Troubleshooting Printer Problems
Printers are great when they work but when something goes wrong allof a sudden they are "crappy printers", "piece of junk" and so forth. Actually the technology is pretty impressive and if you ask me I think it's nothing short of magic. All that said lets explore some of the more common problems that cause the 45% of the help centers phone calls.If nothing has occurred since the last time you used your printer chances are the problem is straightforward. As obvious as it sounds check to make sure the printer is turned on. Somebody may have turned it off while you were away from your desk or computer.
Make sure there is power to the printer. All printers have some kind of light or LED to let you know that it is powered up.If it is turned on but has some flashing lights then check with your ownersmanual to see what the lights mean. Most of these indicators will be related to either paper, toner or ink. Make sure there is paper in the printer. If it's empty then refill the paper tray.
Make sure to "fan" the paper stack before you put it in the printer. Fanning the paper merely involves flipping through the paper stack with your thumb. This ruffling separates the paper thereby reducing paper jams. When the paper stack is cut at the factory sometimes it causes the pages to stick together.If the paper is full then check for a mis-feed or paper jam. Remove the paper stack and check the feed area for jammed paper.
You may have to open several panels to make a thorough inspection. Even a small piece of paper stuck inside the printer can cause problems. You might have to use tweezers to remove small pieces. Be careful not to damage any mechanical parts with the tweezers.If all seems well with the printer it's time to check the wire that connects the printer to the computer. You may be using a parallel or a USB connection.
Make sure the cable is connected properly. Turn the equipment off and remove and re-insert the connection on both the printer and the computer to ensure a solid connection. If you are at work and your printer is connected to what appears to be a telephone wire then it's time to call your resident network expert.If the printer works but only prints garbage then that is a good indication of a printer driver problem. The printer driver is a software program thattranslates the computer instructions into something that the printer can recognize. Try re-booting the computer and turning the printer off and onbefore messing with the driver.
Sometimes that's all it takes. If after doing that you still have the problem it's time to replace the printer driver. Your printers manufacturer has a web site where you can download another printer driver. They are free to download and usually are updated as well. Follow the instructions given by the manufacturer to replace your driver.If you have a scanner it may be interfering with your printer.
Try reinstalling the software for both BUT install the printer driver first, then the scanner driver. If nothing I've said results in a solution then it may be time to call the printer manufacturer. Make sure that you are near the printer when you call and have all your warranty information available..
Barry Shultz is the author of Atlascopy News, and President of Atlascopy, Inc. Atlascopy specialized in affordable alternatives to the high cost of printer supplies. Sign up for the Atlascopy Newsletter and get 10% coupons every week in your email. http://atlascopy.com/signup_new.htmGo to Atlascopy to save a bundle on your printer and refilling supplies.http://atlascopy.comFree Printers - Are They For Real?
Nothing is free? Or is it? Free stuff is often used as a marketing technique these days, so getting a free printer is not that hard to comprehend. In fact, there are many ways to obtain a free printer.
For examples, you can get one from a friend who has just bought a new printer. Or, you can exchange other items that you no longer need for a printer through recycle programs such as Freecycle.com. In both cases, you end up with a used machine of old model.
Some PC manufacturers also offer printer or scanner as free bonus when you purchase their system. These free printers are usually less expensive inkjet printers under the price of $100 and are not the latest model.
Nevertheless, they are brand new and can probably satisfy your basic printing needs.
But what if you want a high performance brand new printer for free? There are some companies offering new color laser printers for free. The deal is you are obliged to purchase their printer...
Photo printer > Free Printers - Are They For Real?
Knowing how an ink cartridge work can save you money
A printer ink cartridge usually contains a print head and circuitry. At the bottom of an inkjet cartridge are nozzles or what is commonly referred to as "jets". There can be from 50 to several hundred of these nozzles. Each of these nozzles is smaller in diameter than a human hair. They are connected to a resistor that heats (or allows to cool) the printer ink within the ink cartridge.
When ink is heated it forms a bubble. When it cools, the bubble shoots dots of ink through these nozzles onto your printer paper. Because this heating/cooling process is so rapid, your inkjet cartridge can produce thousands of ink droplets per second.The heaters and nozzles of an ink cartridge will continue to work, even when your printer ink runs out. Testing suggests that the heating unit of an average inkjet cartridge will continue to work for as many as three to five refills. When your ink cartridge runs out of ink, you have a couple of options.
First, you can purchase a printer ink refill...
Knowing how an ink cartridge work can save you money
Photo printer > Knowing how an ink cartridge work can save you money
It's All In The Settings
Inkjet printers do a great job on text printing but many people do not know that you don't need a photo printer to make great photo printouts. Sure a photo printer is going to do a superior job and a little faster but you really don't need a photo printer for spectacular photo quality prints. Most inkjet printers on the market today have a mode for printing on photo glossy paper. If you use good quality photo glossy paper, 7 - 10 mills in thickness, you can get a picture perfect print. A good quality digital camera helps too.
Most digital cameras sold today have the capability of making a decent print even on the lowest resolution. Of course if you want a better print you need to use a higher resolution on your camera.I won't go into resolution settings here because everybody has their ownidea of what their perfect resolution is and my inbox would be flooded. :-)My point with this article is to get people to use the right printer setting ifthey want great photo prints. If you...
It's All In The Settings
Photo printer > It's All In The Settings
Free Printers - Are They For Real?
Nothing is free? Or is it? Free stuff is often used as a marketing technique these days, so getting a free printer is not that hard to comprehend. In fact, there are many ways to obtain a free printer.
For examples, you can get one from a friend who has just bought a new printer. Or, you can exchange other items that you no longer need for a printer through recycle programs such as Freecycle.com. In both cases, you end up with a used machine of old model.
Some PC manufacturers also offer printer or scanner as free bonus when you purchase their system. These free printers are usually less expensive inkjet printers under the price of $100 and are not the latest model.
Nevertheless, they are brand new and can probably satisfy your basic printing needs.
But what if you want a high performance brand new printer for free? There are some companies offering new color laser printers for free. The deal is you are obliged to purchase their printer...
Photo printer > Free Printers - Are They For Real?
New Sony UP-55MD Medical Printer with USB Flash Memory Interface Replaces the Sony UP-51MD
Carlsbad, CA (ContentDesk) April 28, 2006 -- Scientific Vision Systems, Inc. (SVS), one of the largest distributors of medical, industrial, and professional video equipment in the United States, today announced availability of the new Sony UP-55MD medical printer.
The unit replaces the now discontinued Sony UP-51MD.
The new UP-55MD is ideal for diagnostic imaging systems and has applications in medical facilities that provide ultrasound imaging and endoscopy.
The printer is also an ideal peripheral for mobile C-Arm units and other medical and scientific applications.Featuring a smaller footprint than its predecessor, the UP-55MD medical printer also provides an advanced feature to easily capture system images:
a Sony MicroVault" 128 MB Flash Memory portable storage device packaged with the printer.
Users can now insert any USB device into the printer to download still images from the printer.
These images can then be downloaded to...
Photo printer > New Sony UP-55MD Medical Printer with USB Flash Memory Interface Replaces the Sony UP-51MD
Photo printer
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