10 Easy Printer Maintenance Tips

A Printer is an essential add-on to your Computers, however maintaining a printer is an important part of its usage. So that, when you are required to print a page, you don’t find your printer to be giving problem. Whether you own an inkjet or laser printer, these simple tips enlisted below will help you maintain your printer and printing supplies.

1. Clean Print Head

It is essential to clean print head at least once a month. Remove the cartridge and clean the head with warm water. After cleaning, allow the print head to dry completely before fixing it back.

2. Clean the Insides

You must also clean the insides of the printer regularly. Use lint-free cloths, slightly moist to wipe the dust away. You can also use compressed air blower to blow out the dust that is accumulated in the printer.

3. Check under the Hood

You must lift the hood and check inside for any jammed or broken parts. Most printers have built-in diagnostics to indicate if there is any wear and tear. Paying attention to these maintenance lights at the right time and taking corrective action can prevent further damage.

4. Choose the right Cartridge

Cartridges are expensive and hence you are tempted to buy cheap, duplicate cartridges. However, never compromise on the quality of your Toner / Ink Cartridges. Go for Original and Branded Cartridges, as duplicate or Low quality cartridges will have an impact on the printer hardware. Substandard quality will also result in poor printing.

5. Careful while you replace Cartridges

It is likely that you replace cartridges regularly and hence read the instructions carefully on how to replace cartridges. Be careful not to touch the bottom of the cartridge while replacing as touching can spoil the quality of print.

6. Replace Cartridges before they dry up

Don’t wait until your cartridges dry up completely. Printer software gives notifications when cartridge levels are low. Take the message seriously and replace cartridge before they dry out. A dry cartridge can lead to unwanted wear and tear on your printer head.

7. Turn it off

Turn off your printer if you are not using it for a long time. A printer that is continuously on and not in use can also cause wear and tear to other parts. Hence, it is best to turn it off when not in use.

8. Download the latest drivers

Some printers indicate when a new driver is available at the manufacturer’s website, do not ignore such notifications. Many hardware malfunctions with printers have been traced back to outdated drivers.

9. Keep your printer manual safe

It would be useful to refer to manual when one of the maintenance lights gets on and you have no clue why the light is on. So, it’s advisable to keep the manual in safe keeping or have a electronic version saved.  

10. Use your printer regularly

Last but not least, it is necessary to use your printer regularly. Nothing can stop your cartridge from drying up when you don’t use your printer regularly.

We hope the above mentioned printer maintenance tips can be of some use to you, helping you get just that little more from your printer.