We’ve all been there: it’s crunch time, and we need to print something. But somehow, your printer knows you’re in a hurry and decides to take its sweet time—or malfunction altogether.
Here are five common printer problems and how to avoid them, so you can stay calm and print the important documents you need.
Problem: Paper Jams
Solution: When your printer gets a paper jam, your first instinct may be to yank the offending paper out and try to print again. The leading cause of paper jams is a misalignment in the paper tray, so the best thing you can do is check that your paper is squared off in the tray and that you’re using the right kind of paper for the printer.
Problem: Poor Print Quality
Solution: If your documents are coming out with smudges or faded words or images, check your settings match your paper. If the settings are correct, check the health of your ink cartridges.
Problem: Nothing is Printing
Solution: Start by checking that you’ve sent the request to the correct printer and your printer is connected to the Internet. If everything is connected and there’s paper in the tray, try turning it off and turning it back on.
Problem: The Printer is Slow
Solution: If your printer is running slower than it usually does, check your settings to see the print quality. Go to printer preferences, click “Paper/Quality,” and pick one of the options under “Quality Settings.”
Problem: Only Half the Page is Printing
Solution: This happens a lot with USB printers, and the best thing you can do is restart both the printer and the computer. If that doesn’t work, an error message will typically pop up to tell you what the issue is.
If these quick fixes don’t do the job, don’t panic. While your printer will need a more in-depth diagnosis and adjustment, we’re here to help.
Bring your device into Computer Corner, and we’ll get it working like it did when it first came out of the box.
