printing without stress: a guide to your home printer and scanner

Ksvsoft

An independent reference on home printing and scanning. We don't sell devices or supplies, and we don't do repairs. We're not connected with the former site on this domain.

Problems

Troubleshooting

Printers break down less often than it seems, but they act up all the time. Usually the culprit isn't some mysterious failure but the paper, the network, the driver, or a job stuck in the queue. Before you call a technician or curse the machine in front of the kids, work through a few simple steps: the answer usually turns up around the third one.

Restarting your printer isn't a sign of helplessness; it's a sign of respect for complex machinery.

— Editor's note

How this section works: we describe symptoms and likely causes in general terms. We don't recommend taking the device apart, poking around inside with tools, or repairing it yourself. If the simple steps don't help, check your device's manual or contact a repair service.

Common situations

The paper is jammed.

Turn the printer off and let it cool down, especially if it's a laser model. Open only the covers and trays your manual points to, and slowly pull the sheet out in the direction the paper travels, with both hands and no yanking. Make sure no torn bits are left inside. To keep jams from coming back, don't overfill the tray and don't use wavy or damp paper.

There are streaks on the page.

On an inkjet, run a nozzle check and printhead cleaning from the menu, then an alignment. On a laser printer, streaks are often caused by low toner or dirt that should be cleaned as described in the manual. If cleaning doesn't work the first time, don't repeat it endlessly: every cycle uses up ink.

The printer says it's offline.

Check that the printer is on and connected to the same home network as your computer. Restart the printer, then the router if your other devices are having trouble too. Sometimes it helps to remove the printer from the device list on your computer and add it again.

The print queue is stuck.

Open the print queue on your computer and cancel the stuck job. If it won't go away, turn off the printer, restart the computer, and turn the printer back on. Don't send the same document to print over and over: it will all come out at once later.

Scans come out dark or crooked.

Wipe the glass, line the page up with the guide marks, and close the lid firmly. Check the color mode and brightness in the scan settings, and turn on automatic straightening for documents if your software has it. For thin paper, it helps to put a clean white sheet behind it.

The device can't see the computer.

If you're connected by cable, try a different port and a different cable. Check that the driver is installed, and reinstall it if needed from the official website of your device's manufacturer. For a network connection, make sure both devices are on the same network and the printer has been assigned an address on it.

If your printer stopped printing

  1. Look at the printer itself

    Is it on? Is there an error message on the screen or the indicator lights? Is there paper in the tray, and are the covers closed? Half of all "breakdowns" end right here.

  2. Check the selected printer

    The print dialog often lists several similar devices, including virtual ones that save the document to a file. Make sure the job is actually going to your printer.

  3. Clear the queue

    Cancel any stuck jobs in the print queue on your computer. A single frozen job can hold up all the others behind it.

  4. Restart everything in order

    Turn the printer off with its own power button, restart the computer and, for a network connection, the router, then turn the printer back on and wait until it finishes warming up.

  5. Update the driver

    If the problem persists, reinstall the driver by downloading it from the official website of your device's manufacturer. An old driver sometimes works reluctantly after a system update.

  6. Contact a repair service

    If the printer makes unusual noises, smells like something is burning, or reports an internal error, unplug it and don't try to open the case. From here on, it's a job for the pros.

  • Guides

    Hands-on guides: connect a printer, print from your phone, save ink, and scan a stack of pages into a single file. The article catalog lives here too.

  • Tools

    What's handy to keep near the printer: a supply of the right paper, a soft cloth, a spot for cartridges, a switched power strip, and a folder for scans.

  • Comparisons

    How inkjet, laser, and all-in-one printers differ, original vs. compatible supplies, and a scanner vs. your phone's camera.

  • Security

    Your printer on the home network and scans with personal info: default passwords, firmware updates, pages left in the tray, and recycling old devices.

  • Glossary

    Home printing terms explained: driver, print queue, cartridge, toner, printhead, document feeder, and text recognition.

Sources

  • Printer and scanner manuals from manufacturers (in general terms)
  • Security guidance for home network devices (in general terms)
  • Ksvsoft editorial materials

This advice is written in general terms and reflects our editors' understanding as of the review date. Printers and scanners work differently, and their menus and feature names vary too, so your device's manual is always the final word. If it says something different from us, go with the manual.