Pushing “print,” stepping over to your copier or printer, and seeing just an empty tray – and a flashing light on the display screen – are among the most irritating things in (work) life.
There are a lot of moving parts in printers, copiers, and scanners. Today, we’ll concentrate on multi-function peripherals (MFPs; you probably refer to them as your copier). Thousands of pieces make up some of the larger multi-function peripherals. While all of these devices are incredibly dependable, they will break, the software will “hiccup,” and something will occur that will impede your productivity for a few hours.
Here are a few ideas to help you get the most out of your equipment.
1.Caffeine is a dangerous substance.
Coffee and a number of other energy-boosting beverages keep us going. Do not, however, treat your copier as if it were a gigantic coaster. You don’t want to knock your mug over and have it spill into the machine’s inner workings. To be honest, this is a one in a thousand (or more) problem. You don’t want to be that person, though!
- Dust devils.
Copiers use rollers and/or air suction to move paper through their internal workings. Over time, both collect dirt. Do you recall your old PC mouse? On the underside, the one with the hard rubber track ball? Remember having to remove the ball from time to time to clean it of crumbs, dirt, lint, and the occasional sticky coffee spot? It’s similar to that, but on a far greater scale. There are a few things you can do to keep the components from being clogged with dust:
- Ensure that the air filter is kept clean.
- Clean all of the glass surfaces with glass cleaner.
- Remove the paper from the trays once a month and blow away all of the dust, dirt, and debris with a can of compressed air.
- Keep out.
The MFP’s screen will show you what and how to open the machine to solve frequent and easy-to-fix paper jams and the like. If it doesn’t work, don’t try to be MacGyver with a paperclip, a stack of Post-it notes, or some chewing gum. We’ll dispatch the cavalry to come out and fix it for you.
- Paper.
I understand how strange that seems, but paper that sits open in a humid environment might cause jamming. If it’s dusty or humid, attempt to utilize open paper within a week or two. Otherwise, save it until you’re ready to use it.
- Report in.
Notify someone if an issue continues to arise. Designate someone in your office to be the go-to repair guy. Also, don’t walk away from a paper jam out of courtesy.
- The right stuff.
Make sure you’re using the right toner and ink for your printer.
