Printers are an essential piece of equipment in the office and proper printer maintenance can help you keep it in an optimal working condition with few breakdowns. At the end of the day, your daily operations will run smoothly and your company gets to save time and money. Here are some tips we would like to share to help you enjoy a highly functional printer for a prolonged period of time.

Update Software

Do you know that your printer also needs to be regularly updated just like you would with your computer? Updating your printer’s software will let you stay up-to-date with newer and more efficient features that let you save printer ink and energy. Whenever there is a new update from the printer’s manufacturer, download them so your printer can incorporate the new changes.

Check Physical Damage

Check if there are any physical damages to your printer. If there are, quickly contact the manufacture to help rectify them so you can continue enjoying optimal print results. You may also wish to remove any obstructions that may be hindering your printer from performing at its best. There may be items stuck in the printer feeder, ink spills, and others. If your printer is stuck, check for any foreign objects that may be lodged in the system. Remove and replace the ink cartridge and check if the paper feeder or print head are being blocked.

Clean Out Paper Feeder

Most printers need regular cleaning to ensure paper jams do not take place as often. You can check your printer’s manual to know how often you need to clean out your printer. If you have a tech support team who performs printer maintenance for your office, check with them on the next schedule to ensure they keep up with the allocated timing. They will also be able to tell you if other maintenance needs to be down like daily wipe-downs, dusting, and others.

Check Ink

Always check your printer’s ink levels. When the ink is low, your printer can face several issues. You may experience paper jams, blank print results, and others. For a new printer, it is not necessary to check your printer’s ink levels as regularly but you may do so before printing an important document. When the printer is out of ink, it will not print any document. A low ink message wil be displayed or the printer will go into an idle mode. To check the printer’s ink levels, switch off the printer and then press and hold the side button for 5 seconds. For assistance, reach out to the manufacturer tech support.

Clean Print Cartridges

When cleaning your print cartridges, always use a lint-free cloth or cotton swabs. This is to prevent scratching your print cartridges. Paper towels or regular cloths may be too abrasive and can cause damage to your print cartridges. Lay down the lint-free cloth on top of the print cartridge and let it sit for an hour or so. You may also wish to check if the manufacturer’s packing tape is still intact. If it is, remove it because leaving it on for too long may cause permanent damage.