What are the best practices for print quality troubleshooting?

Troubleshooting print quality is a process of isolation: run a test, read the symptom, and change one variable at a time. Start with a nozzle check or test page, then confirm the basics before touching anything more complicated.

• Test first: a nozzle check or test page pinpoints the exact issue.
• Clean heads: clogged nozzles cause much of the banding and streaking people chase.
• Check settings: verify paper type in the driver so ink lays down correctly.
• Check the file: confirm 300 DPI in CMYK before blaming the hardware.
• One change at a time: adjust a single variable so you know what actually fixed it.

For complex or multi-page jobs, professional printing often delivers more reliable results than in-house troubleshooting, since presses hold calibration far tighter than desktop units.