Problem: Printer output's color is off (doesn't match what's on-screen), there is a strange colored tint to the page.

Solution: You are either nearly empty on one color of ink (cyan, magenta, or yellow), or the cartridge that corresponds to those colors is clogged/malfunctioning.

To find which cartridge color is the culprit, consult the following:

If Yellow Ink Is The Problem:
Green will be printed as blue and/or orange will be printed as red.
If Magenta Ink Is The Problem:
Violet will be printed as blue and/or orange will be printed as yellow.
If Cyan Ink Is The Problem:
Green will be printed as yellow and/or violet will be printed as red.

Problem: Streaks across printed text, some portions of letters obscured and unclear.

Solution: This is often a symptom of a clogged print head. The safest thing to do in this situation is to simply initiate the print head cleaning process from your printer's software, which will then print out several pages designed to clean out the head.

In the case that your printer's software does not offer this feature, it is possible to clean the print head yourself using an alcohol-based solution, however, this does require considerable caution, as damage to the print-head could occur. Never attempt to do this if the print head is attached to the printer.

Problem: Prints perfectly at first for a few pages, and then suddenly fails to print any more.

Solution: This is a strong indication of an air bubble in inkjet cartridges, especially if your cartridge happens to be a sponge-filled cartridge. You can either attempt to clear the obstruction yourself with caution, or simply replace the cartridge.

There are a couple of other common problems that printer users can face (which I will cover in more detail in a later post), but just wanted to get this post out there to guide and help anyone that may be facing similar problems right now.

Your printer software may not be reporting accurate ink levels.

Is Your Printer Software Telling The Truth About Ink Levels?

Often, there will be software bundled with your printer installation that can send false messages as to the status of your ink cartridges. For example, certain printers may state a cartridge as empty just because it has been in the printer for a certain period of time. There may be perfectly good ink left in the cartridge that your printer is not allowing you to make use of, so there are a number of hacks you can try to prevent this waste. You can do a simple search online with your specific printer make and model to find hacks that users have provided. Alternatively, you might want to check that there is no unwanted software causing these restrictions and uninstall them.

Just Add Water To Revive Your Cartridge

When you find that print quality is deteriorating but there is still ink left in the cartridge, there is a simple trick you can try to unblock the nozzles and improve print quality. Remove the cartridge and place it in water for a few hours.

After removing it, gently blot it dry and leave it to dry in a safe place overnight. Put it back in your printer and see if the quality of your printouts is improved. You can also try using your printer software’s nozzle check feature which keeps the ink wet in the nozzles. Though it uses a small amount of ink, it is a cost effective way of keeping the cartridges printing well.

Reset Your Ink Cartridge's Chip

You may be able to get a chip resetting device from online auction sites such as eBay. This chip is something you will need if you are planning to refill ink cartridges on your own. A simple search will yield a number of results for your particular make and model and save you a lot of money in the long run.

These are just a few of the ways in which you can save money by keeping track on the ink you are using and the ink that is still available. You should also read packaging carefully to make sure that you are getting a good amount of ink and a good deal.