When the quality of printouts deteriorates, follow the steps below:

1.Check the health of the printheads. For more information, see To check printhead health.

2.Print the print quality diagnostic page on a clean sheet of white paper. Evaluate any problem areas, and perform the recommended actions. For more information, see To print the print quality diagnostic page.

3.Clean the printheads. For more information, see To clean the printheads.

4.Replace the printheads if the problems persist after cleaning. For more information, see To replace the printheads.

This section covers the following printhead maintenance tasks:

•To check printhead health

•To print the print quality diagnostic page

•To align the printheads

•To calibrate the linefeed

•To clean the printheads

•To clean the printhead contacts manually

•To replace the printheads

To check printhead health

Use one of the following means to check the printhead health. If any printhead has a Replace status, then perform one or more of the maintenance functions, or clean or replace the printhead.

•Self-Test Report: Print the self-test report on a clean sheet of white paper, and check the printhead health section. For more information, see Understand the self- test report.

•Embedded Web server: Open the embedded Web server. For more information, see To open the embedded Web server. Click the Information tab, and then click Ink Supplies in the left pane.

•Toolbox (Windows): Open the Toolbox. For more information, see Open the Toolbox. Click the Information tab, and then click Printhead Health.

To print the print quality diagnostic page

Use the print quality diagnostic page to diagnose issues affecting the print quality. This will help you decide whether to run any maintenance tools to improve the print quality of your printouts. You can also view the ink level information, and the printhead health status on the page.

NOTE: Before printing the print quality diagnostic page, make sure you load paper. For more information, see Load media.

Ink level warnings and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only. When you receive a low-ink warning message, consider having a replacement cartridge available to avoid possible printing delays. You do not need to replace cartridges until prompted to do so.

Maintain the printheads

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