The last thing you need right now is your office printers to have a paper jam or a toner explosion. Unfortunately, we’ve all been there, and no printer is immune to problems (some are better than others though). So the best thing we can do is arm you with a few tricks to prevent some of the most common printer issues. By maintaining your printer regularly, you can avoid printing errors, paper jams, and more serious issues that will cause bottlenecks in your workflow and negatively impact productivity.
Easy Maintenance Tips for Your Office Printers
Clean the Printer Heads
Oftentimes, you will observe documents churned out by a printer that contain streaks of white lines or missing text or images, despite the ink or toner cartridge being full. This is an indicator that your printer heads are clogged and require cleaning.
You can check your device’s instruction manual, the manufacturer’s website, or search for a video online to learn how to safely clean your printer heads. Some models offer self-cleaning features that will do the job with just a few clicks of the control panel, while others require manual cleaning. However, cleaning the printer head too often can result in you wasting ink during the process.
Remove Dust Particles
Dust particles and debris can clog your printer and negatively impact its performance. You can easily remove dust particles by making use of a small hand vacuum, rather than a can of compressed air. Air dusting can result in dust getting spread around inside your printer, where it can cause more damage. Furthermore, you can also use distilled water and cotton swabs to clean the ink cartridges or toner cartridges. Make sure to read the printer manual before cleaning, as certain components should not be exposed to liquid.
Redistribute Your Toner
Before placing a new toner or ink cartridge in your printer, gently rock the existing cartridge from side to side to redistribute the toner within it. This will help ensure your printer distributes ink evenly across the page, prolonging the life of your cartridge.
Print a Blank Page
From time to time, print a blank page of paper through your printer to pick up particles such as lint, dust, and stray toner. Simply print a blank document from your computer or use the form feed button on your printer.
Buy a Maintenance Kit
To enhance the lifespan of your printer, desktop printer, or all-in-one device, you can purchase and employ a maintenance kit. These kits contain a variety of cleaning supplies and replaceable parts, such as rollers, that can be swapped when the original parts become dirty or worn out.
Contact Braden About Managed Print Services and Printer Maintenance
Managed Print Services are offered by third-party companies such as Braden Business Systems and are designed to monitor and manage all aspects of your printing devices, including maintenance. The professionals at Braden will continuously monitor and provide preventative maintenance to keep all of your company’s printers in top shape. Our automated maintenance can identify problems to ensure your business’ printers are up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Taking care of your printer will help ensure its reliability and extend its life. By performing a little preventative maintenance on your printer, your TLC will be rewarded with optimal performance. In the event that you still need printer service or to learn more about Managed Print Services, contact us today.