Printers are very important at the modern-day office. And not just offices, but regular households also require printers. Of course, it can be difficult to maintain a printer and make the most out of it. So to help you out, here are a few tips.
#1 Adjust the Margins
You might want to adjust the margins on your document settings before printing it out. This is especially necessary when you plan on using personalized embossers. Be it your company logo, address, or just random embossed seals, you would not want them to overlap with the content of the document or paper. That will leave a bad impression on whoever is to receive that document. Hence, always try to adjust the margins before you decide to use an embosser.
Ideally, it is a good practice to adjust the margins uniformly. That means you should have equal margins on all sides of the paper. However, that is not a strict rule that you must follow. You can opt for non-uniform margins whenever the purpose or document style calls for it.
#2 Different Printers for Different Purposes
For your office or regular use, you need to look into just two types of printers – inkjet, and laser.
Inkjet printers are good for color printouts. Be it a high-quality image or photo, or business cards, or wedding invitations, inkjet printers should be the ideal choice. On the other hand, you should opt for the laser printer if you are printing plain text. For instance, official documents, papers, labels, etc. do not usually require color. So you can use the laser printers in this case, and get good results too.
#3 Check for Paper Jams
Paper jams can lead to unnecessary waste of paper, often ink too. Placing the papers incorrectly inside the tray is one of the leading causes of paper jams. Using the wrong type of size of paper also leads to a paper jam. The best way to avoid them is by following the printer manual while inserting the papers in the tray. That way, you do not have to repeatedly check for paper jams.
#4 Use the Printer Frequently
Frequent use of your printer is necessary for two reasons. Firstly, regular usage helps prevent coagulation. Your ink will not dry up that way, and will not lead to any sort of blockages. That in turn will ensure a smooth printing experience every time you use the printer.
Then comes the second reason, which is cost-effectiveness. When you do not use the printer regularly, you are jamming up the toner, and the ink coagulates. That in turn leads to more wastage every time you do use the printer. Besides, the ink jams might make the printer unusable until you change the cartridge. That will lead to more waste and further expenses in getting new toners while the existing one still has a good amount of ink in it.
#5 Use the Right Type of Paper
You should ideally use two different types of printers for two different color schemes or prints. So why not do the same when it comes to printing paper?
Inkjet printing paper is ideal for color printing, which is done on inkjet printers. You can expect a proper finish with a glossy look. Generally, these papers are used for printing photos, business cards, or anything that requires color. Then you have laser printing paper for your typical printouts like official documents or printing labels. As the name suggests, this type of paper works best with laser printers.
#6 Update Your Drivers and Software
Printers these days heavily rely on their firmware. At the same time, they are also dependent on the printer driver installed on your system. As manufacturers are regularly bringing out updates and fixes for these printers, it is important to update the drivers and at times the firmware too. Unless you do so, your printer might not function as intended, and can even malfunction or stop working.
Look for the driver settings on your operating system. You can update the driver with the click of a single button if the update is available, and you have a stable internet connection. In some cases, you might have to uninstall the old version to update to the new one. Such special instructions will be mentioned on the developer’s website or will come attached with the update itself.
Once you manage to get a grab on all this, using your printer will feel more sublime. At the same time, you can rest assured that you will be getting quality printouts each time you hit the print button.
