New York, NY -- Have you ever printed out something and then noticed the ink blots that accompany your document or chart on the page? Wonder what happened? Chances are you have some dried ink on your print head, but this is preventable according to Data Bazaar’s Sean Doherty who offers four tips.
Tip #1 – “Always Turn Off the Printer With the Power Button”
Turning off your printer by using the power button initiates a sequence whereby your print head is sealed and protected. If you simply unplug a printer, your print head can be left exposed which makes it more prone to dry, thus the spots on your paper.
Tip #2 – “Use the Printer Regularly”
You don’t have to print a lot, but you should at least try to print a few pages per week to keep the ink flowing. Doherty suggests even just printing out a test page once a week could be sufficient. The ink that is left on your cartridges or head will dry out if you don’t print regularly. If you think that’s wasteful, then you could switch to a laser printer say Doherty.
Tip #3 – “Print a Diagnostic Test”
Another way to check on your print heads is to run a diagnostic check. This is simple enough to do using the software which came with your printer. If any white lines appear on the color blocks, then likely you have some ink somewhere that has dried out. To remedy this, you can initiate your printer’s cleaning cycle if it has one. If not, read your manual to see what the manufacturer recommends.
Tip #4 – “Manually Clean the Printheads”
The last thing you can do to make sure you have nice printouts is to manually clean the printheads. You likely will not have to do this if you print on a regular basis, but especially following a long period of inactivity, it may be necessary. To clean them, first remove the cartridges from the printer and then using a soft and lint-free cloth or other material, wipe the area where the copper squares are. Do not, for any reason, attempt to clean the nozzle.
If you still get spotty prints, then your only other reasonable option is to replace the ink cartridge.
