When you begin seeing smears or blotches on your printouts, start diagnosing the problem by checking the toner or inkjet cartridge. Many inkjet printers let you check cartridge ink levels directly from Windows; you can also perform tests for nozzle clogs, print head cleaning, and alignment.

Here's how to check the ink levels and perform tests in an Epson Stylus Photo 1270 inkjet printer from Windows XP. (Your printer might use slightly different menus or not offer this feature.)

1. Choose Printers and Faxes from the Start menu.

For other Windows versions, click the Start menu, choose Settings, and click Printers. A window appears, listing all the printers connected to your computer or available on your network.

2. Right-click your printer's icon and choose Properties.

The Properties window appears.

3. Click the Printing Preferences button.

A window appears, as shown in Figure 1, showing the levels of ink left in the printer's black and color cartridges. The printer shown currently has plenty of color ink ($24.99 per cartridge). The black ink ($21.99) is still half full.

4. Click the Utility tab.

5. Run your printer's built-in diagnostics.

This particular model enables you to check the nozzles for clogging, as shown in Figure 2. Clogging is the number-one cause for print quality problems. If the test proves positive, the Head Cleaning utility fixes it (hopefully). The Print Head Alignment tool makes sure the cartridge is inserted properly and corrects its printing to match the cartridge's position.