Question on Printers:

Is it important to clean the printhead and how often should I do it? My prints are coming out okay, so do I still need to perform this step?

Submitted by CNET Asia reader, via email

Answer:

Cleaning the printhead is an automated process whenever you turn on the printer. This is to ensure that the printhead is not clogged by dried ink which can affect the quality of the output. If you want to get good prints everytime, perform the printhead operation before hitting Print.

If you have installed the drivers and other print utilities from the CD that come with the printer, there should be a program for you to check on the status of the machine, as well as perform other maintenance tasks.

However, do note that fresh ink will be used to clean the printhead. So expect to change the cartridge often if you repeatedly clean the printhead.