This article shares with you 10 common printer failures and repair methods. I hope it will be helpful to you!
1、The printer outputs blank paper
1. For dot matrix printers, the reasons for blank printing paper are mostly due to the drying of ribbon ink, ribbon breaking, damage to the print head, etc. The ribbon should be replaced or the print head should be repaired in time (most of the time, replacing the ribbon can solve the problem).
2. For inkjet printers, the failures that cause blank printing are mostly due to nozzle blockage, no ink in the ink cartridge, etc. The nozzle should be cleaned or the ink cartridge should be replaced (it is recommended to replace the ink cartridge first).
2、The printing paper output turns black
1. For dot matrix printers, the reasons for this failure are ribbon hair removal, excessive ink on the ribbon, dirty print head, poor ribbon quality, and the push rod position is too close.
When repairing, the push rod position should be adjusted first. If the fault cannot be eliminated, then replace the ribbon and clean the print head. Generally, the fault can be eliminated.
2. For inkjet printers, focus on checking whether the nozzle is damaged, whether the ink tube is broken, and whether the ink model is normal.
3、Incomplete or unclear characters
1. Dot-matrix printer
Reasons:
①. The printing ribbon has been used for too long.
②. The print head has not been cleaned for a long time, and there are too many dirt; the print head has broken needles.
③. The print head drive circuit has a fault.
Solution:
First adjust the distance between the print head and the print roller. If the fault cannot be eliminated, you can replace the ribbon.
If the print head has a broken needle or a problem with the drive circuit, you can only replace the print needle or drive tube.
2. Inkjet printer
Reasons:
①. The ink cartridge is out of ink.
②. The printer has not been used for a long time or is exposed to direct sunlight, causing the nozzle to be clogged.
Solution:You can replace the ink cartridge or add ink. If the ink cartridge is not used up, it can be determined that the nozzle is clogged.
Remove the ink cartridge (for printers where the ink cartridge nozzle is not integrated, you need to remove the nozzle), and soak the nozzle in warm water for a while. Be careful not to immerse the circuit board part in water, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous.
4、Printing is light
1. Dot-matrix printer
Reason: Most of the time, the ink on the ribbon is dry, the print head needle is broken, and the push rod position is adjusted too far.
Solution: Replace the ribbon and adjust the push rod.
2. Inkjet printer
Reason: The nozzle is clogged, the ink is too dry, the ink model is incorrect, air enters the ink tube, and the printer's operating temperature is too high.
Solution: The nozzle, ink cartridge, etc. should be inspected and replaced.
5、The handwriting is clear on one side and unclear on the other side when printing
Reason: This phenomenon generally occurs on dot-matrix printers, and may also occur in inkjet printers, but the probability is small. It is mainly caused by the non-parallel print head guide and print roller, resulting in the distance between the two being far and near.
Solution: Adjust the distance between the print head guide and the print roller to make them parallel.
The specific method is: loosen the adjustment plates on both sides of the print head guide, turn the adjustment plates counterclockwise to reduce the gap, and finally adjust the print head guide and the print roller to be parallel to solve the problem.
6、Repeated stains on the printed paper
1. Dot matrix printer
Reason: Repeated stains are mostly caused by ribbon hair removal or excessive ink.
Solution: Replace the ribbon cartridge to eliminate the problem.
2. Inkjet printer
Reason: Repeated stains are caused by ink leakage from the ink cartridge or ink tube.
When the nozzle performance is poor, the ejected ink and the remaining ink cannot be well disconnected and are in a balanced state, and ink leakage may also occur.
Solution: Replace the ink cartridge, ink tube, and nozzle.
7、The print head is blocked from moving, stops and beeps for a long time, or vibrates in place
Reason: Because the print head guide rail will become dry after sliding for a long time, the print head will be blocked when moving, and printing will stop to a certain extent. If it is not handled in time, the drive circuit may be burned in severe cases.
Solution: Apply a few drops of instrument oil on the print guide rail and move the print head back and forth to make it evenly distributed. After restarting the machine, if there is still obstruction, it may be that the drive circuit is burned out and needs to be taken to the maintenance department.
8、The printer does not print
1. Check whether the printer is online
On most printers, there is a light indicating the online status next to the "OnLine" button. Under normal circumstances, the online light should be always on.
If the indicator light is off or flashing, it means that the online connection is abnormal. Focus on checking whether the printer power is on, whether the printer power switch is on, whether the printer cable is correctly connected, etc.
If the online indicator light is normal, turn off the printer, then turn it on again to see if the print test page is normal.
2. Check whether the printer has been set as the default printer
Click "Start/Settings/Printer", check whether there is a small black hook on the icon of the currently used printer, and then set the printer as the default printer.
If there is no printer in the "Printer" window, click the "Add Printer" icon and install it according to the prompts.
3. Check whether the current printer has been set to pause printing
The method is to right-click the printer icon in the "Printer" window, and check whether there is a small hook on the "Pause Printing" option in the drop-down menu that appears. If "Pause Printing" is selected, cancel the option.
4. Type some text randomly in Notepad, and then click Print on the File menu.
If you can print the test document, it means that there is a problem with the printing program you are using. Focus on checking whether Word or other applications have selected the correct printer. If it is a print file generated by an application, check whether the print output generated by the application is correct.
5. Check whether the remaining space on the computer's hard disk is too small.
If the available space on the hard disk is less than 10MB, you cannot print. The way to check is to right-click the hard disk icon where Windows is installed in My Computer, select Properties, and check the hard disk space in the General tab.
If the remaining space on the hard disk is less than 10MB, you must empty the Recycle Bin and delete temporary files, expired or no longer used files on the hard disk to free up more space.
6. Check whether the printer driver is suitable and the printing configuration is correct.
In the Details option in the Printer Properties window, check the following: In the Print to the following port selection box, check whether the printer port setting is correct. The most commonly used port is LPT1 (printer port). However, some printers require the use of other ports.
If you cannot print large files, you should focus on checking the "Timeout Settings" values in the "Timeout Settings" column. This option is only valid for printers directly connected to the computer, and is invalid when using a network printer.
7. Check whether the printer driver is damaged
You can right-click the printer icon, select "Delete", and then double-click "Add Printer" to reinstall the printer driver.
8. The printer feed box is out of paper or jammed
The printer feed box is out of paper or jammed, and the printer toner cartridge, ribbon or toner cartridge are valid. If not, it cannot print.
9、The printer is jammed or cannot feed paper
The most common printer failure is paper jam. When this failure occurs, the indicator light on the operation panel will light up and send an alarm signal to the host.
Other reasons: there are debris in the paper output path, the paper feed roller and other parts fail to rotate, the paper box does not feed paper, the sensor fails, etc.
The method to eliminate this failure is very simple. Just open the cover and remove the jammed paper, but be careful to take the paper in the paper feed direction, and never turn any knob in the opposite direction.
If paper jams frequently occur, check the paper feed channel and clear the debris in the output path. The front edge of the paper should be just above the metal plate. Check whether the paper output roller is worn or the spring is loose. If the pressure is insufficient, the paper cannot be fed into the machine.
If the paper output roller is worn and cannot be replaced for a while, you can use the method of wrapping a rubber band for emergency treatment. After wrapping the rubber band, the friction of paper rubbing is increased, which can restore the paper feed to normal.
In addition, improper installation of the paper tray and poor paper quality (too thin, too thick, damp) can also cause paper jams or failure to take paper.
10. Printing garbled characters
Whether it is a dot matrix printer or an inkjet printer, the phenomenon of printing garbled characters is mostly caused by damage to the printing interface circuit or damage to the main control microcontroller.
In actual maintenance, it is found that the failure of printer interface circuit damage is more common. Since the interface circuit is powered by a micro power supply, once the interface is plugged in and out with power on, it will generate instantaneous high-voltage static electricity, which can easily break through the interface chip. Generally, as long as the interface chip is replaced, this type of failure can be eliminated.
In addition, this phenomenon may also occur if the font library has not been correctly loaded into the printer. (Generally, contact the supplier to resolve this issue).
Conclusion
Printer issues can stem from a variety of causes, ranging from hardware failures to improper settings. By following the outlined solutions, such as replacing ribbons, cleaning nozzles, and using high-quality supplies like Evate toner cartridges, users can effectively address common printer problems. Regular maintenance, correct configurations, and the use of Evate toner cartridges ensure optimal performance and longevity of printing equipment.