Getting annoyed with an office printer that isn’t doing its one task well is easy. And your productivity will suffer if the malfunctioning equipment is a multifunction printer (MFP), which also serves as a scanner and copier. This will cost you valuable business time.
It’s enough to make you want to hurl your printer against the wall or raise your hands in surrender. However, many problems can be resolved with a little do-it-yourself printer knowledge.
The ten most frequent printer issues and their solutions are listed here to assist you resume normal operations with the least amount of interruption.
- Printer is unresponsive
- Printer won’t print
- Bad print quality
- Uncertain about printer security
- My printer won’t scan
- Too many paper jams
- Prints too slowly
- Printing is too expensive
- I can’t print from my mobile device
- Wi-Fi printing takes too long
1. Printer is unresponsive
Prior to delving too deeply into particular typical printer issues and fixes, take a moment to review the best practices that our Managed Print specialists adhere to. Prior to attempting to resolve typical printer issues, always make sure the following has been checked:
- Is the printer turned on?
- Is there paper on it?
- Are all required cables in place?
- Do all of the wireless connections function correctly?
- Have you examined the toner or ink cartridges in your printer?
2. Printer Won’t Print
Do you feel as though your print job is stalled somewhere in cyberspace, or are you seeing error messages on the control panel? Even though restarting your printer by pressing the power button is the simplest approach, you should make sure you’ve chosen the correct print settings before sending a dozen copies of your document to a different device in the next room.
In the event that your printer driver is two-way communicating, you can receive a warning about a problem before you even get to the printer and discover that there is nothing in the print tray. Fortunately, these alerts frequently identify the issue and provide remedial strategies. In the event that all else fails, switch off your printer, let it a few minutes, and then restart the software and printer.
3. Bad Print Quality
Although it might not seem like much, the paper you use to print on can have a big impact on the quality of your final product. Generally speaking, photo paper that comes from the manufacturer of your printer will work better than regular printer paper. What’s even more crucial, though? Align the printer’s settings with the document you are printing.
This entails selecting the right print quality settings for your printed pages in addition to making sure the right kind of paper is chosen. Are you printing pictures for a presentation or are you just printing a copy of an email to store in your files? It won’t do to use draft quality or plain paper settings when printing excellent images on glossy paper. Moreover, combining several brands and kinds of paper in one printer tray may result in extra problems.
4. Uncertain About Printer Security
To prevent unwanted access, security protections are pre-installed on the majority of printers from printer makers. On the other hand, if specific precautions aren’t followed, a hacker may use your printer as a back door to access your network. The two most important things you can do to stop this are to make sure the most recent security updates are loaded on your printer and to change the default password.
Ask your Managed Print Service (MPS) provider or IT manager to configure your security settings if you’re not sure how to do that. They’ll make sure your security settings are up to date and that you have a digital lockbox. To guard against possible internal risks, they can even set up confidential printing modes.
5. My Printer Won’t Scan Anymore
Corrupted scanner software is frequently the bad guy when an MFP stops scanning. Reinstall the printing software package to get your printer to scan again. If that doesn’t work, identify your individual printer model online by visiting the manufacturer’s website or by reading the troubleshooting section of the user manual. It might be necessary to replace or fix a hardware problem.
6. Too Many Paper Jams
While loose foreign objects inside the printer are often the obvious cause of paper jams, there are a few less well-known causes as well, such as an overfilled paper tray or incorrectly inserted paper. To lessen static and dust, try fanning the paper stack and re-inserting the paper, making sure it is flush with the guides. It’s usually preferable to manually feed each sheet into the printer using a bypass tray when using thicker paper.
7. Prints Too Slowly
Although inkjet printers are often associated with slow drying times, laser printers can also encounter problems. Printing in presentation quality for straightforward black and white text documents can cause print quality problems, much as printing in draft quality for intricate images can.
It will print more quickly if the print quality standard is lower. Additionally, take into account if your print job is printed in duplex mode, which prints on both sides of the paper. In this instance, turning over each sheet of paper requires time from the printer. The simpler the printer settings are, the better, if speed is your main concern.
8. Printing is Too Expensive
Before you spend money on additional toner cartridges, take into account the following:
- Is it possible to print most of your documents at draft quality?
- Do you require all of the document’s pages, or simply some of them?
- Is printing two sides or duplex available?
- Are you buying your ink cartridges from a reliable supplier and are they actually designed for your device?
Clogged print nozzles and poor ink quality are two common concerns if you’re using the less expensive third-party ink, which will undoubtedly lead to more frequent ink orders. Ensuring that all staff members follow uniform printing guidelines can also result in cost savings. To support your company’s environmental efforts, you might also want to think about making the transition to a paperless electronic content management (ECM) system. This system can store and transport documents via the cloud.
9. I’m Unable to Print Using My Smartphone
Nearly all of the major printer manufacturers have produced an app that lets you wirelessly print from your mobile device by connecting it to your printer. Your wireless printer only needs a wireless access point that enables you to install the required software; it doesn’t even need to be connected to Wi-Fi.
Make sure the software and apps you’re using are compatible with your print device and check for updates if you’re experiencing problems printing from a smartphone or other mobile device.
10. It Takes Too Long to Print on Wi-Fi
If your printer prints quickly while connected via USB but lags horribly when printing wirelessly, it’s probably the fault of the way the print data is sent rather than the printer itself. Consider relocating the printer and router closer to one another.
If you can’t move your printer closer to the router, ensure sure your router has all the necessary hardware, including 802.11n capability, the most recent firmware, the ability to use the 5GHz band, and 2.4GHz. Sometimes it also helps to switch from a wireless to a wired connection and back again.
In the end, you might want to think about purchasing a service contract along with your next replacement printer if none of these fixes resolve the issue or if it is much older than expected. There are instances when troubleshooting printer issues needs knowing who to call. In the long run, calling in a specialist who is already acquainted with your machine will save you time and aggravation. View the infographic below to find out more about Managed Print Services and its advantages.
It could be time to speak with a company technology specialist who can assist with your printing issues if any of these typical printer issues are becoming more difficult to resolve. For a free, no-obligation requirements assessment about Managed Print Services, get in touch with Gordon Flesch Company.
FAQS
How do you solve common Printer Issues?
Make sure everything is plugged in properly and that your router isn’t malfunctioning. If your printer still isn’t responding, check the settings on your computer and your printer to make sure they’re accurate. If that doesn’t fix the problem, see if there’s an updated driver available or any other software updates
What is the most common part to fail in printer?
Paper Jams. Paper jams are perhaps the most loathsome of all printer issues. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most common printer issues.
