Keeping your office printer up and running is critical. Downtime and workflow inefficiencies due to printer problems are too costly, especially when minimal maintenance is all that’s required to avoid them. While printers aren’t built to last forever, these ten tips will extend the life of your office printing machine in Anchorage, AK, considerably.
Warm it Up Printers that are allowed to warm up after downtime consistently produce better results. When your printer wakes up, it goes through a pre-defined calibration mode designed to get all the moving parts up and running. Rushing the process doesn’t always get you better results and may cause damage over time. Choose instead to let the device warm up at its own pace. Many of the latest models include sensors that wake up the printer when they sense motion nearby. If this interests you, talk to the team at Arctic Office about this and other similar features.
Don’t Overload Putting too much paper in the tray is guaranteed to result in a paper jam. If you’re constantly refilling the paper tray, it’s probably time to invest in a larger capacity printer.
Use Caution when Clearing Jams Paper jams are frustrating, and if you’ve ever yanked out the jammed paper, you’re not alone. Printers are relatively sensitive, though, and this rough approach is not a good idea. Follow the instructions given on the device for clearing the jam carefully and be gentle so you don’t cause further damage that will require a service call.
Clean It Make it a habit to keep the printer clean. Wipe the dust away from all exposed surfaces and clean the glass on your multi-function machine regularly.
Use the Right Toner Ink and toner refill for printers are expensive. As a result, you might be enticed by off-brand products that promise to save you money. Our best advice? Just don’t try them. You won’t be happy with the results, and the risk to your machine is too significant. Follow the refill recommendations in your owner’s manual faithfully and talk to the team at Arctic Office about money-saving alternatives such as bulk ordering or subscription plans.
Avoid Scratching the Glass If you have a multi-function printer, your machine has copying abilities in addition to printing. Scratches on the glass will make it impossible to get clear copies, so permanently remove staples or paper clips from originals before placing them on the glass for copying.
Don’t Ignore Warning Signs One such warning sign is lines. These lines communicate a problem such as loose toner residue inside the unit or a roller problem. If printing a few blank pages doesn’t clear the lines away, you need to call Arctic Office for service.
Follow the Maintenance Schedule Your printer came with a pre-defined recommended maintenance schedule. Following this program carefully will help you keep your unit performing as intended and avoid costly repairs.
Train Users One common source of printer repairs is user error. Training your crew to use your office machines properly is critical to avoid malfunctions.
Upgrade when Necessary While you might be tempted to save money by sticking with your old machine, this strategy rarely works. A printer that is too small, too slow, or too outdated is too costly to keep using. You’ll feel the pinch of the wrong machine in downtime, inefficiencies, frustrations, and frequent service calls. Upgrading to a printer that meets the needs of your office eliminates these problems and saves considerable time and money over the long term.
The Next Step
Following these ten tips will help you prolong the life of your office printer in Anchorage, AK. In addition, partnering with the experts at Arctic Office will give you access to special equipment, repairs, and service. We’re committed to helping our clients in the area improve efficiency and reduce costs by investing in the right office equipment. Contact us today to find out how we can help your business get the most out of its office machines.