Troubleshooting Printer Problems
Printers are great when they work but when something goes wrong allof a sudden they are "crappy printers", "piece of junk" and so forth. Actually the technology is pretty impressive and if you ask me I think it's nothing short of magic. All that said lets explore some of the more common problems that cause the 45% of the help centers phone calls.If nothing has occurred since the last time you used your printer chances are the problem is straightforward. As obvious as it sounds check to make sure the printer is turned on. Somebody may have turned it off while you were away from your desk or computer.
Make sure there is power to the printer. All printers have some kind of light or LED to let you know that it is powered up.If it is turned on but has some flashing lights then check with your ownersmanual to see what the lights mean. Most of these indicators will be related to either paper, toner or ink. Make sure there is paper in the printer. If it's empty then refill the paper tray.
Make sure to "fan" the paper stack before you put it in the printer. Fanning the paper merely involves flipping through the paper stack with your thumb. This ruffling separates the paper thereby reducing paper jams. When the paper stack is cut at the factory sometimes it causes the pages to stick together.If the paper is full then check for a mis-feed or paper jam. Remove the paper stack and check the feed area for jammed paper.
You may have to open several panels to make a thorough inspection. Even a small piece of paper stuck inside the printer can cause problems. You might have to use tweezers to remove small pieces. Be careful not to damage any mechanical parts with the tweezers.If all seems well with the printer it's time to check the wire that connects the printer to the computer. You may be using a parallel or a USB connection.
Make sure the cable is connected properly. Turn the equipment off and remove and re-insert the connection on both the printer and the computer to ensure a solid connection. If you are at work and your printer is connected to what appears to be a telephone wire then it's time to call your resident network expert.If the printer works but only prints garbage then that is a good indication of a printer driver problem. The printer driver is a software program thattranslates the computer instructions into something that the printer can recognize. Try re-booting the computer and turning the printer off and onbefore messing with the driver.
Sometimes that's all it takes. If after doing that you still have the problem it's time to replace the printer driver. Your printers manufacturer has a web site where you can download another printer driver. They are free to download and usually are updated as well. Follow the instructions given by the manufacturer to replace your driver.If you have a scanner it may be interfering with your printer.
Try reinstalling the software for both BUT install the printer driver first, then the scanner driver. If nothing I've said results in a solution then it may be time to call the printer manufacturer. Make sure that you are near the printer when you call and have all your warranty information available..
Barry Shultz is the author of Atlascopy News, and President of Atlascopy, Inc. Atlascopy specialized in affordable alternatives to the high cost of printer supplies. Sign up for the Atlascopy Newsletter and get 10% coupons every week in your email. http://atlascopy.com/signup_new.htmGo to Atlascopy to save a bundle on your printer and refilling supplies.http://atlascopy.comVistaPrint Offers A Great Deal In Photo Printing: 30 Free Prints With Every Order
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Photo printer > VistaPrint Offers A Great Deal In Photo Printing: 30 Free Prints With Every Order
Ten Ways (plus 1) to Save on Printer Ink and Toner Cartridges
Are you getting tired of the high cost of printing? You're not alone. Many consumers are up in arms. For example, they believe paying $22 per ounce for printer ink and $150 to $300 (or more) for a toner cartridge is way too much. Most of the major printer manufacturers have adopted the same marketing model as the razor blade, TiVo and cell phone industry. Simply stated, they sell you the printer for cost or less in order to sell you printer ink and toner cartridges at huge markups.
In many instances, they charge seven to ten times what it costs to manufacture these products.In addition, these major companies spend thousands of dollars trying to convince you to purchase only their products. They strongly criticize printer ink and toner cartridges offered by third party companies. However, did you know that many of these major companies are now selling their own recycled cartridges? and you're still paying full retail price for them! As someone once said, to get a real education,...
Ten Ways (plus 1) to Save on Printer Ink and Toner Cartridges
Photo printer > Ten Ways (plus 1) to Save on Printer Ink and Toner Cartridges
Photo printer
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