4. Follow the instructions on the screen to print the nozzle check pattern.

Print head does not need to be cleaned:

Print head needs to be cleaned:

5.If there are no gaps or lines, click Finish.

If there are gaps or lines, or the test patterns are faint, click Clean and follow the on-screen instructions to clean the print head.

Cleaning the Print Head

If your printouts are unexpectedly light or dots or lines are missing, you may need to clean the print head. This unclogs the nozzles so they can deliver ink properly. Print head cleaning uses ink, so clean it only if quality declines.

Note:

Before you clean the print head, check the print head nozzles first to confirm that the print head needs to be cleaned. This saves ink. For more information, see page 43.

This section explains how to clean the print head using the Head Cleaning Utility. You can also clean the print head by holding down the H ink button on the printer for three seconds. (This only works when the red H ink light is off.)

Before you clean the print head, make sure the CD/DVD tray is not inserted in the printer.

Caution:

When you don’t turn on your printer for a long time, print quality can decline, so turn it on and print a few pages at least once a month to maintain the best print quality.

44Maintaining Your Printer