{"id":4518,"date":"2024-08-30T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance"},"modified":"2026-02-09T12:19:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T12:19:06","slug":"how-carry-out-printer-maintenance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance","title":{"rendered":"How to Carry Out Printer Maintenance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you own a business or use your printer at home, keeping it in top condition is crucial if you want to avoid unnecessary repair costs. Keep your printer well maintained by following our simple advice on printer maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Inkjet Printer Maintenance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most common (and effective) way to give your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/Printers\/Inkjet\">inkjet printer<\/a> an \u201cMOT\u201d is by performing a nozzle check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Please note, you should ensure the printer has sufficient ink before starting a nozzle check or deep clean. If there isn\u2019t enough ink in a printer with an integrated printhead, there\u2019s a chance the printhead can be damaged by any charges that are sent to it. If the printhead is on the cartridge itself, you should opt for a printhead clean instead of a nozzle check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To carry out a nozzle check, you need to insert a piece of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/Paper\/Cartridge-People-A4-Copy-Paper-80gsm-100-SHEETS-ONLY-18153-CP.html\">A4 paper<\/a> into the printer, click \u2018Nozzle Check\u2019 or an equivalent option (Nozzle Test) and then wait for a printout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A large portion of nozzle tests will show the 4 main colours. However, some printers have more than four cartridges. The test page may have a variety of different hues per cartridge show up on the printout, which in turn tests each of the microscopic nozzles are performing correctly. Generally, a nozzle check includes printed lines and boxes. You then need to examine this printout for any missing lines, misaligned prints or any colours that are missing completely. If you find missing or faded colours, you\u2019ll need to perform a deep clean. If anything is misaligned, then your printer may have the option to carry out a Print Head Alignment process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A \u2018deep clean\u2019 is required should your printout show a problem with a particular nozzle (or not show anything at all). &nbsp;This is an option that can commonly be found via your computer in the \u2018properties\u2019 menu. If this isn\u2019t the case, then dig out your printer manual which should provide the best course of action to take. In some cases, individual nozzles themselves can be selected to be cleaned. A deep clean can take around two minutes and you\u2019ll then be back to producing high-quality prints. It\u2019s always worthwhile carrying out another nozzle check to be sure you\u2019ve resolved the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Should the nozzle head need to be realigned, we would recommend avoiding using universal instructions. Nozzle heads are model-specific pieces of equipment and therefore universal non-specific methods may damage the machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The safest way to realign nozzle heads is to refer to the machine\u2019s manual and\/or access the printer software via the application in use for printing. Then click the utility tab and select the option (or option similar to) Print Head Alignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Laser Printer Maintenance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To properly maintain a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/Printers\/Laser\/Colour\">laser printer<\/a>, we would always recommend removing the toner cartridge and cleaning it manually. More than half the job of cleaning your toner cartridge is done by gently removing the excess toner from the interior of the printer with a soft cloth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you\u2019re satisfied with the cleanliness of the cartridge and the printer itself, you will then need what is known as a \u2018static cleaning sheet\u2019. These sheets are inserted into the printer in the same way you would with an A4 piece of paper. They work by drawing the excess toner left in the printer\u2019s interior. Once ran through the printer, the paper should have collected any excess dirt or toner which has been left over. This process is important for ensuring high-quality printouts. A lot of printer manufacturers, (such as HP), have a cleaning page option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t forget, here at Cartridge People we carry a vast range of affordable, reliable and quality <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/Toner-Ink-Cartridges\">printer ink and toner<\/a>. Another way to make sure your printer is kept in top condition is by printing our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/printer-testing-print-test-page\">printer test page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Need more information? Be sure to contact our friendly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/contact-us\">Customer Service<\/a> team, who are happy to help keep you printing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Making sure your printer is well maintained with clean nozzles and cartridges can be done by following our simple hints and tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[10],"class_list":["post-4518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-handy-guide"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Carry Out Printer Maintenance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ensure your printer is properly maintained &amp; has clean nozzles and cartridges by following our simple hints and tips for printer maintenance.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Carry Out Printer Maintenance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ensure your printer is properly maintained &amp; has clean nozzles and cartridges by following our simple hints and tips for printer maintenance.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cartridge People Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-30T15:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-09T12:19:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/handling-ink-cartridge.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"690\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"361\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nicky Bendall\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nicky Bendall\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Carry Out Printer Maintenance","description":"Ensure your printer is properly maintained & has clean nozzles and cartridges by following our simple hints and tips for printer maintenance.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Carry Out Printer Maintenance","og_description":"Ensure your printer is properly maintained & has clean nozzles and cartridges by following our simple hints and tips for printer maintenance.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance","og_site_name":"Cartridge People Blog","article_published_time":"2024-08-30T15:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-09T12:19:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":690,"height":361,"url":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/handling-ink-cartridge.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Nicky Bendall","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nicky Bendall","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance"},"author":{"name":"Nicky Bendall","@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/#\/schema\/person\/e0bac281a2b8b8b67df58c96d2391b58"},"headline":"How to Carry Out Printer Maintenance","datePublished":"2024-08-30T15:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-09T12:19:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance"},"wordCount":669,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/handling-ink-cartridge.jpg","keywords":["Handy Guide"],"articleSection":["Blog"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance","url":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance","name":"How to Carry Out Printer Maintenance","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/handling-ink-cartridge.jpg","datePublished":"2024-08-30T15:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-09T12:19:06+00:00","description":"Ensure your printer is properly maintained & has clean nozzles and cartridges by following our simple hints and tips for printer maintenance.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/handling-ink-cartridge.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/handling-ink-cartridge.jpg","width":690,"height":361,"caption":"Handling an ink cartridge."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/blog\/how-carry-out-printer-maintenance#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Carry Out Printer Maintenance"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/","name":"Cartridge People Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/#organization","name":"Cartridge People Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cropped-favicon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cropped-favicon.png","width":96,"height":96,"caption":"Cartridge People Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/#\/schema\/person\/e0bac281a2b8b8b67df58c96d2391b58","name":"Nicky Bendall","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0e9ac171d84f1e27368fca8e827f2b9456eb621846286d3d142c7b39ec0a72ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0e9ac171d84f1e27368fca8e827f2b9456eb621846286d3d142c7b39ec0a72ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0e9ac171d84f1e27368fca8e827f2b9456eb621846286d3d142c7b39ec0a72ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Nicky Bendall"},"description":"Nicky Bendall is a Marketing Campaign Manager at Cartridge People with a background in ecommerce, digital marketing and print-related industries. With a degree in Multimedia Design and experience across content, social media, email marketing and campaign management, Nicky contributes occasional blog posts and printable resources focused on making everyday printing and organisation easier for home and office users.","url":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/author\/nicky-bendall"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4518"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16194,"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4518\/revisions\/16194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cartridgepeople.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}