If you are experiencing problems with the quality of the end product produced by your printer, a possible cause is a misalignment of the print head. The print head is the component which transfers ink from the cartridge to the surface of the paper. If a print head is misaligned, you may find that printed images and text are off centre or located at a strange angle. The print heads can be realigned using the software which was supplied with your printer. The software will typically feature a maintenance option, which will carry out a print head alignment. Below is a guide to 3 times when you should realign the print heads on your printer.

When setting up a new printer

If you have recently purchased a new printer, you will need to carry out a print head alignment before you use it for the first time. When printers are in transit between the factory and the shop floor, vibrations can cause the print head to move out of alignment. Once you have unpacked and powered up the printer, you should insert a blank piece of paper so you can print a test page. If the test page is not properly aligned, you should use the software to carry out a print head alignment.

When moving the printer

If you have moved your printer from one location to another, even if this is just from one side of the office to another desk, you should carry out a print head alignment. Even small movements and vibrations can cause the print head to move out of position. While at first, this movement may be hard to detect with the naked eye, if it is left uncorrected, it will lead to problems down the line. A print head alignment only takes a few minutes to complete, so you should instruct your staff to carry out this procedure every time a printer is moved from one place to another.

When inserting a different sized paper

If you are planning to use paper which is a different weight from standard office paper, or if you wish to print in A3 rather than A4, you should carry out a print head alignment after you have inserted the new paper and before you start printing your work. Different sizes and weights of paper can impact the distance which the print head has to move in order to effectively spray liquid ink.

If you would like further advice, you should contact a printing service today.