HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR PRINTER? 

Your office printer or photocopier is one of the most important pieces of technology in your office and it can be frustrating when it breaks down during an important print run. Regular maintenance can avoid the common office printer problems.

The following advice on how to maintain your office printer  can keep your device in good health at all times:

1)Paper

– Use good quality paper. There are companies offering ‘great’ deals on paper; this is a false economy as low cost paper usually means low grade paper. Such products leave a residue of dust in devices causing unnecessary paper jams.
 –If paper gets stuck in the printer, never force pull the paper as it will tear. Carefully use both hands to pull out the paper.

2)Toners

 –Avoid refill toners, they may be less expensive to buy, but they have been pierced to refill with toner and they are prone to leaving messy ink in your machine and on your print-outs.
 – Compatible toner is a brand new cartridge made by a third-party manufacturer. They have no affiliation with the original manufacturers of the printer, and the cartridges have not been used before. But the third-party toner cartridges can cause errors with the machine, such as clogged ink and a lower standard of printing, and can also void your warranty. For this reason, you should only use genuine cartridges when considering good printer maintenance.

– Shake toners gently before installing to avoid print head clogging and to get the most out of toner capacity.
 – For colour printers, don’t always print in black and white. Using the colour toners to print occasionally will allow ink to flow freely from the print head.

3) Update software

-You should also update the software that your printer is running as part of your maintenance routine. 

-When your manufacturer releases a software update, you should install it on your printer and PC as soon as possible to make the set-up more efficient.

-If you’re not updating your printer software regularly, you also run the risk of experiencing a slower output which can hinder your business’ production.

4) General Maintenance

 – Just like a vehicle, an annual service will ensure that you maintain your office printer and get the most out of it.
 – Stick to the monthly cycle limit for printing, if you are printing more than the limit, then it is time to upgrade your printer.

5) Turn off when not in use

-Turning appliances off when they’re not being used can make a dramatic impact on your business’ energy consumption. Switching off your printer when you’re out of the office can also help with maintaining the high standard of your machine.

-When the printer is turned on at the mains, heat is still being generated within the printer which can cause ink cartridges to clog. Turning the printer off completely can help to solve this and some machines have a built-in ‘sleep mode’ to prevent this from occurring.