10 Printer Problems with Solutions

Date: February 24, 2010

New York, NY -- It’s probably safe to save people have a love-hate relationship with their printer. But, before you take your printer and prepare to end its existence, check out these tips proffered by Jeff Bertolucci of PC World.

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Problem: “Printing is too slow.”
Solution:The easiest way to speed up your printer is to lower the output quality for things that don’t need to look professional. Draft mode is a very economical way of getting enough quality without wasting ink. If your printer comes with the option of adding additional RAM, you could do that as well.

Problem: “Ink and/or toner costs too much.”
Solution:The cheapest possibilities are to go with third-party remanufactured cartridges or store-brand inks and toners. However, be warned, not all printers are designed to work without their own proprietary ink and it is possible the printer may not even talk to the cartridge. If you know you are going to be printing a lot, sometimes a high-yield cartridge will do the trick. Even though it may cost more than a standard cartridge, if you take the time to do the math, each page will cost less.

Problem: “Windows is sending print jobs to the wrong printer.”
Solution:Sometimes Windows does funny things, it’s true. Bertolucci mentions that when he upgraded from Vista to Windows 7, it chose a new default printer. To fix this quirk, go to Devices and Printers, then Printers and Faxes. Once there, right-click on the printer you want to make the default and highlight “Set as Default Printer”.

Problem: “My prints are too light, too spotty, or have horizontal lines.”
Solution:The cause of this problem is more than likely clogged or dirty print heads. One option is to run your printer’s cleaning cycle if it has one. After that you can print a test page and see if the results are improved. For detailed instructions, you can look at CastleInk’s instructions. If you upgraded to Windows 7, from the start menu you can go to the Control Panel and find your printer’s utilities that way.

Problem: “My printer says my ink cartridge is empty. I think it's lying.”
Solution:Treat messages about being out of ink like a grain of sand. In actuality, some of the sensors in the cartridges are manufactured to “sound the alarm” before it is completely out. You can probably find a plethora of hacks around online from other people to bypass this inconvenience.

Problem: “My wireless printer is too slow.”
Solution:Wireless signals are great, but the reliability and speed suffer with increasing distance. If you want to have a networked printer, the best option is really to have it connected with an Ethernet cable. If wireless is your best option, try to find a wireless router that is set up for the 802.11n specification which can potentially beat even a 100-mbps Ethernet connection.

Problem: “I use remanufactured or refilled ink cartridges, and my prints look awful.”
Solution:Similar to what we mentioned as the second problem, it is safer to stay away from third-party inks. PC World has tested these cartridges on a regular basis with less than stellar results.

Problem: “I don't know how to fit more text on one page. How do I do it?”
Solution:Printing multiple pages per sheet is super easy. When you are ready to print, once the print dialog box comes up, there should be a smaller box marked “Zoom” (at least for XP). In there, there will be a drop down box that allows you to choose the number of pages per sheet.

Problem: “Grandma called and wants me to fix her "broken" printer. I'm no tech guru. What should I do?”
Solution:There are three simple steps even a non-technical person should be able to manage. First, check and make sure the printer is actually plugged into the wall, or if it’s plugged into a surge protector, make sure that is plugged into the wall. Second, make sure there is paper in the tray and that it is put in correctly. Finally, check the cable that connects to your printer either USB or Ethernet and ensure that both ends are plugged in where they are supposed to be.

Problem: “My paper tray is flimsy.”
Solution:There is not much you can do after the fact. The best advice here is that next time you go to buy a printer, test the paper trays before you buy it. Paper trays are one area where manufacturers sometimes cut costs, and consumers suffer.

BY ADAM HAIGH, Editor