Have you ever found yourself in this situation: the Chief Muckety Muck at work purchased an expensive laser copier/printer/imaging machine for the office.
It works great . . .for a while. But eventually things don’t work as well as they used to.
Chief Muckety Muck doesn’t care — he or she paid for a high-quality printer, but they’re no longer getting high-quality prints.
It’s up to you to get that machine running as good as it once did.
Welcome to Printer Maintenance 101!How do you know if a printer needs routine maintenance?
Well, if it’s routine, you kind of do it on a regular schedule, right?
I know, giving your printer a check-up from the neck up isn’t on the top of your priority list.
However, if you start to see lines, smears, or missing colors on your prints, it’s time for a printer maintenance plan!
Roll up your sleeves, Sally! You’re getting your hands dirty!
Use your printer software utility to run a nozzle check. Your printer will print test page that looks something like this.
Solid lines show that print head is clean:
Broken lines and blank parts mean print head needs cleaning:
Use your printer software utility to run an automated print head cleaning.
Canon’s Printer Utility offers a variety of cleaning options.Use your printer software utility to align your print heads.
The Epson Printer Utility allows for software-based printer maintenance.If the first three steps don’t solve your printing problems, it’s time to venture inside your printer. Just make sure you unplug is first. Don’t risk an electrical shock!
Laser printers get dirty with toner dust and paper remnants.
It’s like a printing supplies graveyard inside your printer!
However, both the inside and outside of the printer can be wiped down with a damp or lint-free cloth.
Be gentle! Try using a brush with soft bristles, and/or a moist Q-tip to remove stubborn dirt.
Don’t use a normal vacuum cleaner or compressed air.
This can damage printer parts, both during inkjet printer maintenance and laser printer maintenance.
You can extend the life of your office equipment by learning how to clean printer components, like how to clean printer heads.
It’s not difficult, and there are video guides, in addition to our blog, to walk you through it.
If you get messy, don’t freak out; we know how to get ink and toner stains off your hands and clothes!
Cleaning printer rollers isn’t hard.
All you need is a bit of isopropyl alcohol and a cotton rag to wipe the grime off the rubber feeder rollers.
Printer roller cleaning helps the rollers maintain the rubbery grip they need to move pages along smoothly through the printer.
One pro user suggests soaking the middle of a piece of letter-size paper with rubbing alcohol, being careful to leave the edges dry.
Run this moistened sheet of paper through your printer two or three times to clear out ink or toner that had gotten on the paper feeder rollers.
Don’t try to save a couple bucks by buying compatible ink and toner.
Use original, brand name cartridges for optimum printer performance.
You can always sell toners to us if you do not need them anymore.
Also, replace your ink cartridges before they completely run out.
Try to use your inkjet printer at least once a week to keep your ink from drying up.
If you don’t use your printer that frequently, turn it off when not in use.
Laser Printer Maintenance: Toner TroubleshootingPrinter still plagued with problems? Try these common troubleshooting tips:
Your toner cartridge may be the problem.
This is probably a sign your toner is low. Time to replace that toner cartridge!
If this doesn’t work, the problem may be a transfer roller issue. Also, clean the laser mirror.
Blank spots on your printouts?
You may have a damaged transfer roller or a bad toner cartridge.
Check inside your printer to see if there are any bits of paper or debris stuck to the rollers or caught in the transfer mechanism.
Run a test print once you clean the interior of the printer.
If you’re still getting blank spots, change your ink or toner cartridge. If the problem persists, you may need to replace the transfer roller.
You’ve probably got a leaky color cartridge. You know what you need to do.
Sometimes the problem is software related.
Always keep your printer up to date with the latest version of the driver software. These can be found on the website of the company that made your printer under the support tab.
This HP Drivers Update Utility makes sure your printer has the latest drivers.Time For A Maintenance KitIf printing problems persist, it may be time to order an OEM maintenance kit, which will help you clean the printer fan and other vulnerable parts that are prone to accumulating dust and residue.
Check the printer’s page counter to see if it’s time to perform more intensive maintenance.
An OEM maintenance kit for your laser printer will usually include a new fuser, transfer roller, and various feeder rollers, though the actual contents of the maintenance kit may vary from brand to brand.
Installing an OEM maintenance kit isn’t difficult — all you’ll need is a pair of latex gloves, a standard, flathead screwdriver, and a bit of patience.
We recently installed an HP printer maintenance kit on a 15-year-old HP Laserjet 4250.
We replaced the following parts in the following order, but even if you don’t have an HP 4250, the method should be similar on other laser printers.
Once your maintenance is complete it’s a good idea to run a laser printer calibration to make sure all of your colors or true.
Don’t forget to reset the page count back to zero once your maintenance is complete.
Your printer manual is your friend, so keep it on an accessible nearby shelf.
This goes for Canon printer maintenance, HP printer maintenance, Brother printer maintenance…all the major printer manufacturers will provide a service schedule for your machine.
Eventually some mysterious maintenance light will pop on, and you’ll need the secret decoder ring inside your printer manual to figure it out.
Lose your printer manual? Shame on you! You’ll have to search the web for a PDF replacement.
Mac users will find a variety of maintenance options with the HP Printer Utility.For more information warehouse printer, please get in touch with us!