Technology can greatly improve our quality of life and help make our jobs easier. However, when that technology fails to work or breaks down, it can be extremely frustrating. In the office, printer downtime costs your business valuable time and money, and may even affect your reputation. Luckily, most common printer problems have easy solutions. All you need is a little extra know-how.
Four Common Office Printer Problems and Their Simple Solutions
1. Paper Jams
Paper jams are perhaps the most loathsome of all printer problems. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most common printer issues.
While your knee-jerk reaction may be to rip the paper out in both frustration and an attempt to clear the block, we recommend exercising some patience. Tearing the paper out will only make the problem worse, and can damage the printer.
When removing paper from a jammed machine, we recommend referring to the troubleshooting section of the printer’s manual. The most common cause of a paper jam is misaligned paper. Be sure that employees are squaring off the paper when loading it into the tray. It’s also important that employees use the right kind and quality of paper for your office printer.
2. Poor Print Quality
When it comes to smudges, faded text, and poor image quality, there are a couple of issues that could be at fault. Sometimes, these problems are related to the print settings you have selected.
First, check that you have the correct media selected and that the paper in the tray matches the type selected in the print driver.
If that doesn’t solve the problem you can take a look at the ink cartridges to make sure there isn’t any damage to or issue with the cartridge. If smudges are the problem, try printing several sheets in black and white, which should do the trick.
3. Nothing is Printing
If you’re standing in front of a printer that is not spitting out your documents, where should you start the troubleshooting process?
First, if you have multiple known printers, make sure that you’ve selected the right one for the job. Second, check that your printer is still connected to the correct WiFi network, USB, or Ethernet connection. An empty paper tray can also be the culprit.
If none of these solve the problem, try shutting down the printer, waiting a few minutes, and then turning it back on. Lastly, if your printer is still not working, it could be an issue of a corrupted printer driver that needs to be reinstalled on your computer.
4. WiFi Printing Takes too Long
WiFi printing is meant to be more convenient. However, it can sometimes be slower and present more problems than a cable connection. Slow print jobs on a WiFi connection could simply be a problem of printer placement.
Make sure your WiFi router is close to your printer and that there aren’t big objects obstructing your connection. This should help increase throughput and performance.
Sometimes, printer speed and performance can be impacted by the amount of network traffic as well. If it’s possible, try manually switching the channel of your wireless router.
Commercial Printer Maintenance in the San Francisco Bay Area
If these or other printer problems persist, it’s time to call in some help. Our maintenance and repair professionals at WiZiX Technology Group are experienced in servicing all makes and models of office printers. We have a huge inventory of parts and supplies on hand, and offer same-day, on-site service and repairs in the San Francisco Bay Area (as well as Fresno and Sacramento). If your office technology is in need of upkeep or if it’s time for a printer upgrade, speak with one of our representatives today!
