The Most Common Printer Issues

Business printers come in many shapes and sizes, with varying degrees of complexity and potentially a wide range of features. Still, across the board, these are some of the most common issues you may face:

• An unresponsive printer: Sometimes, your printer might become completely unresponsive. It doesn’t give any indication of receiving jobs, allowing manual copying, or even any signs of life. This could be because of a catastrophic failure, or it might be attributable to something as simple as an unplugged power cord. Because this issue can have so many root causes, it’s difficult to prevent.
• Print jobs aren’t going through: You hit print, but the printer doesn’t finish your job. Obviously, this is a problem, but it could be attributable to a wide range of smaller issues. See if other people in the office can print their jobs. If other people can but you can’t, it’s probably something wrong with your device. If nobody can, the printer might not be connected properly.
• Print quality is bad: Some printers are simply better than others. If your quality is consistently bad, it might be time for an upgrade. It might also be because your ink or toner is running low, or because your printer needs to be recalibrated.
• Printer security is compromised: It’s hard to know that your printer security is compromised until it actually happens. This is usually a result of lax security standards, and it’s difficult to remediate without a cybersecurity team.
• A printer functionality is lost: Has your printer lost specific functionalities, like scanning or copying? This could be attributable to a user error, or it may mean there’s a more complex issue that can only be fixed by a professional.
• Paper keeps jamming: We’ve all experienced at least one paper jam. Sometimes, this is a simple matter of paper being misaligned in the loading tray. But if this issue persists, it’s a good idea to call out a repair person.
• The printer is hemorrhaging ink/toner: If your printer is using more ink or toner then it hypothetically should, you’ll need to take action to avoid spending too much money on these expensive products. Consider adjusting your settings or altering your jobs in the meantime.
• The printer is too slow: Some printers are faster than others. If yours seems to slow down over time, reset it. If that doesn’t work, you may need to find a new model.
• Devices aren’t connecting: If devices aren’t connecting, it could be a problem with either the printer or the devices in question. Try resetting everything involved and trying again.
• Wi-Fi printing is unreliable: If you’re able to print with a wired connection, but not with Wi-Fi, the problem is likely with your Wi-Fi network. Tinkering with your router and settings may be all it takes to correct the issue. For example, you may be able to gain better connectivity by simply moving your Wi-Fi router.