A printer is an essential item in many offices and homes. But, although they are often relied upon, printers can be very problematic! Here are some of the most common printer and ink cartridge problems and how to solve them.
Printing is Too Slow
Printers can sometimes be frustratingly slow. Generally, this is because print quality is set higher than it needs to be. Everyday documents can often be printed using a low, or even draft, quality setting. This will speed up performance and help to conserve printer ink in the process.
Printing is Faint, Spotty or Contains Horizontal Lines
If printouts appear unusual or poor quality, it could be a sign of a clogged printer head. This is very common if printers aren’t used frequently. Most printers’ utility programs have a head cleaning setting. A test page can then be printed for inspection.
‘Ink Cartridge is Low’ Messages
Most modern prints have a system to let the user know when their ink cartridges are running low. However, they are notoriously unreliable, delivering messages much sooner than is necessary. It’s generally best for printer users to use these messages as a guide, but replace the cartridges when they think they need to, i.e. when print quality begins to suffer.
Paper Jams
Although they are becoming less and less common in modern printers, paper jams can still occur. They can be prevented by taking care when loading paper into the printer tray, keeping is square and ensuring none of the pages are creases. Jams can usually be removed by opening the printer cover.
