DIY troubleshooting for your printer

One of the most frustrating moments at work is when you want to print a document you need urgently and the printer lets you down. What’s worse, the printer technician is nowhere to be found and you have no knowledge about how to diagnose the problem with the printer and fix it.

Worry no more because after reading these common printer problems and their solutions, you should be able to assist yourself without the help of a technician.

Printer refuses to print: If the printer does not respond to a print command, the most common and obvious reason could be because of a power issue. Check to be sure if power is not turning off unexpectedly upon issuing the print command.

Also check the USB cable as well as other electrical cables. The printer driver may need to be re-installed if the drivers are corrupted. To re-install the driver, you may use the disc that comes with the printer or download it from the manufacturer’s website.

Slow printing: There are times when the printer is slow in responding to commands from the user. This is especially the case when printing with certain paper types or printing in best quality.

If this is the case, go to settings and change from Normal to Fast Draft but keep in mind that this adjustment may negatively affect resolution. However, for high quality printing, you may have to switch back to the normal mode.

Sometimes, just using plain paper can speed things up and still produce good quality output.

The printer can be slow depending on the driver that is being used. Most laser and inkjet printers nowadays give the options of either using PostScript or printer’s own driver. PostScript drivers provide high quality at slow speed. These adjustments have to be evaluated carefully before applying them on the printer.

Paper jams when printing: Paper jams should not upset you because all printers are susceptible to sporadic jams because of simple technical glitches, most commonly, paper misalignment. If this happens, remove the paper by following the message instruction indicated on the printer screen. Alternatively, open the paper tray and take out the jammed paper and ensure that the paper is properly aligned. Check if there are pieces of papers on the rollers and gently remove them.

Printer consumes ink faster: The cost of ink for all printers is generally high so it is irritating when the printer consumes too much ink. For most part, more expensive printers cost less per page when printing. Always use original ink or toner for your printers and if abnormal consumption continues, check your printer driver to help reduce ink or toner consumption.

The best cost-saving strategy on ink or toner is to think before you print. In most cases, the hardcopy is not needed as the document can be read or emailed to your colleague in soft copy.

Printed documents too light and have horizontal lines: This problem more be as a result of dirty printhead especially if it is an inkjet printer. The dirt is caused by ink clot which can be cleaned by the printer’s utility program. Use your printer settings and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to clean the printhead.

It is important to note that some printer problems may be costly to your business operations, so must be dealt with in a more professional manner. This means having a maintenance contract or service level agreement with your dealer to ensure quick resolution of problems.