We've all been there: the deadline is today and we have to turn in a school paper or get something in the mail. Every other time you need to print something out there's never any issues or difficulties, but of course today of all days you can't get your printer to print for you. Why won't my printer work? While there are sometimes isolated causes as to why you can't get printing, most of time it all comes back to a few common issues. Here is our list of the top 10 most common printing problems.
Some of the tools we use in daily life are easy to get excited about. Look at the people at the next Apple announcement or product release and you’ll see a great example. Likewise, there’s certainly something fun about driving a brand new car or upgrading your television. Then there are other things that don’t really qualify as fun—we just want them to work. Not many people dream about getting a new refrigerator or look forward to upgrading their hot-water heater, but as soon as one of them stops working, you’re either calling a repairman or ready to buy a replacement.
NO.1 Printer Problems: Why Won't My Printer Work?
Printers certainly fall into the second category. Using your printer isn’t likely to be a highlight of your day, but if your printer doesn’t work it could easily ruin your day.
NO.2 Paper Jams
Paper Jams. We've all had them, and they are easily the most common printing problem, but also one of the easiest to fix. Simply remove the paper from inside the printer, including any pieces that tore. To prevent the paper jam from happening again, use higher quality paper, throw away paper that is bent or wrinkled, and avoid paper that is too old.
NO.3 The printing and words came out faded.
Faded print might be as simple as using the wrong settings. Make sure you aren’t using Economode or a draft setting. Faded print might also come from low toner or an ink cartridge about to run out.
NO.4 Ghosting? What is Ghosting?
Ghosting is when the normal image prints correctly but you also see a duplicate image elsewhere. Usually it means that the drum or cartridge is reaching the end of its life and needs to be replaced. In a few cases this problem can also come from a bad power supply.
NO.5 Ink Smears
Much like ghosting, ink smears and smeared prints mean that something is wrong with one of the drums it’s usually the fuser. However, smears can also come from ink spills within the printer. Try printing 15-20 pages first to see if the smears will stop on their own.
NO.6 Missing Driver Error Message
The driver is the software that helps your computer and printer communicate. Some printers don't include the supporting drivers for certain operating systems, like Mac OS. If you think this might be the case for you, contact the printer manufacturer. There is usually a substitute which, though lacking some features, will still allow the printer to work.
NO.7 Paper Misfeeds or Multiple Feeds
If your printer pulls in several pages at a time to print one sheet or fails to pull in any sheets at all, the most common cause is bad paper. Try replacing it with a brand new ream. You should also make sure that the printer is aligned in the tray correctly, using the guides on the side.
NO.8 Why is My Printer Printing so slow?
Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes for this common printing problem. You can try printing on a lower quality setting (which will also save on printer ink). Otherwise, you might need to buy a new printer.
NO.9 Windows keeps sending my print job to the wrong printer.
Sometimes Windows will erase your default printer settings after you upgrade. You may need to reset your default printer again or your print jobs will end up sent to the wrong printer, not printing, and you will have a hard time figuring out why. On most computers, you’ll find out how to change your default printer settings under “Devices and Printers” in the Windows Start menu.
NO.10 My printer ink cartridges run out too fast.
Unfortunately, some printers automatically decide when the cartridges “should” run out and stop printing. Try investigating one of the many hack solutions available online (though we’re not responsible if something goes wrong!) Another common reason for this is that the top printer ink brands are actually putting less ink into their printer cartridges every year. Why? In order to get you to buy ink more often, of course. One way you can replace your printer ink cartridges less often and have cheap printer ink costs is to buy remanufactured printer ink cartridges. "Remanufactured" is just a fancy word for recycled, compatible, wholesale, or discount printer cartridges. In a way, "Remanufactured" is just a fancy way to say you are saving 50-70% on your ink costs and helping the planet by creating less garbage. Why not?
