of machine turn out to be recoverable blockage.
It accepts items up to 350 mm thick and over 900 mm wide. That flexibility is also the main source of physical head damage we see: a strike on a tall or lifting pack scores the nozzle plate, and scoring is the one failure mode nothing recovers. If the fault appeared right after a new pack format, say so when you send the nozzle test.
Untreated wood is an unusual substrate for a thermal inkjet head. Service on a machine that runs wood covers the capping and wiping station, not just a flush of the head.
What the service covers
Diagnosis
Failure-mode identification from the nozzle test print, plus a straight answer on whether recovery is realistic.
Nozzle recovery
Deep flushing of the ink path and restoration of blocked nozzle areas, matched to the failure mode.
Ink system service
Capping, wiping and supply-side inspection — the parts that usually caused the failure in the first place.
Replacement printheads are available where recovery is not viable, along with original and compatible ink, so a machine that cannot be recovered does not sit idle waiting on a separate supplier.
Pricing and turnaround are quoted per case, because both depend on the failure mode and on whether the ink delivery system needs work as well.
SMARTJET FLEX 297 printhead repair FAQ
Which printhead is in the SMARTJET FLEX 297?
SMARTJET’s own product page states 297 mm print width, 1200 dpi and up to 27 m/min, with print quality based on HP PageWide technology — that is the HP FI-1000 signature. Send us the machine details and we confirm the head before quoting, because SMARTJET also builds piezo drop-on-demand machines.
We print untreated wood packaging. Does that damage the head?
Not directly, but it changes what the head is exposed to. Sawdust and resin settle on the nozzle plate and behave differently from paper dust, so the capping and wiping station matters more on this machine than on a paper-only press.
The head was scored after a job on thick boxes. Can it be recovered?
No. Physical damage to the nozzle plate is the one failure mode that does not recover, and that head needs replacing. On a machine that takes items up to 350 mm thick, clearance setting is the thing to check first after a format change.
Can InkBags supply ink for a FLEX 297?
Yes — pigment at $200 per litre or dye at $180 per litre for FI-1000 based machines, plus original HP ink. We confirm suitability against your machine before the first delivery.
Can the SMARTJET FLEX 297 printhead be repaired or does it need replacing?
Both happen. Blockage, dried ink, contamination and air-lock recover in a large share of cases; electrical or physical damage to the die does not. The nozzle test print tells the two apart before any money is spent.
How much does SMARTJET FLEX 297 printhead repair cost?
It is quoted per case, because the cost depends on the failure mode and on whether the ink delivery system also needs service. Send the nozzle test and you get a scope and a price up front.
Other machines we service
HP
HP FI-1000 printhead repair
The 297 mm HP Fixed Imager 1000 printhead itself — the part that fails in every FI-1000 based machine, whatever badge is on the front.
Boxmaking Machinery GmbH
Boxmaking Machinery BM300 printhead repair
Single-pass packaging press built directly around the HP FI-1000, printing bags, boxes, mailers and envelopes at up to 27 m/min.
Printware / iJetColor
Printware iJetColor Pro 1175P printhead repair
High-speed envelope and direct-mail press built on the HP FI-1000, launched by Printware in 2020.
All machines: printhead repair overview.
Get a diagnosis for your FLEX 297
Send a nozzle test print and a short note on what the machine was doing when the fault appeared.
Independent service notice. InkBags is an independent supplier and service provider. InkBags is not affiliated with, authorised by, endorsed by, or a distributor or service centre for HP Inc., TICAB PRINT, AstroNova / TrojanLabel, Printware / iJetColor, Boxmaking Machinery GmbH, HSA, Trimatt Systems, or any other manufacturer named on this site. All manufacturer and product names are the trademarks of their respective owners and are used here solely to identify the machines that InkBags services and supplies. Any repair, ink supply or retrofit described on this page is provided by InkBags as an independent third party and carries no manufacturer authorisation, endorsement or warranty.