Through the years’ HP (Hewlett Packard) has developed a name for reliability, particularly in laser printers. However, despite the solid reputation HP printers still has its share of problems.
Herewith are some of the 5 most common HP printer problems, the probable causes, and the expected solutions on how to fix it.
- Paper Jams: This problem is generic to all printers not just those manufactured by HP. If the printer is new, the reason could be tied to maintenance issues (the printer is dirty) or the wrong type of paper was feed into the printer. When the printer has been in operation for some time, wear and tear of printer parts could be behind. Worn out rollers on the paper pathway has lost its capability to pick and push paper smoothly as it moves. The only solution to this issue is change the rollers.
- Faded Prints: This problem could come from low toner, the printer setting is set too low, or Economode printing was turned on. To check, just turn on the printer self-test button since it will show the current printer setting. If after the adjustments, the print issue persists’, the toner cartridge is the problem. The solution pull out the cartridge, shake it vigorously to redistribute toner, reinstall and print. Replace the toner cartridge if faded prints still manifests.
- Ghosts on the printouts: This is a condition where a lighter duplicate image appears on the printout. It could be power related, insufficient wattage and voltage is fed into the printer. This is also common when the drum or imaging kit is nearing its end life. And replacement is the only option left.
- Toner smears on the printouts: It is an HP printer problem where toner has not set properly on the page, a little touch would already result in smears. This normally is associated with the fuser assembly not being able to fuse toner into paper. This issue regularly appears when the fuser is nearing its end life, and replacement is the only remedy.
- Printer refuses to work: If the printer is plugged on and connection to the laptop is secured but still fail to print, it could be a software issue. Contact the manufacturer and surf the net for the latest updates of printer drivers. It is important that users keep track of driver updates because it is developed to improve the performance of the device.
The five HP printer problems mentioned above are just a few of the several issues that affect the printer performance. These are the basics that are common and easy to diagnose. However, if replacement of defective parts is a necessity, it is best to hire a printer professional to do the job.
Remember, HP has gathered together support groups to assist clients to resolve every hp printer problem that appears during printing.