Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, P2C Solutions may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.
The printer is the piece of equipment people most often give up on, and most of the time it is not broken. Work through this list in order, because the early steps fix most problems.
1. Turn it off and on again, properly
Turn the printer off with its button, unplug it from the wall, wait thirty seconds, plug it back in and turn it on. Then restart the computer as well. Printers keep small computers inside them, and they hang like any other.
2. Look at the printer's own screen
If the printer has a screen, whatever it says is the answer. Paper jam, low ink, a cover open, a cartridge not recognized, or "offline": each is a different problem, and the screen names it. If the screen is dark, the printer is off or has no power.
3. Clear the print queue
A stuck job at the front of the queue blocks everything behind it. On Windows, go to Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Printers and scanners, choose the printer and open the print queue, then cancel everything. On a Mac, open the printer from System Settings and delete the jobs. Then print again.
4. Check it is the right printer
Windows and macOS sometimes add a second copy of a printer, or switch the default to "Microsoft Print to PDF" or a printer you no longer own. In the print dialog, make sure the printer you are sending to is the one on the desk. Delete stale copies from the printer list.
5. Fix the connection
- Wi-Fi printers lose their connection when the router restarts, the Wi-Fi password changes, or the printer was given a new address. The quickest fix is to run the printer's Wi-Fi setup again from its screen, or from the maker's app.
- USB printers fail on the cable more often than you would think. Try a different port, then a different USB printer cable.
- Network printers in an office should have a fixed address, so they do not move. If the printer works for some people and not others, this is usually why.
6. Reinstall the printer
Remove the printer from Settings, then add it again. Windows will find most printers on its own. If it does not, download the software from the maker's website, not from a search result, and install that.
7. Ink and toner problems
- Blank pages on an inkjet usually mean dried nozzles. Run the printer's cleaning cycle from its menu, twice if needed. An inkjet that is used rarely dries out; printing a page a week keeps it alive.
- Streaks and faded prints on an inkjet mean cleaning or a cartridge near its end. On a laser printer, take the toner cartridge out, rock it gently side to side, and put it back. That gives a few hundred more pages.
- "Cartridge not recognized" happens with some third-party cartridges after a firmware update. Genuine cartridges avoid it, at a price. Turning off automatic firmware updates in the printer's settings prevents it happening again.
8. Paper jams
Open every cover, including the back, and remove the paper by pulling slowly in the direction it was travelling, never against it. Look for a torn scrap left behind, which will jam the next sheet. Fan the paper before loading it, and do not overfill the tray.
9. Printing from a phone
Most printers from the last few years print from a phone with nothing to install. On an iPhone, the printer must support AirPrint. On Android, use the printer maker's app. Both need the phone and printer on the same Wi-Fi network, and a guest network will keep them apart.
When a new printer is the better answer
- It needs a part. Rollers, print heads and fusers can be replaced, but on a printer under about $300 the repair costs more than the printer.
- The ink costs more than the printer did. Cheap inkjets are sold below cost and make it back on cartridges. If you print more than a few pages a week, a laser printer costs more to buy and far less to run, and it does not dry out. For colour photos an inkjet is still the right tool.
- It is more than eight years old. Drivers stop being updated, it will not work with a new computer, and it may have no security updates.
Before you buy
Choose a printer that does what you need and nothing more. A small office that prints letters and labels wants a laser. A household that prints photos and school projects wants an inkjet, ideally one with refillable tanks rather than cartridges. Ask us if you would like a recommendation, and we will set it up so that everyone in the house or office can print to it.