Office technology is crucial to the productivity and workflow of your business, but when that technology fails, repairs can be costly and frustrated. Printers, in particular, have a bad reputation as the source of many office headaches. They can present a dizzying range of problems, from leaking ink to refusing to print at all. Before you pull your hair out in frustration, remind yourself that a printer is a complex office machine, and some problems they experience might actually be a result of operator error. Share on X
The Office Headache: Printing Problems
There are several warning signs that can signal when your printer is about to cause you big headaches. In these cases, it’s important to be proactive, identifying and repairing small problems before they become big problems.While it’s near impossible to cover every possible error message or printer issue in one article, these tips should give you a good place to start.
Printer is Constantly Jamming
Carefully handling paper and print materials, and loading them properly into the printer can help you avoid most paper jams. If one occurs, follow the steps in your machine’s owner manual. If you are constantly experiencing printer malfunctions, it may be time to upgrade your machine.
Ink & Toner is Always Out
When you’re in a hurry to print something out for a client, the last thing you want to see is a “Replace Toner” error message. Especially if you’re out of toner. Managed print services can remedy this issue, automatically ordering toner when low levels are detected, and integrating your office machines to ensure peak performance and analytics.
Printer is Slow
High-res images have more data for your printer to process, which can cause slow print time. If you don’t need gallery quality, select an alternative mode, such as draft, standard or normal. For client presentations or marketing materials, you can switch your settings back to high-quality. You may also want to switch from two-sided to simplex mode, as one-sided printing is much faster.
Outdated Tech
The old adage is that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That same rule doesn’t apply to technology. As your office tech becomes faster and more efficient, an old copier that can’t keep up just won’t be able to operate at the same level. It may still work at a very basic level, but a general rule of thumb is to replace your office copier every 5-10 years.
When You Need a Professional
Like all machines, copiers require proper care and maintenance for optimal performance. If a particularly tricky or complex problem pops up, you may need to contact a professional. If your machine has a warranty, it may cover a visit from a technician.
Efficient Printer, Efficient Office
Having a printer that you can count on increases office efficiency and creates printed materials that wow clients. Today’s printers do more than just print, so when they’re not working the entire flow of the office stops. Make sure you know how to handle, care and troubleshoot your machine to avoid costly delays.
Contact Us to find out about upgrading your office machines to keep your business as efficient as ever!