30 Routine MaintenanceKeeping the Best Printing ResultsTo avoid drying of the Print Head and clogging of the nozzles, note the following. When You Turn Off the PrinterFollow the procedure below to turn off the printer.(1) Press the POWER button to turn off the printer.(2) Confirm that the POWER lamp has gone out.This takes a few seconds or as long as around 20 seconds.(3) Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.If you are using a power outlet strip, you can switch it off instead.When you press the POWER button to turn off the printer, the printer automatically puts aprotective cap on the Print Head to prevent the ink from drying. If you remove the power cord orswitch off the power outlet strip before the POWER lamp goes out, this capping will not be doneproperly, causing the Print Head to dry and clog. When You Are Not Using the Printer for a Long TimeWhen you are not using the printer for a long time, print in both black & white and in color, orperform Print Head Cleaning, about once a month to prevent degradation of the Print Head.Numerous nozzles are installed in the Print Head for high-precision printing. Just as theuncapped tip of a ballpoint pen or marker becomes dry and unusable if it is not used for a longperiod of time, the print head nozzles become blocked by dried ink. Periodically printing orcleaning the Print Head can prevent this blockage.Notez If the printed area is traced with a highlight pen or paint-stick or stained with water or sweat, inkmay blur depending on the paper.z If the print head nozzles get clogged, printouts will become faint or particular colors will not beprinted properly. For details, see “When Printing Becomes Faint or Colors Are Incorrect” onpage 31.