HP Deskjet F4185 All-in-One Printer - Manual (Page 73)

Clean the print cartridges
Use this feature when the self-test report shows streaking, white lines through any of the
lines of color or when a color is muddy after installing a print cartridge for the first time.
Do not clean print cartridges unnecessarily, as this wastes ink and shortens the life of the
ink nozzles.
To clean the print cartridges from the HP Photosmart Software
1. Load letter, A4, or legal unused plain white paper into the input tray.
2. In the HP Solution Center, click Settings, point to Print Settings, and then click
Printer Toolbox.
NOTE: You can also open the Printer Toolbox from the Print Properties dialog
box. In the Print Properties dialog box, click the Services tab, and then click
Service this device.
The Printer Toolbox appears.
3. Click the Device Services tab.
4. Click Clean the Print Cartridges.
5. Follow the prompts until you are satisfied with the quality of the output, and then
click Done.
If copy or print quality still seems poor after you clean the print cartridges, try cleaning
the print cartridge contacts before replacing the affected print cartridge.
Related topics
• Clean the print cartridge contacts
• Replace the print cartridges
Clean the print cartridge contacts
Clean the print cartridge contacts if you get repeated messages on your computer screen
prompting you to check a print cartridge after you already have cleaned or aligned the
print cartridges, or if the Check Print Cartridge light is blinking.
Before cleaning the print cartridge contacts, remove the print cartridge and verify that
nothing is covering the print cartridge contacts, then reinstall the print cartridge. If you
continue to get messages to check the print cartridges, clean the print cartridge contacts.
Make sure you have the following materials available:
• Dry foam rubber swabs, lint-free cloth, or any soft material that will not come apart or
leave fibers.
TIP: Coffee filters are lint-free and work well for cleaning print cartridges.
• Distilled, filtered, or bottled water (tap water might contain contaminants that can
damage the print cartridges).
CAUTION: Do not use platen cleaners or alcohol to clean the print cartridge
contacts. These can damage the print cartridge or the HP All-in-One.
Work with print cartridges 71
Maintain the H
P
A
ll-in-One