How To Fix Common Printer Problems
By Andrew Yeung
To keep your printers performing at the highest quality, it is important to keep up with regular
maintenance. Most problems with printing arise as a result of neglect. Common issues include blocked or clogged cartridges and printheads, which can reduce the quality of your prints. Luckily, there are some really simple solutions for this problem. Here are some troubleshooting tips to help you out!
Clogs in the Printhead
Most commonly seen in inkjet printers, there can sometimes be clogs in the nozzle dropouts within the printer itself. If you do not run your printer regularly, you may run the risk of your printer drying out. To clear these clogs, you can take three different approaches:
1. First, you may want to try running the self-cleaning utility for your printer. Specific directions may vary from printer to printer, but in general, this fix should be as easy as opening your printer control panel, selecting the printer you want to clean and selecting “Properties”. Then, locate the maintenance section and select which cleaning utility you would like to run.
For further detailed instructions specific to your printer model, please refer to your manual. Don’t have one handy? No worries! Find an online manual here: https://archive.org/details/printer-manuals.
2. For less severe clogs, try removing your cartridge. Then, using a soft, clean cloth and isopropyl alcohol, gently wipe the electric contacts and electronic circuit. Avoid touching the contacts or circuit with your bare fingers. Reinstall the cartridge, run the printhead cleaning program and print a test page to check results.
3. Hot water is another option for clearing out clogs in the printhead. To do this, hold your cartridge under warm, running water (do not hold it sideways) and slowly turn the cartridge until the water runs clear. Alternatively, you can fill the bottom of a small container with hot water, add a small amount of bleach and leave the printhead sitting in the water (printhead side down) overnight. Gently shake cartridge to remove any excess water, and dry completely before reinstalling.
Note: When using this method, make sure the water is hot, but not boiling. Also, make sure your printer is unplugged before re-installation. At this point, you may want to run the self-cleaning utility for your printhead and print a test page to check results.
Low Ink Message Showing on Printer
Another common issue when using refilled cartridges is getting a “Low Ink” warning message upon installing your new product. The cartridge is fully filled with ink, but there is a chance that it was not fully reset during the remanufacturing process. You can either ignore this message or disable the ink level system on your machine. The cartridges will print from start to finish.
Keep up with regular maintenance to ensure your print quality is up to par using these tips:
1. Make sure the area around you printer is clean. Dust is a common reason for printer clogs.
2. Run the self-cleaning program for your printer regularly.
3. If you only use your printer occasionally, print test pages every once in awhile to ensure your inks do not dry out.
Need help with another problem? More troubleshooting steps can be found on our website!
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