Preventative Maintenance for Your Printer

It is probably safe to say that most people only realise what a magical thing the average inkjet or laser printer is, when it suddenly stops working! Only then is it clear that the humble - or not so humble - office printer is a complex system with delicate and intricate machinery, which repays better attention to keep it working well, and to keep print quality consistent and as good as when the printer was first purchased.

Have you ever counted the number of documents you print each day? From emails and web pages to reports, receipts and even books; the list is endless, and so are your printing expenses. Here are a few tips that will help you to use your printer effectively and save money.. A few checks for a coupe, of hours every month will extend the printer's life and will of course increase user confidence that the printer will be on hand to work effectively and immediately, on demand and every time.



There is an even greater need for preventative maintenance with laser printers - largely due to the fact that they print more pages per minute and have more moving parts than inkjets. Here, the maintenance process involves inspecting components such as ozone filters, static eliminator teeth and cleaning the fuser unit.

Here are some preventative maintenance ideas that should help you get fewer service calls:

• Proofread before printing- Remove all the spelling, typological and grammatical mistakes before taking the printout of the document. Due to these errors, a lot of ink is wasted. By proofreading the document, you can save both the ink and your hard-earned money.
• Use the print preview option frequently- The print preview option helps you to see beforehand how the print out would appear. According to the preview, you can make the changes. When you are fully satisfied, then only you should print the document. In this manner, you can save time as well as money.
• Know the print properties inside out- Print properties have a lot of useful options which can reduce the printing cost dramatically. For instance, you can choose to print on both the sides of the paper. You can also select the paper size and quality through this option. Furthermore, you can increase or decrease the size of the print. There are many other things that you can do with the help of this option. Hence, learn to manage this print properties option properly.
- Do not use solvent or ammonia-based cleaners. The right thing to use is isopropyl or ethyl alcohol. Use an alcohol-dampened or water-dampened lint free cloth. - Always inspect paper pickup rollers for dust. Paper pickup rollers collect dust and need to be cleaned periodically.
When the printer is not used regularly, the nozzles of the cartridge becomes blocked. Due to this, you stop getting high-quality output. There are two ways to overcome this problem; one, at least once a week take a print out, and two, if you are not using the printer for a long period of time, then switch it off.- When rollers become shiny and appear "glazed," they need to be replaced.

- Transfer rollers should be cleaned if really dirty, but it is important not to touch the rollers with bare fingers. A dry lint-free cloth must be used, and if a lot of toner spills on the transfer roller, then the only option is to replace the transfer roller

- Inspect the fuser assembly rollers for marks, and replace them if there are any marks of blemishes present.

Following these tips will ensure you need fewer service calls, that your workflow will not be frustrated at critical times, and will certainly increase the life span of the printer.