How do I clean the print heads if I see horizontal banding?

  • Follow these steps to run the head cleaning utility from the printer's control panel:

    1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and the red error light is off. (If the red light is flashing or on, you may need to replace the ink cartridge.)
    2. Use the down arrow button to highlight Advanced Settings, then press the Select button.
    3. Use the down arrow button to highlight Head Cleaning, then press Select.
    4. To begin cleaning, press Custom button 1. While cleaning, the printer makes noise and you see a progress bar on the control panel display. Cleaning takes about 30 seconds.

    Caution: Do not turn off the printer or interrupt the cleaning process.

    5. When the cleaning is done, run a nozzle check to confirm the print head nozzles are clean. Make sure letter-size plain paper is loaded in the printer, then press Custom button 2. The nozzle check pattern prints.
    6. If the pattern has gaps or missing dots, press Custom button 1 to clean the print head again.


    If the nozzle check pattern looks correct, press Custom button 2 to finish.


    If you don't see any improvement after cleaning three or four times, check the solutions beginning on page 95 of your manual. You can also turn the printer off and wait overnight-this allows any dried ink to soften-and then try cleaning the print head again.
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