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How to Clean a Print Nozzle

by William Elward

how to clean a printer nozzleThe nozzles on your print cartridges are the "life source" of your print output and as such, they must be kept clean and functioning. If… Here are some steps you can take to keep the ink flowing.

  • Remove the print cartridges - Take the cartridges out of your printer and set them, nozzle side up on a stable surface.
  • Clean the nozzles - In preparation to clean your nozzles, get some distilled water and a q-tip. Moisten the Q-tip, but before applying it to the nozzles, make sure it is does not have any excess water, which could damage your printer's inner circuits. Move the Q-tip across the nozzle surface to clean it. Continue these steps until the Q-tip no longer has residue on it when swept across the nozzles.
  • Check your work - Once you are satisfied with the cleanliness of your nozzle, put the cartridge back into your printer. Be sure and run your printer alignment function to make sure everything is lined up. To be extra sure your nozzle is as clean as possible, if your printer software has a cleaning option, you can invoke that process as well.

Repeat all the steps again if your print nozzle still is not clean.

About William Elward

Founder of Castle Ink, William Elward has 20 years experience in the printer industry. He's been featured on CNN Money, Yahoo, PC World, Computer World, and other top publications and frequently blogs about printers and ink cartridges. He's an expert at diagnosing printer issues and has published guides to fixing common printer issues across the internet. A graduate of Bryant University and Columbia's Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program, he's held various leadership positions at The College Board, Bankrate, Zocdoc, and Everyday Health. Follow him on Twitter at William Elward's Twitter Profile

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