Printing machines are essential office and home devices. And, like every other tools of technology, they are challenging to maintain but even more demanding, stressful, and expensive to replace.
It is for that reason that the lifespan of your printing machine becomes part of your business. What do you do when you have something urgent to print, but your device is out of order? Of course, a costly repair awaits. But before then, business stops.
You can avoid such an occurrence by exploring tips to expand the life of a printing machine. These tips revolve around a myriad of factors. Top in the list are issues revolving around proper use, care, and maintenance of your device.
Common Causes Of Decreased Printer Life
Most printing machines rarely last for as long as they should. This is because printmakers are delicate pieces of electrical equipment with possible avenues for failure. Again, professionals often take very little or no time to care for their printing tools.
You see, a printer has several moving parts. Even more, printers are synonymous with error messages, blotchy inks, and paper jams, to mention a few. Luckily, you can easily avoid these issues and extend the lifespan of your device.
Top 8 Tips To Extend The Life Of Your Printing Machine
Clean Your Printer
While this one sounds pretty simple, we rank it as the most important tip if you want to increase your printer’s lifespan. Printers gather dust and debris every day. And, this usually happens both in the interior and exterior surfaces.
Sadly, most people only clean the external surfaces of the equipment. It is worth noting that regularly cleaning the interior hardware is of valuable importance. Printer failure is inevitable. However, cleaning both the interior and exterior helps to defer the commencement of a catastrophe.
The best way to do this is to use soft fabric to wipe off accessible printer parts. The entire cleaning process sounds intricate and complicated, but that is not the case. You may disassemble the device if you can. That’s not in any way cast on stone.
Use It Often
What happens when you fail to use your vehicle for a very long time? Of course, there’s a hard start and probably poor oil and fuel flow. The same is likely to happen to your printing machine if you leave it idle on the desktop or shelf for a long time.
Ensure that you use your printing tool regularly. Print a few sheets frequently. If you intend to leave it unused for a long time, then take off the cartridge and keep it sealed and safely in a dry area.
Careful Cartridge Replacement
Replace the cartridges before they completely dry up. While doing so, ensure that you remain careful not to touch the bottom end of the cartridge. Touching the bottom reduces print quality and will reduce the lifespan of your machine. Also, take note of the manufacturer’s instructions.
Regular cartridge or ink replacement prevents wear and tear on the printer head. Moreover, most toner and ink warnings go off when the ink is 80% used. Plan for cartridge replacement a few weeks before the due date.
Observe The Monthly Or Annual Duty Cycle
The trick here is to avoid overworking your machine. If you are operating a busy office or business, then you will need a tool that your high workload without compromising print quality. Giving your device an excessive workload helps to prevent unnecessary wear and tear and will ultimately increase its lifespan.
So, consider a printer with an adequate monthly or annual duty cycle when shopping for an ideal machine. Often, these numbers reflect the number of pages that a printing tool can produce monthly or annually at the optimum print quality indicated by the manufacturer.
Reduce Power ON/OFF Action
While the standard procedure is never to leave your printer idle for many hours while not in use, it is equally essential that you do not use the power ON/OFF button too frequently or several times in a single day.
So what would be the ideal state? Well, leave your machine on standby mode if you think that you will have multiple documents to print out across the day. This not only helps to conserve energy but also helps to prevent unnecessary wear.
Keep Manual Feed Tray Closed
If you print label papers, then we are sure that your printer has a rear manual feed tray. Ensure to keep this tray closed whenever it is not in use. The design of the tray always leaves it exposed and vulnerable to damage.
It will easily break off when you or someone else bumps on it. The tray can incur damage when a heavy object falls on it.
Use High-Quality Inks, Toners, Cartridges, and Paper
The cost of original supplies is often a turn-off. That is why sometimes people fall for refurbished or aftermarket supplies. We are no exception. But whether you opt for original or their refurbished counterparts, ensure that you pick the best quality supplies to prevent possible damage to your printer.
The paper quality should equally be top-notch. Papers should be straight, not torn, of impeccable quality, and not moist.
Regular And Consistent Maintenance
Routine printer maintenance is an integral part of extending the life of your machine. This can often go along with updating drivers, software, and hardware.
Printing machines are complicated and may require the services of a trained technician. The disassembly and reassembly process is pretty complicated. During maintenance, check if the rollers need replacement.
Final Word
A printer is a very delicate tool. But that doesn’t mean that it should break down the next day after purchase. With proper maintenance, they can last for years and give you value for every penny spent.
The lifespan depends a lot on how you use, care, and maintain the device. We believe that the discussed tips to extend printer life will help you improve the lifespan of your machine.
