Maintaining Your Printer 39
Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern
Examine the nozzle check pattern you print. It should look something like this:
Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical line should be complete, with no gaps
in the dot pattern. If your printout looks okay, you’re done.
If there are gaps in the lines, clean the print head again; see page 37 for instructions.
Replacing an Ink Cartridge
When the b maintenance and P power lights are both flashing, one of your ink
cartridges is low on ink. This is a good time to make sure you have a new cartridge.
When the b maintenance and P power lights both stay on, an ink cartridge is empty
and you need to replace it.
Caution: You cannot print if either ink cartridge is empty. Leave the empty cartridge
installed in the printer until you have obtained a replacement; otherwise the ink
remaining in the print head nozzles may dry out.
When an installed ink cartridge is more than six months old, you may also need to
replace it if you notice that your printouts don’t look as good as they used to. If print
quality doesn’t improve after cleaning and aligning the print head, you can replace the
cartridge even if the b maintenance and P power lights aren’t flashing.
Gaps in nozzle check pattern