When they are new, Inkjet printers can produce top-notch prints that rival professional work. Text is sharp, and images are bold and detailed. But like many other appliances they need to be regularly maintained to keep it performing at those high standards. Inkjet printers that are old or have been getting a lot of use can sometime produce shaky text and muddy images that are the last things you want when trying to get professional results. If your inkjet printer has been letting you down lately, here are a few tips to help you get it running optimally.

- The first thing you can do when you notice your printer isn't running properly is run a test. Many printers have self tests. To verify if yours has this capability, check your manual. If your printer doesn't have the self test capability, no need to panic. All printers have the ability to print a test page. To do this: Click "Start" button > "Settings" > "Control Panel"> "Printers and Faxes", Then you right click on the name of your printer and select "Properties". Finally, you should see an option for a test page and a key for reading results.

- If you ran a test page and are seeing less than ideal results, the next step you should take is cleaning the heads. Some printers can do this automatically by the push of button. If you're unsure how to do this on your printer, see you manual first. Next you should access your printers cleaning properties in the aforementioned step, and find the maintenance or cleaning tab. Many times in the cleaning process, the heads will be realigned which can have a positive impact on the printing process.

- Choose the right photo quality inkjet paper. Often times, the type of paper you are using for your print projects affects how you see the results. If you're looking to get crisp, clear, professional-looking photo prints, you're going to need something like inkjet glossy photo paper. Or if you are looking for gloss, premium matte photo paper is ideal. For larger-scale projects, large format paper works great. Many people choose large format paper when working on professional design projects, because it allows the design to have enough space to convey its message. All in all, there are tons of different inkjet paper, even adhesive vinyl sheets, that can have a huge impact on the results of your print.

- Another thing you can do to improve your print quality is to upgrade your memory. Check to see if your printer has an expansion slot to add more memory. Doing this makes your printer much faster and more efficient. All in all, an inkjet printer is only as good as the ink cartridges you are using for print projects and the type of paper you're feeding it. You can vastly improve your print results by using photo quality inkjet paper that is specific to your project. In addition, regular printer maintenance improves the quality of print projects and ensures your printer's longevity.