4 Common Printing Issues You May Encounter
Are you frustrated because your printer won’t work? Couldn’t catch the deadline in time because of it? We’ve all been there. Below are the things that could go wrong in printing. I will try my best to come up with a solution for these problems, too.
PAPER JAMS
Jams are a nightmare. Who knew a piece of paper getting stuck inside a machine could cause so much trouble?
There is plenty of reasons why paper jams happen so often; damaged rollers, torn paper, or sheets getting stuck inside the printer. Having damaged rollers is the worst in my experience. Paper jams happen so often. It’s nearly impossible to get it to work! The roller is responsible for feeding the paper into the printer. If it gets damaged, it will cause frequent paper jams.
Here are instructions on how to fix a paper jam:
For Some Brother Printers
- Remove the sheet feeder tray.
- Find two green tabs inside the Sheet Feeder. It is on the left and right sides.
- Pull the two green tabs.
- Remove the jammed paper carefully. It should be loose enough to pull it out smoothly.
For Some Epson Printers
1. Unplug the printer.
2. Check where the paper got jammed.
a. Carefully pull out the paper that is visible on the output tray.
b. If stuck below the FINE cartridge holder, open the cover to access the paper output tray. Push the FINE cartridge holder to the right, DO NOT touch the metal railings of the FINE cartridge holder, and carefully pull out the jammed paper.
RANDOM STREAKS AND FADED INK
Random lines, streaks, or faded ink may appear on our output unexpectedly. These might be the reason/s why this issue happens:
1. LOW SUPPLY OF INK — Running out of ink can result in dull colors. Check your ink to see which ones need to be replaced or refilled.
2. CLOGGED CARTRIDGES/PRINT HEADS — Clogged cartridges may produce disappointing print quality. If clogging happens, clean the cartridge.
You can clean your cartridge in Device Services.
Or, if you want to do it on your own, check out this helpful article for various ways to clean it.
Be careful when handling the cartridge though, the cartridge may get damaged when cleaned incorrectly. Make sure to do thorough research on how your printer functions.
SMUDGES/SMEARS
Smears are similar to the previous one. It can be troublesome when the ink gets smeared all over your hands.
It could be that your cartridges are clogged or contaminated by dust. Dust will build up over time, so make sure to clean your printer often! Other reasons could be using the wrong type of ink, the wrong kind of paper, or incorrect printer settings.
SLOW PRINTING
The deadlines won’t wait for us! We might get impatient from time to time. In my personal experience, I have stayed up longer than expected because my printer was printing unusually slow. Later, I found out that the Printer Resolution was set very high! Printing high-res images slow down the printing process. If you’re printing regular documents, there’s no need to have high resolution.
The above mentioned common issues may be encountered in our day to day basis. These issues should not slow down your daily printing jobs by making sure that your printer and ink cartridges are maintained well.
Thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you have any questions. Looking to save money on your printing projects? Check out www.compandsave.com for some great deals on printer ink and accessories! Remember to follow our blog for more interesting printing related tips and guides.
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About the Author
Sheena Jacutin is the Customer Service Manager at Compandsave.com Inc. CompAndSave is a large eCommerce retailer of print and office supply products in the United States and Canada. With over 8 years of experience working in the printer ink industry, her articles can be quite helpful to those wanting to learn more about getting the best outcome from your printing projects. A proud wife and mother of two, Sheena understands the value of DIY and is here to shine light on the best tips and tricks when it comes to printing the best photos, creating stickers for scrap booking and much more!
