Tip #3489 - Printing Problems
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Q:
Whenever I try to print something, the text comes out all smudged together
and everything just looks distorted. What could be causing this and how
can I fix it?
A:
Great question! We've covered similar printing problem questions like
this before, but I don't think we've ever hit this topic head on. That's
going to change today though and all you had to do was ask! Okay, so just
to make sure, this is what's happening: You go to print off a document
from your computer and the end result turns out to be a bunch of ink just
all jumbled together. It could either be smudged copies, lines, distorted
text or even unrecognizable images. Basically, you can't go on like this,
so let's get this printer problem under control. Here we go!
As with all printing
problems, this could be caused by a number of things. Below, I'm going
to go over some of the main ones, along with a brief description of what
you can do to troubleshoot and eventually fix it. Hopefully, at least
one of them will give you what you need to get your printer up and running
successfully again.
1.) Paper
Issues: First of all, you need to make sure you're using the
right kind of paper. When printing regular documents from a computer,
you should try to always use the 8 1/2 x 11 standard paper. If you're
trying to use a special kind of paper or an untraditional kind, your printer
may not respond well to it. If they don't get along, your work will come
out all smudgy or the text could be uneven. This even causes text to run
off the side of the paper sometimes as well.
Now, this doesn't
mean that you can't ever print with special paper, but you have to make
sure of a couple things before you do it. First, make sure the paper is
being fed into the printer correctly. You may have to move your paper
tray over a little in order for the paper to fit. Next, simply be sure
that the type of paper you're using is okay to use with your printer.
Your printer's manual should have some information on what types of paper
you can and cannot use. Basically, if you're only having trouble with
one kind of paper, you can probably guess what the culprit is.
2.) Driver
Issues: The second most common cause of bad printing is the
drivers. If you're only getting unreadable text or strange looking characters,
you probably have a bad driver. To fix this, you should look into and
make sure you're using the most recent and updated drivers for your printer.
If you don't, download and install them right away. You can find this
information online by searching for your type of printer or you can read
about it in your printer's manual as well.
3.) Print
Head Issues: If your printer is only printing out fuzzy or blurry
text or images, you probably have dirty print heads. Luckily, there are
ways to check on this (at least for the most recent printers). If you
look in your manual, you should be able to find some information on how
to do a printing test, which will also lead you in the right direction
to check and clean your printer's print heads. Of course, this method
is different for every printer, so I can't really give instructions, but
like I said, it can all be found in your manual. Also, if you use your
printer on a regular basis, it's recommended that you do this at least
once a year, if not more.
4.) Ink Issues:
You knew this one was coming! If you haven't replaced your ink cartridges
in awhile, this may be the base of your printing problems. This is especially
true if you don't use your printer very often, because the ink could dry
up. Each time you print something, there's usually an image that comes
up on your computer screen showing you an estimated amount of ink that
you have left. Pay close attention to that each time and be prepared to
change it if the levels look low. If your printer doesn't do that, it
will still notify you by flashing a light on one of its buttons. Either
way, you'll be able to tell if your ink cartridge needs replaced. All
of this is the same for the toner in laser printers as well. Again, if
you haven't changed your ink or toner in over a year, you might as well
get to it!
5.) Other
Hardware Issues: If you have checked into all of the above suggestions
and you're still having trouble with your printer, you may have a basic
hardware problem. If this is the case, the best thing to do is contact
your printer's manufacturer and ask them about it. Their contact information
can probably be found online or in your manual. They might be able to
recommend something else or even repair your printer for you.
Either way you look
at it, printers are very important to our computing lives. Without them,
we can never see our work on paper. So, I guess all I'm telling you is
to take good care of your printer and if you run into a problem, get it
resolved right away. You'll thank me later!
~ Erin
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