Common Printer Problems and How to Fix Them

Whether you’re a student, a parent, or a faculty member of a school, you’ll still need to print some documents from time to time. Whether you’re printing an essay, a handout, or homework, each of you should have a quality printer.

That said, we know you’re concerned about a printer’s reliability; after all, everybody knows the frustration of a paper jam. Luckily, we’re here to help. Continue reading to learn some common printer problems and how to fix them.

Wireless printing is sluggish

Back in the day, wireless printing wasn’t an option. Today, wireless printing is the norm, and while going wireless is generally more convenient for connecting devices (including your printer), a wireless connection can affect the speed of your printer. If printing wirelessly takes longer than getting your degree, there are three possible solutions.

First, try bringing the device you’re printing from closer to your router. If getting closer didn’t work, you may have to plug directly into the printer with an Ethernet or USB cable, but then you’re losing the convenience of wireless printing. Alternatively, if you have numerous devices, they may be overloading your internet plan. That said, an internet plan upgrade may be in your future.

Paper jams

The dreaded paper jam happens to everyone at some point. Each printer reacts to printer jams a little differently. There are a few things you can do to avoid printer jams, but first, if you already have a paper jam, slowly pull the jammed sheet out of the printer. You don’t want to rip the page and cause a bigger issue. However, the best way to avoid paper jams is to stop them at the source.

First, a lot of people make the mistake of loading too much paper in the printer’s loading tray and not ensuring the loaded paper is level. Second, if you’re printing on something other than standard paper, you may need to adjust your printer’s settings. For instance, if you’re using cardstock and the printer is set for a standard sheet, the printer’s sensors may go haywire and cause a paper jam.

Dry printer cartridges

Chances are you have an inkjet printer because they’re typically more affordable, but that also means you’re at risk for another frustrating issue––dried cartridges. Now, you’re probably wondering, Why do printer cartridges dry out? There are a few reasons, but the most common culprit is simply inconsistent use. Most manufacturers suggest using your printer at least once a week to avoid dry cartridges. If your cartridges dry out, do not attempt to use them again. Once they’re dry, they’re dry, and you need to replace them.

Poor printing quality

Some of you may have issues with your print quality worsening or being inconsistent. Typically, inconsistent print quality is a sign your cartridges are nearly empty or that you’re using low-quality cartridges. For best results, you should always use brand-name cartridges or remanufactured cartridges from a trustworthy company. A dependable company would hold their remanufactured cartridges to the same quality standards as the OEMs.

All in all, even if you take every preventative measure available, your printer is probably going to have an issue at some point. However, if you know the common printer problems and how to fix them, the whole situation won’t be nearly as frustrating.

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