A Basic Printer Troubleshooting Guide: Picture this: You’re on a tight deadline at work, and you’ve been eyeballing the printer from a distance. No one is around, so you’ll be able to print your assignment and grab it without any delay.
However, as you’re waiting for the printer to start, nothing’s happening. There have never been any issues with printing before, so you’re not sure what to do.
Whether you’re in an office or at home, printing issues can be a thorn in your side, especially at crucial times. Luckily we have some printer troubleshooting tips in case you end up in a jam. Continue reading to learn more.
The Printer Is Unresponsive
If your printer is unresponsive, there’s no need to pick it up and throw it away just yet. It may be a simple issue that needs to be solved.
Check and see if all of the necessary cables are connected. If you’re using a wireless printer, ensure it has an established connection. Without it, that is likely your printing issue.
However, if everything is connected to your printer and isn’t printing, you should try restarting it. Typically, restarting it should help. But if there’s still an error message on the screen, it’s time to look at some other possibilities.
Paper Jams
Sometimes when you’re having printer problems, the culprit may be a paper jam. First, ensure the paper is lined up correctly on the printing tray. Even if one sheet of paper is out of line, it can cause a paper jam.
Also, make sure that you’re not overstuffing your paper tray. The trays are designed to hold a specific capacity, and having too much paper can result in a jam.
Read your printer’s guide to see how many sheets of paper it can hold and fill it accordingly. To confirm you have no further printing problems, adjust your printer’s setting to the paper type you have lined up.
All printers have settings for various paper types to match what needs to be printed. If you have thicker paper in the printer, but the settings don’t match, it could result in a jam. So double-check them before you begin printing.
Printer Driver Problems
As you’re trying to fix your printer, the issue may not be hardware-related. It may have to do with your printer driver’s current software.
Your printer driver communicates printing tasks between your printer and computer. But these applications can go out of date, which can lead to unresponsive devices.
Upgrade your device right away by going to your printer manufacturer’s support page and finding the relevant driver update. Follow the steps, and you should have a working printer in a few minutes.
Printing a Self-Test Page
Printing a self-test page can help you narrow down your choices if you have problems diagnosing your printer’s issue. Go to “Settings” on your computer and look for “Devices.”
Find your printer, click on “Manage” or “Printer Properties,” and select “Print Test Page.” If the paper prints successfully, then the issue may not be your printer driver or connection. But if it doesn’t, it may be an internal issue.
Replace Cartridge and Low Ink Message
Another common printer issue many face is when a message pops up saying you need to replace the cartridge or there’s low ink. Sometimes when the printer hasn’t done a job in a while, the ink dries up, causing clogs in your device.
Use a damp paper towel to blot the ink residue coming from your cartridge. Then absorb it with a dry paper towel. Afterward, install a new cartridge and reset your printer.
If there are no ink spots on your paper when you print, but the ink has faded, then you’ll need to get some new ink. Since office printers can run out of printers fast, it would help to have an adequate supply in storage.
If you have an HP printer, visit premiumtoners.com to find the best cartridge for your printing needs. Have a good supply can ensure all your printing jobs meet quality standards.
New Cartridge Isn’t Working
Figuring out printer issues can be challenging because they happen at random. For example, if you’ve had a cartridge issue and replace it with a new one, your printer may not acknowledge it.
To fix the issue, try reinstalling your old cartridge. If your printer starts working again, it’s because there may have been some ink remaining in your old cartridge.
Once the printer acknowledges the old cartridge, try replacing it with the new one again. Your printer may have needed a quick reset so it could accept the new ink cartridge.
Before installing it, you should also check to see if you’ve removed all protective seals from your ink cartridge. It could be a small section of tape or a plastic piece; however, installing it without removing those barriers will prevent ink from flowing.
Printing From Your Mobile Device
With the advancements in technology, printing has become more convenient since we can do it from our mobile devices. However, depending on your printer brand, there can often be compatibility issues with your phone.
Most printers created today come pre-installed with Apple’s AirPrint software to allow a seamless printing transition from your Apple device. However, if your printer doesn’t have AirPrint software, you can look on the app store for relevant printing tools.
Follow These Printer Troubleshooting Tips
Printer issues can happen at any time, but it’s important not to panic. Before replacing your printer, make sure to try our printer troubleshooting tips. The issue may be a simple fix that can save you a lot of money.
To learn more about printer maintenance, feel free to read some of our other blog posts.
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