I didn't use my printer for ages (over a year) and when I started using it again the black ink won't print right, text documents come out garbled. I've tried running the print-head cleaning function and print-head alignment neither of which helped. I've tried replacing the cartridge but that didn't work either.
After a year in storage, the print heads are probably clogged.
Unless you regularly print photos, I'd always recommend a cheap laser printer. They use powdered toner just like a photocopier, which has an indefinite shelf life. Laser printers have no print heads to clog and they don't constantly waste expensive ink on self-cleaning cycles. You don't get colour printing, but that doesn't matter if you're just printing forms or work documents.
A decent laser printer with Ethernet and Wi-Fi costs less than £50, including a starter toner cartridge. If you need one with a scanner, that'll cost you £70. That's a greater up-front cost than an inkjet, but it'll pay for itself very quickly. Knock-off toner cartridges cost £18, last for ~2500 pages and work faultlessly.
