Troubleshooing Problems With Your Laser & Inkjet Printers

Having printer problems? It can be very frustrating when even a menial task like printing goes wrong because your printer is not functioning properly. Everything seems to work fine one moment and just stops working the next. What you have to remember is that the printer is a mechanical device and needs regular maintenance and repair. Lack of these can cause unpredictable problems. Some examples of the kind of problem that your laser/ inkjet printer can give you are irregular printing, paper jams, and ink/toner smears. We have laid down a few troubleshooting tips that could help you resolve these problems quickly.

Problem: Paper Jams

This is the most common problem. Paper fed into the printer gets jammed up somewhere inside the printer and printing comes to a halt. Usually printers have an indicator which lets the user know that there is a paper jam.

The most common reason why paper jams occur is unclean printers. Over time, the print rollers collect dirt and this causes the printer paper to jam. Usually just cleaning the print rollers and feed trays will solve this problem. While printing labels, the paper usually jams near the exit. This may be due to unclean rollers at the exit tray. Try to keep the inside of the printer as clean and dust free as possible. Use a lint free cloth and some alcohol based cleaner to clean the printer. Make sure you are using clean printer paper. Also, we recommend you clean your printer every six months or so. Usually cleaning should be done every time you change cartridges.

Problem: Paper won't feed

The most common reasons for this problem are either unclean rollers or the rubber on the rollers has lost its density. Clean the rollers with an alcohol based solvent or if that's not the problem then you will need to replace the rollers. When the rubber loses its density it loses its ability to grip the paper and therefore the paper won't feed.

Problem: Laser toner smearing or rubbing off

This is a common problem when printing on different types of materials in your laser printer.  The problem you are experiencing is related to the toner not fusing properly to the sheet.  You can make adjustments to the fusing by changing the media type settings on your printer in your print options. 

Please try selecting Labels or Transparency as the media type as opposed to paper.  These settings are normally found in your print options on print dialog box when you push print or they are located in the display screen on your printer.  This should solve the problem that you are experiencing.  If that doesn't work then your toner cartridge or print fuser may have failed.  Try replacing the toner cartridge with a new one or one you know that works to check if that is the problem.

Problem: Random line printing on the label sheet

This could happen if the "cleaner bar" inside the printer is dirty. New toner cartridges usually come with a replacement "cleaner bar". Replace the "cleaner bar" and try printing again.

Problem: Printer software problems

Software problems can lead to garbled printing or no printing at all. If you are getting garbled printing the problem probably lies with your printer driver which may have gotten corrupted. Try updating the driver or completely remove the old driver and install a new driver. The program that you are using for printing (e.g. Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat) may also be corrupted and you need to contact the program vendor to resolve that problem.

Problem: Inkjet refill issues

As far as possible use the ink recommended by your printer's manufacturer. Other brands could, and usually do, leak because of poor quality control. If you refill your ink cartridges with after market ink be aware that your cartridge may be damaged and so just refilling the ink will not solve the problem. You will need to change the cartridge. The print head on ink jet cartridges can collect dust and the ink might get caked on the print head if the printer has not been used for a while. Here are some tips for trouble free inkjet printing:

• Refill as soon as you run out of ink.
• Inject the refill ink very slowly to avoid air bubbles.
• Do not allow the cartridge to dry out completely.

Inkjet printers will print out horizontal lines if one or more of the print nozzles are either blocked or burnt out. You can try clearing the blocked nozzles by placing the print head in hot water for 2 to 3 minutes and then blotting them dry with a tissue.

Clean printers will ensure trouble free printing for the most part. But as with any other mechanical devices there is wear and tear of printer parts and will need replacement to get you back on the road again.

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