Caring for your inkjet printer
Most homes these days have a printer of some sort, more than likely an inkjet printer.
The price of these devices have dropped considerably and with digital photography on the rise more and more people and choosing to print what they want when they need it.
However with the ownership of these fantastic devices comes responsibility. Printers are notorious for their ability to cease functioning just when you really need to use it.
You must maintain your inkjet printer to prevent these errors occurring. The basic maintenance rule of thumb for inkjet printers are:
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Keep your printer clean, don’t let dust collect on paper or internals
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Keep the printer turned off when not in use.
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Use it frequently, inkjet printers need to be used at least once every two weeks. If you don’t use it there is more chance the printer heads will dry up and cease to function.
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Run the maintenance self check on your printer every 1 or 2 months, this will ensure that your printer will function well and your printer heads are maintained.
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Manufacturers recommend that you use original cartridges. Check your warranty conditions, as you may void your warranty if you use refillable inks. Sometimes the refillable inks can affect the performance and quality of your printer.
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Avoid cheap paper, low quality paper can affect your print quality and cause paper jams.
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Be careful when removing paper jams. Be extra careful when pulling paper out as you run the risk of a little piece tearing off and staying jammed internally. Worst case, it is even possible to damage the rollers.
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Be gentle when replacing your ink cartridges and follow manufactures instructions to help avoid any damages to internal printer components.
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Always refer to the manufacturers guide and troubleshooting tips.
Printers are great to have on hand, but only if you care for them. If you don’t want the hassle of having to carry out the above maintenance, then you could speak to your local computer store about laser printers. They may cost more initially, however they are more robust than the cheaper inkjet printers on the market and require less maintenance overall.
As always don’t hesitate to speak to your local computer store for any of your computing needs.