Follow the guidelines in this section to extend the life span of the printer and printing
supplies, and to ensure that the photos you print are always of the highest quality.

Leave the printer on

HP recommends that you always leave the printer plugged in and turned on so that it
can periodically perform self-servicing routines. If you leave the printer off for an extended
period of time, you will experience a decline in print quality, automatic maintenance
routines will need to be run, and you may have to replace one or more printheads.
The printer performs a self-servicing routine if the printer is idle for 24 hours or more. The
length of time it takes for the servicing routine to be completed depends on how long the
printer has been idle. As part of the servicing routine, a nozzle health sensor checks the
printhead nozzles for blockages, clears any blockages found, if possible, and substitutes
nozzles as needed. For more information on cleaning the printheads, see

Clean the

printheads automatically

and

Clean the printhead nozzles manually

Replace the ink cartridges

For information on installing the ink cartridges and printheads the first time after you
purchase the printer, see the Quick Start guide.
For optimal printing results, HP recommends using only HP ink cartridges. Inserting an
incorrect cartridge may invalidate the printer warranty.
HP does not recommend modifying or refilling HP cartridges. Damage that results from
modifying or refilling HP cartridges is not covered by the HP warranty.
For best print quality, HP recommends that you install all retail ink cartridges before the
date stamped on the box.
Do not open the ink cartridge packet until you are ready to install the ink cartridge.

HP Photosmart Pro B9100 series User Guide