FREQUENTLY
Asked Questions
Take a look at our frequently asked questions. If you can’t find the question you’re looking for, please give us a call on 1800 533 9955 and one of our expert advisors will be happy to help with your question.
Generally speaking, a visible vertical line down your page after printing is an indication that the image drum in the machine may be damaged. It could also mean that the machine is reaching the end of its life. An idea would be to check the page count of the printer, or run a quick maintenance check to make sure that the machine isn’t simply in need of a clean. If this doesn’t solve the issue, then you may need to consider a new machine.
Dots on the page are usually a sign that the printer you are using needs a good clean. Paper dust, glue and other things can wear off inside the machine, damaging the surface of the drum. When this happens, toner can build up or stick to these areas of the drum, which causes black dots on the paper.
GSM stands for ‘Grams per Square Metre’, and is a term that you will often hear when discussing media thickness.
Many of our machines are now Wi-Fi compatible. To find out if your machine is Wi-Fi compatible, double-check the specification of the model that you have purchased. All features and facilities will be listed in the printer handbook, and will also be mentioned online on our website. Another quick way to check if your machine is Wi-Fi compatible is to check the name of the machine. If your machine has a ‘W’ in the title – for example the Dell E310DW – then this generally means that the machine has Wi-Fi capabilities. In some cases, the ‘W’ may stand for something else – such as ‘white’, so be aware of the fact that this may not be for every printer. However, generally speaking, this is a fairly reliable indicator – make sure you always check this to be absolutely certain, though.
If the paper that you have put in the machine is jamming, then this could be for a multitude of reasons. The two most common causes of this issue are a) cheap paper and b) paper that’s too thick. To avoid any future paper jamming issues, do your research to find out which papers are/aren’t compatible with your machine. The standard paper thickness for most machines is between 80gsm & 120 gsm.
Some operating systems, particularly older or dated systems, may not be supported by your new machine. We usually advise that printers last for about 3 years before they will need replacing. Of course, this depends entirely on how much you use the printer. However, this means that newer machines are less likely to support old operating systems. The best way to find out whether or not your operating system is supported is to check the specification of your printer. All of this information will be available to find either online on our website, or in the printer handbook.
Some operating systems, particularly older or dated systems, may not be supported by your new machine. We usually advise that printers last for about 3 years before they will need replacing. Of course, this depends entirely on how much you use the printer. However, this means that newer machines are less likely to support old operating systems. The best way to find out whether or not your operating system is supported is to check the specification of your printer. All of this information will be available to find either online on our website, or in the printer handbook.
Generally speaking, we recommend that you base your printer choice on the volume and frequency of output. In simple terms, if you are printing lots of documents on a regular basis, it would be beneficial to invest in a more expensive, heavy-duty machine. If on the other hand, you will be printing lower volumes on an occasional basis, then a smaller, more affordable machine should be absolutely fine. All printers come with a ‘duty cycle’, which refers to the monthly volume guidelines. Pay attention to this when you are buying your printer, as you may find that the machine you were originally looking at doesn’t actually meet your needs and requirements.
Another factor to consider when shopping for a printer is what it is that you wish to print. If you intend on printing lots of images, then your ideal machine will be different to someone who wants to print lots of text.
Printing using AirPrint is easy once you know how. As long as your printer is AirPrint-enabled, then you can connect your iOS device to it, allowing you to print all of your photographs and documents with ease.
- First of all, you must open the app that you want to print from. In order to find the print option, simply tap on the share icon. This should bring up the option to print.
- Select ‘print’
- The iOS device will then load devices connected to it. Select the AirPrint-enabled printer.
- You will then be able to select the number of copies that you wish to print. If you want more than one copy, you can change this now. If you just want one copy, then you can leave this.
- Finally, tap ‘print’ – and you’re good to go.
In short, this refers to the length of time that you are covered for with your machine. For example, if your machine comes with a 3-year manufacturer warranty, and it breaks down within that time, you are liable for a complete refund or replacement from the manufacturer. The majority of our machines come with a lengthy warranty, giving our customers that much-needed peace of mind.
If you are experiencing difficulty scanning to a network, then this is most likely to be a connectivity issue. Double-check to ensure that everything is properly connected and try again. If the issue persists after you have trouble-shooted, then it may be worth contacting the manufacturer directly to report the issue. More often than not, though, a network connectivity failure is highly resolvable.
The TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) of a machine refers to the expected cost of the machine by the time it reaches the end of its duty cycle. When buying a printer, many customers only take the initial price of the machine into consideration. If the face value of a machine is relatively cheap, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the total cost of ownership will be the same. In fact, in many cases, cheaper printers can end up being more expensive in the long-run. Replacement parts, ink and toner all contribute to the TCO of a machine, so that cheap and cheerful machine may prove to be much costlier than you first anticipated…
More often than not, a printer that appears to be ‘smoking’ is actually a lot less sinister than it may seem. Though this may look alarming, what you are probably seeing is more than likely to be steam as opposed to smoke. Steam coming off your printer is not uncommon, particularly if the media that you are printing on is damp. This may produce a water vapour or steam. However, if you have reason to believe that what you are seeing is definitely smoke, or if there is a ‘smoky’ smell eschewing from the printer, then turn the machine off, and contact the manufacturer immediately.
In the majority of cases, your machine will not come with a USB cable as standard. However, if you have reason to believe that your printer should come with a USB cable, but this is missing from the box, then please let us know. We will happily replace any missing parts, you also have the option on our product page to add a USB cable.
The cost of replacement consumables and parts depends entirely on the brand and specification of the bits and pieces that you want. Generally speaking, higher yield toners will cost more money than those with a lesser capacity. However, in the long-term, consumers tend to find that these are much more cost-effective.
When it comes to replacement parts, prices will vary subject to the machine that you own. Manufacturers all retail their replacement parts at different prices, so it can be useful to research these costs before buying your machine. This will give you a good idea of which brands offer greatest value for money.