Ask anyone in your office which piece of technology is the least reliable, most commonly broken, or most loathed and the typical answer will be the office printer. Whether it is jammed, out of ink, or just being stubborn, the office printer is by far the most problematic piece of equipment in the business sphere. What are the reasons behind this constant struggle and how can you mitigate the issue so that your workplace can be more efficient and productive? If you’re an office manager or just someone who regularly uses the office printer to complete your daily work, you may softly swear under your breath every time the printer malfunctions - which can be a lot! Here are the most common reasons why your printer is a problem and what you can do about it.
Frequent Paper Jams
We’ve all been there. The report is due and all you need to do is print it and be done with it. Then you get the screen of death, telling you there is a paper jam. If your printer is jamming regularly, check these common things for a quick fix.
Is the paper in the tray loaded correctly and in the right size? Check the paper tray first to fix and paper that is askew.
Is the machine overworked and needs to cool? Try letting it rest for a few minutes.
Does the machine need a quick clean of paper pieces that are causing further clogs?
Is there a humidity problem in the copy room that can cause clogs? Try using a humidifier.
Connection Issues
Second only to the paper jamming is the problem with connection issues. This is more prevalent now with multiple copiers in each office and wireless printers. Troubleshoot this tricky problem by taking the following steps:
Check that the printer is plugged in.
Restart it.
Check that the network is properly connected.
Check settings to be sure you are sending it to the right printer.
For wireless printers, check that the wi-fi connection has not been lost.
The Printer is Taking Too Long
Speeding up your printer when completing longer jobs may seem like a Herculean task but there are a few steps that you can take to make things a bit faster.
Reposition your router to gain access to your printer faster.
Adjust the print quality from high quality to a lower level to make your job go faster.
If every second counts switch from two-sided printing to one-sided printing. It may take more paper, but in a pinch, it will get the job done faster.
Lines, Spots, and Smudges
This problem usually occurs when ink or something has contaminated the drum and rollers. Most multi-function print devices come with a self-clean program that could fix the problem. If you are using a photocopier, sometimes a mark on the glass portion of the printer is to blame; a little elbow grease and some glass cleaner will usually take care of this problem.For more tips on keeping your office equipment and connected devices running smoothly along with your network, talk to our team about being your Managed IT Provider.
