What is wrong with your printer

We’re in the process of cutting down the amount of paper we use and are on the way of going completely digital. But, until then, the printer is a very important part of our lives. It’s a common complaint that the printer displays the ‘no paper’ sign even when there’s enough paper loaded in it. The ink is too expensive, and the Wi-Fi is terrible are other common grievances. 75% of printers are thrown away or exchanged for new ones within just a few years of purchase. Associate Editor at Consumer Reports, Tercius Bufete has reviewed hundreds of printers and has a little bit of advice for us as to how we can take better care of our printers and save ourselves from unnecessary expense.

Expensive ink cartridges

There’s a lot of expensive technology that goes into the making of cartridge which makes it costly. Sadly, this causes buyers to purchase third-party cartridges which leads to further problems. Using a third-party ink cartridge will kill the printer’s warranty and will also display an error message on the printer since it will recognise that the ink is different. There is a cheaper alternative here and it’s the Eco Tank. They are small size refills instead of expensive ink cartridges. These bottles are pretty cost effective and will last up to two years. Make sure to use the printer a few times in the week so that it doesn’t dry out.

Wi-Fi issues

Printers always seem to have connectivity issues with the Wi-Fi. Most of the time, this is because of our silliness. We tend to keep our printers hidden in corners and closed spaces because it is so big and bulky. This causes the connectivity to get lost. The simple solution is to keep the printer close to the router.

Paper jams

Finally, paper jams are another monstrosity that we deal with often. Again, this might be because the paper being used is not the correct size. Be sure to check the printer manual for the types of paper that it’s compatible with.

When it comes to buying a printer, you must pick the one that suits your needs. Inkjets are the preferred choice since it prints photos and documents, allows you to scan and fax. Laserjets are more for businesses who need a lot of documents printed. They won’t give you the best photo print outs. Accordingly, you can choose a printer based on your needs.