Fixing Printing Problems

The printer will give you lip if the program that you set the page up in specifies a different size or direction from what you are telling the preferences mode on the computer and the printer when you attempt to run it off. The General Preferences (under the CS Design program side of the screen) need to match up with what you are telling the other two elements to do. Then, you can tell ‘set-up’ and preferences (under the specified computer) what you want the printer to do for you. 

Stop your printing and clean the machine using some plain white paper. This happens when you print too fast. If you do not program the printer to expect thick or special paper, it will automatically assume that it can print fast. When it prints fast on thick paper, it skims the surface and leaves a mess.

I am trying to print cover stock and it looks ‘crummy’. The pictures are washed out. The paper is moving too fast through the printer. Program it for thick paper and change the color settings. You might try the photo settings. 

If you are trying to print in landscape mode using automatic binding, it will come out with every other page up-side-down. Change the binding mode (on the computer screen) under the lay-out page to left bind. {Note that when you print from InDesign Menu and from PDF Menu that, even when you are printing the same document, you may need to use the top bind or the left bind} Today I printed a brochure and used two different bindings when I printed it from PDF and InDesign. In fact, it wouldn’t even print from InDesign, so I made it into a PDF to print it. Sometimes the computer is having a bad day. Don’t worry about it. 

When this happens you can 

1. Reload the fonts from the Web site for the printer. 

2. Reload your computer program. 

3. Shut down completely both the printer and computer, then recycle them. 

My printer takes a long time to download the program and all of my data ‘falls out’ of the printer by the time the program gets to it. Try converting the document into pdf. It is probably too big for the printer to take in ‘one bite’. If you are intent on printing from the software program that you have saved it in, then try programing the printer last, or dividing the file into two parts. 

Heavy weight paper needs to be turned over using the bypass tray. You will make yourself grey trying to get the machine to duplex a heavy piece of paper. 

Turn the paper the other direction on the tray. The machine is trying to print it going the opposite direction. 

If you fail to program the printer separately from the computer, sometimes it will wonder if you know what you are doing. For instance, if you tell the printer that you have thick 4 paper in the bypass tray, and do not program the printer to pull thick 4 paper from the bypass tray, then the printer will pause and ask you if you are ‘all set up’. It is like your mom. You can stop this by programming the printer right after you program the computer. Then the printer will be ready to accept what options you desire.  

Many times there is more than one printer programed into your computer software. If there are other printers which pop up when you go to ‘file’ then ‘print’, then you need to make sure that you are telling the computer which printer you need to use. The print dialogue boxes for this printer will not show up when you have a different printer cued. 

I keep telling the printer by way of the computer to pull from a drawer, but it insists on pulling from the bypass tray: 

Maybe you forgot to un-set the last functions on the printer. If it is on the ‘fold’ function expecting to pull from the bypass tray, then it will assume you want to continue doing the same thing. Also, if the last program you told it to do was to draw from the bypass tray for a cover, then it expects to find a cover in the bypass tray. There is a set period of time in which the printer will stay in the program modes, then default to basic settings. You can ask it to go to default, if you are worried. Also, there is a button on the ‘paper settings for each tray’ button on the far right called ‘restore device status’ which will put the printer to default status as far as which papers usually belong in which drawers. 

Cue the print set in the lay out to bind in the left.

My printer defaults back to basic screens before the computer downloads what I need to print so that it doesn’t do what it is supposed to do.

I had the technician reset the value on the time so that it takes longer to switch back to default. Mine is at 3 minutes because that seems to be about the longest it takes for some of my documents to download. Note that when you print directly from Photoshop or InDesign it takes much longer because the piece isn’t ‘packaged’ like it is when you turn it into a PDF. So, I recommend turning all of your documents/pictures into a PDF prior to printing. You can always change the PDF because you still have the document in  InDesign and can save over the PDF any time you need to. 

Is there a pattern to keeping my other side ‘right side up’ when I put it into the bypass tray to print on it? 

What ever way the paper comes out of the printer is the same orientation that it needs to go back into the printer. So, if the picture comes out upside down, then put it into the other side that way. I always run a test page before I print 20 books to find out that the reverse side is up-side down. 

The more expensive the printer is, the more important it is to purchase name brand toner. Most high quality printers require a code to be transmitted from the toner cartridge. If the cartridge does not have the code, it will default and not operate. I had a knock-off cyan toner 'blow up' in my printer once! Ruined the printer. Also, there is a waste compartment for the used toner alongside the toner. Refilled toner cartridges do not empty the waste compartment which will make the toner time-out more quickly. I buy knock-off toner for my $200 printers, but not my $4K printers. The nice $4K printer costs around $800 to fill with name brand toner--but the quality is maintained in the printing.  

Ink Jet is favored by artists because they claim the colors are more true. So I find artists purchase an Ink Jet printer to reproduce their pieces. However, the cartridges are small and dry out quickly. I haven't seen much success with the refillable ones. Laser printers are more durable and use dry toner, so they last longer if you are not printing every day. For the most part they cost more initially and the toner is more expensive because each cartridge prints more pages. A single sided printer will last longer than a two-sided printer because there are less moving parts (to break and jam). Generally, you can tell the endurance of a printer by the output tray. If it looks like a tray which will handle several pieces of paper, then it is likely to print fairly quickly and be reliable with black and white. Color is another story for a different day!