Clogging in the ink jets of your HP printer can prevent you from completing high-quality print jobs. Clogged ink jets occur when your printer sits unused for too long. The ink deteriorates over time and dries up or turns to sludge. You’ll generally know if you have clogged ink jets because your print jobs will show gaps in printing. Many newer printers have a function to clean the print cartridges automatically, but you can also clean them manually. Writer Bio