Maintenance 33
English
Cleaning the print head
Follow these steps to clean the print head so
it can deliver ink properly. Before cleaning
the print head, run a nozzle check to see if
the print head needs cleaning (& “Checking
the print head” on page 32).
Note:
❏ Make sure the CD/DVD guide is not ejected
(& page 10).
❏ Print head cleaning uses ink, so clean it only if
quality declines.
❏ When ink is low, you may not be able to clean
the print head. When ink is expended, you
cannot clean the print head. Replace the
appropriate ink cartridge first (& “Removing
and Installing Ink Cartridges” on page 29).
1. Press F [Setup]. (If you have just
finished checking the print head, you can
start cleaning by pressing x Start, and
then go to step 5.)
2. Select Maintenance, then press OK.
3. Select Head Cleaning, then press OK.
4. Press x Start.
The printer begins cleaning the print
head. Follow the message on the LCD
screen.
c Caution:
Never turn off the printer while head cleaning
is in progress. You may damage it.
5. When cleaning finishes, a message is
displayed on the LCD screen. Press
x Start to print a nozzle check pattern to
check the results (& “Checking the print
head” on page 32).
If there are still gaps or the test patterns
are faint, run another cleaning cycle and
check the nozzles again.
Note:
If you do not see any improvement after
cleaning about four times, turn off the printer
and wait for at least six hours. This lets any
dried ink soften. Then try cleaning the print
head again. If quality still does not improve,
one of the ink cartridges may be old or
damaged and needs to be replaced
(& “Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges”
on page 29).
Aligning the Print Head
If your printouts contain misaligned vertical
lines or horizontal banding, you may be
able to solve this problem by aligning the
print head.
1. Load A4-size plain paper into the rear
feeder (& page 7).
2. Press F [Setup].
3. Select Maintenance, then press OK.
4. Select Head Alignment, then press OK.
5. Press x Start. Four rows of alignment
patterns are printed.
6. Look at pattern #1 and find the patch
that is most evenly printed, with no
noticeable streaks or lines.
7. Select the number for that patch, then
press OK.
8. Enter the numbers for the other patterns
in the same way.
9. When you finish, press OK and you see a
message indicating alignment is
complete.
