Properly working copiers and printers are necessary in any office for printing out reports, copying information for personnel, and more. If you have to print a handout for your next meeting, the last thing you need to worry about is malfunctioning office equipment. Below, you’ll find the top five common office equipment failures and some tricks for how to deal with them or avoid them altogether.

5 Common Problems with Printers & Copiers

1. Paper Jam 

Jams are common problems with printers and copiers. Usually, if the paper isn’t aligned correctly within the mechanism, it will jam. Because these are precision machines, even a single wrinkled or damp piece of paper can cause problems. To avoid jams, keep reams of paper sealed until they’re ready to be loaded into the machine and be careful not to overload it with too much paper at one time.

2. Printer Won’t Print

You know you selected ‘print’ on your computer, so why didn’t it print? Check that the printer is connected to a power source and it’s turned on. If it’s on but unresponsive, try the old trick of restarting it. It might also be necessary to reinstall the driver. The instructions for this can usually be found on the manufacturer’s website.

3. Poor Print Quality

Faded black or unsatisfactory colored prints are hard to read and look unprofessional. When this happens with your printer or copier, it might be time to change the toner or ink. These office machines will usually indicate the exact color that needs to be replaced. Make sure that you’re using the appropriate ink cartridges and toners.

4. Slow to Print

No one likes a slow printer. If your printer is taking too long to print, the settings might need to be changed. If your printer is set up to use Wi-Fi, make sure it’s located near the router. Making small changes might make a big difference in your printer’s speed.

5. The Copier’s Scanner Doesn’t Work

Many copiers come with a scan-only option that can come in handy for various projects. With a scanner, you can turn a hard copy of something into a convenient e-version and send it as an email attachment to a client or file a completed form in a shared drive. If your scanner isn’t working properly, it could be that it can’t read the original document. Check that the paper feeds correctly. If this doesn’t work, it could be that the driver software needs to be reinstalled. 

Don’t wait until you’re on a tight schedule to address an issue with your printers, copiers, or scanners; turn to the experts at Bluegrass Office Systems, located in Lexington, KY. They have the experience and professionalism to handle any office equipment repair need that arises. They even lease office equipment and provide all the maintenance and care that machinery needs. Visit their website to view a complete list of their services or call them at (859) 293-0435 to speak to a professional.