Is your printer or copier refusing to do its job? Why delay – call in the printer and copier repair specialist NOW!
When we are busy, the last thing we need is for our office equipment to go on strike. There will always be slight mishaps, such as running out of ink or toner in the middle of a print job (because we were too busy to notice the warning signs), which will affect nearly everything on sophisticated combination printer/scanner/copier equipment, but these types of hiccups can usually be remedied quite easily. What is more concerning is when your laptop or PC stops ‘talking’ to your printer or copier, and no amount of fiddling on your side will re-establish the communication link. Is it the printer/copier which is at fault, or your PC? And what happens when the communication is fine, but the printer/copier is constantly jamming, producing poor quality prints, creasing the paper or producing dark or smudged copies? Time to call in the specialists!
Problems develop for no apparent reason sometimes
As laymen – so to speak – we are not really expected to know, and neither do we really care, to be honest, about the full ins and outs of how computers and printers, scanners or copiers communicate with one another. It’s an accepted fact that they just DO. So what happens when, suddenly, they don’t? Is it a hardware or software (programming) fault which has developed over time and use and, more importantly, can it be repaired? We have to remember that machines still need human attention to keep them running smoothly, and equipment which is in constant high-volume use will eventually start giving problems. Like computers, sophisticated printing and copy equipment is controlled by very sensitive electronic technology and if this is not the problem, you need to look at hardware issues.
What are the most common printer problems?
Let’s just look, very quickly, at some of the most common printer problems which can usually be resolved immediately:
- Paper Jams
Paper jams are possibly the most irritating and annoying of the printer problems we face on a pretty regular basis. Expert opinion recommends NOT attacking the problem by tearing out the jammed paper en-masse, as this may well damage the drum, rollers or other parts of the printer such as the feeder. Although you might be gritting your teeth because you have already cleared numerous jams and the job is urgent, take a breath and take stock of the situation. Is the paper misaligned in any way? Is the paper too thin or thick or of poor quality? Use the recommended size and grammage for smooth output. Periodically wipe down the feed rollers to avoid a build-up of paper dust and even use a small vacuum tool to clean the inside of the printer of any other dust, hairs, etc.
- Wrinkled or creased pages
Creases in paper are often caused because of worn-out feed and exit rollers which lead to sticking or paper jams. Damaged paper trays, high humidity and problems with fuser assemblies can also be the cause of paper creasing. It also makes sense not to use paper which has been exposed to damp or spills, which affect its smoothness and form. Fuser assembly and feed roller repairs are best left to the expertise of a repair specialist.
- Poor Print Quality
If your print settings are 100% correct, and the printer or copier is presenting smudged, poor image output, faded type, random spots or lines down the sheet, check your ink or toner cartridge, clean the drum if possible, then run a few test sheets to see if the problem has been resolved.
Check the glass if you have a combined printer/copier/scanner for dirt on the scanner glass or mirrors. If using a laser-jet printer, it is possible that the heat fuser is failing and not setting the image properly. The drum or developer unit on multi-component copier systems could be malfunctioning, and vertical lines running vertically down the page could also be caused by drum-blade malfunction. If a simple fix does not resolve the problem, you need to call in the repair specialist, especially if the drum is beginning to fail.
- No Print Output
Check first that the printer/copier is set as the default printer for the input device, whether this is through a Wi-Fi network, USB or Ethernet connection. If you have more than one person using the equipment, check the print queue to see if there is anything backed up in the queue which is preventing printing or copying output. Check that your Wi-Fi is on and connected correctly, as the connections can sometimes drop if the signal is weak. Check if there is paper in the paper tray and there are no jams in the feed. If all the above do not work, it might well be time to call in the printer or copier repair specialist to check if the issue could be a corrupted driver that needs to be reinstalled.
- Wi-Fi printing too slow
Check the placement of your printer/copier in relation to the Wi-Fi router, and that there are no large pieces of furniture or objects obstructing the connection path. If the network you are using is experiencing heavy usage (traffic), this could also slow down the response rate.
- Copies coming out too light or too dark
Firstly, check that the settings for the printed image are correct. If all settings are fine and there are no obvious reasons for the copies not printing correctly, it could be due to the drum beginning to fail (nothing lasts forever!) or the toner being too old. If changing the toner does not resolve the problem, call in the repair specialist.
Avoid major problems and service your machines regularly.
The above advice is pretty much common-sense, especially if the printer or copier is used daily and with heavy output demands. If you want to keep your business or home office operating smoothly, make sure that your equipment is always in top-notch condition.
How to find the right printer and copier repair specialist
Check their online ratings and customer reviews
As printers and copiers are so much a part of our office, business and personal lives, and since they need to keep producing good quality prints for as long as possible, there will always be a need for repair specialists in this field. They can be found through the Yellow Pages, through flyers (although these are often random) and by asking cartridge and toner refill specialists for their recommendations. They can also be found easily through online searches using sites such as Uptasker. Uptasker lists in geographical locations, making it so much easier to find the right specialists in your particular area. Uptasker also provides online ratings and customer reviews, which will give you a good indication of the kind of service, reliability, quality and satisfaction value any repair specialist is able to provide, which is a great ‘peace of mind’ assurance. Where possible, Uptasker also provides one-click links to websites, which is a great convenience when using this site. Of course, you could also ask for word of mouth referrals where possible!
