4 Must-Dos to Keep Your Printer Printing

1. Clean the ink nozzle
When using an inkjet printer, you’ll want to ensure that the ink nozzle stays clean and free of any obstructions. One easy way to do this is with the HP Deskjet Toolbox that was installed with your printer. For most printers, the Toolbox will have a "Maintenance" or "Printer Services" tab. Choosing this tab reveals a "Clean the print cartridges" option. Choose this option and follow the instructions presented. You may need to run the test multiple times.

2. Ensure printheads are aligned
This simple step will keep all the nozzles pointing in the right direction so that the ink gets to the right place. A hint that your printheads are misaligned: white repeating lines or a grid-like pattern on your printout. For detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to do this for your HP Deskjet, HP Business Inkjet, or HP Color Inkjet Printers, visit this HP support page.

3. Keep carriage rods moving smoothly
The carriage makes a chattering or grinding noise while travelling side-to-side across the rails of the HP Designjet series printers. While the exact steps are slightly different for various Designjet models, the basic idea is to clean and lubricate the printer's slider rods. To do so, turn the printer off, access the carriage assembly, and wipe the carriage’s rails with a lint-free cloth and warm water. Then dry all water from the rails, and apply one small drop of HP Synthetic Oil on the carriage rails on each side of the carriage. Using a lint-free cloth, wipe the lubricant along each side of the carriage rails.

4. Keep drivers up to date
Regularly making sure you have the latest printer driver is one of the easiest things you can do to keep your printer in top working order. Updating your driver will help you avoid or eliminate printing problems, take advantage of your printer’s latest features, and ensure maximum print quality. Even better, these driver updates are free to download from HP; if you have subscribed to HP Driver and Support Alerts, you’ll receive the latest driver updates automatically into your inbox. To install the latest driver:

1. Go to the Support & Drivers page.
2. Select “Download drivers and software (and firmware).”
3. Enter your product number. (This alphanumeric code is usually found on the front or top corner of your printer. If you aren’t sure of your product number, click “How do I find my product name/number”, then click on the “>>” button.
4. Select your operating system, such as Microsoft® Windows Vista® or Windows® XP, from the list of options.
5. Select the basic driver or a driver and software bundle from the list of options. Usually, the first choice is the most basic driver update.
6. Click the “Download only” button.
7. You will see the message “Would you like to save this file?” Click “Save File”.
8. Follow any on-screen instructions to finish your installation.
9. Restart your computer once the installation is complete.