Sadly, there are times when a printer simply bites the dust. It may have been the best printer technology of its time, but when it can no longer keep up with the demands of your business, the moment will have come to begin the process of acquiring a new and more efficient replacement. Some printer issues can be fixed and are worth the time and money to do so, especially if the printer has proven to be reliable in the past. However, there are some sure-fire signs that it is time for a printer to retire. Here are four.



The first sign that a printer needs to go is that the printer ink simply does not work as well as it used to. At first, it will simply be a missed letter here, or a slightly faded page there, but over time the symptoms will intensify, until all of the copy coming out of the printer is unreadable. New printer ink cartridges that are placed in the printer will seem to dry up or stop functioning almost immediately.

The second printer death knell is when its printing rate slows down. This could be due to low toner, printer ink or incorrect user sections for copy type, but it can also be the sign of a slow breakdown. When the number of pages per minute (PPM) drops significantly, it is time to go printer shopping.



A third sign of printer failure is jamming. Sure, someone could have put the wrong type of paper in the machine, or it could be a copy-heavy day, but if the problem persists, it is the printer’s time to go. Jammed sheets means wasted time and wasted printer ink, both of which are expensive. As well, enough jammed paper or repeat incidents can damage the printer permanently. Fourth, and perhaps foremost, is if the printer begins “losing” jobs or ceasing to print partway through an order. This could be a server-side issue if the jobs are not being properly transferred over from a desktop or network computer, but repeated incidents likely point to something more serious. There are few things more frustrating than running off a 100 page report only to discover that pages 23-100 are mysteriously unaccounted for.



Any of these signs alone or a combination of them can start the clock ticking on a printer’s useful life. Even using top-of-the-line printer ink, technology, and printer ink cartridges, wear and tear on these machines is inevitable. The key is to act early, either by fixing the problem or acquiring a new model. Printer problems are rarely resolved on their own, and a business that cannot print is often a business that cannot operate.


Tags: new printer, printer ink cartridges, signs you need to buy a new printer

This entry was posted on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 9:13 am and is filed under Buying Tips.