Do the scheduled printer maintenance, and extend the life of your printer…

Yet another message from our friends at Lexmark…

Most people routinely change their car's oil, spark plugs, and wiper blades. And yet few people think to clean internal printer parts, replace their print heads, and perform regular printer maintenance. But just like newer cars these days, today's printers are more sophisticated machines that require a bit of service occasionally in order to operate at their highest standards. And when it comes to maintenance, a little attention goes a long, long way. By following these simple tips, you'll ensure that your printer runs great for many years to come.

• Don't ignore warnings: Just like ignoring a "check engine" light on your car, ignoring printer maintenance notifications can lead to everything from print quality issues to costly repairs—or worse, the need for an all-new printer. To prevent this from happening, just keep in mind that printers are affected by normal wear and tear, just like cars.

• Keep your machine clean: If your wiper blades started streaking, you'd try to clean them off, right? It's the same with your printer. When you see print quality declining on your inkjet printer, start by running a Deep Clean on your printhead. Simply go to your printer's control panel and follow the steps for performing a Deep Clean. If quality problems persist, it may be time to replace your printhead, just like you'd replace your wiper blades. If you own a laser printer and use it to print glue-based labels, make sure you order a special label cartridge and clean or replace the fuser wiper as directed. These fast, easy steps will ensure print quality and extend the lifespan of your printer.