Archive for November, 2010

When looking for a new printer, there are a multitude of things to consider, such as speed, resolution, and design. One thing you might not think of when selecting your choice machine, though, is what affect it has on our environment and how much energy the device uses, both when it is in use, and when it is in sleep or standby mode. Consumers who are looking for an energy-efficient solution to lessen their impact on the environment and reduce energy bills should look for a device that is certified by Energy Star. Continue reading “What is Energy Star Rating for Printers?” »

Controlling printing costs in the office is not impossible, but it does require an understanding of the daily volume of tasks and the types of documents that are being printed.  For instance, if your office generates 300-400 standard text documents, using a color inkjet printer is a waste of time and money.  There are various types of machines on the market and containing costs is as simple as choosing the right printer or printers.

One Printer vs Multiple Printers

Depending on the type of business that your office is conducting, you need to determine if each person needs a printer on his or her desk or if a central printer will be sufficient.  Clearly it will be more expensive upfront to purchase numerous printers, but often cartridges and maintenance costs are more for one large-office device than 20 small inkjet printers. Continue reading “Controlling the Cost of Printing” »

As laptops and notebooks become more common, and Wi-Fi networks more ubiquitous, you may find that you are repeatedly connecting to0 many different networks. For example, you may connect to one network at work, to a second at a family member’s home, and to your own wireless network at home. The problem that you may run into is that when you go to print while connected to one network, your default printer may still be set for a machine located on another.

Windows 7 provides a good solution to this problem with an option to set multiple default printers depending on which network you are connected to, and it does it automatically! Before you begin the steps, make sure you know the name of the different networks you frequently use, as well as the name of the printers you wish to set as the default. For example, the Samsung CLP-510 model, which uses Samsung CLP-510D5C toner, may be listed as “CLP-510” or it may have a user assigned name such as “Office Samsung”. You can find the names of the printers available on your current network by click “Start”, then “Devices and Printers”. You also need to make sure that all printers are connected to the network. Once all printers are connected and you know their names, follow the steps below to set them as defaults.

1. Click the “Start” button and click “Devices and Printers”.
2. Click the icon of one of the printers you wish to add as a default, and notice that new headings appear in the toolbar near the top of the window.
3. Click “Manage Default Printers”.
4. Click the radio button next to “Change my default printer when I change networks” to enable the feature.
5. Select the first network in the “Select Network” dropdown menu, and the printer you wish to be the default in the “Select Network” dropdown menu. When you have both selected, click “Add” to add the entry to the list.
6. Select another network, and choose the printer you wish to be the default when you connect to it. You may wish to wait until the next time you connect to the network to ensure you have the right printer.
7. Continue adding new printers to the list for each network you frequently connect to. Continue reading “How to Set Multiple Default Printers” »

Konica-Minolta specializes in making durable, reliable office printers and all-in-one machines.  However, not even the top manufacturers in the printing industry can guarantee these devices will work without error.  If you have a Konica-Minolta laser printer or multi-function unit, below is a list of some of the most common error messages you may encounter, and possible solutions to help get you back up and running: Continue reading “Common Konica-Minolta Printer Error Messages” »

Wireless printing offers a number of benefits, such as convenience and efficiency,  to any home or office.  Connecting wirelessly also eliminates the need for more than one printer per house or office, reducing energy consumption and making it easier to stay organized.  Adding a wireless network will change the face of printing in any setting.

However, there are a few drawbacks that you should be aware of before going wireless.  This is not a perfect science, so be prepared for potential bumps in the road.

Speed

Image: Scott Akerman

Because wireless printers have to search for a signal rather than having it directly fed through an ethernet or USB cord, it may take a bit longer to transfer data – especially if the signal is not a strong one.  It can also take longer for a computer to connect to the printer initially. Also, if multiple devices are using the wireless network, a wireless-enabled printer could slow down every connection when in use, though this is generally only the case with older wireless routers. Continue reading “Drawbacks of Wireless Printing” »

Ricoh printers are typically found in office environments because of their versatility and ability to handle heavy workloads at a fast rate.  However, with such complex machines, errors are bound to happen.  Ricoh has made the error code system as organized as possible, though it is strongly recommended to contact Ricoh Technical Support for proper diagnosis, and take the machine to a service center for the proper repair. Continue reading “Common Ricoh Error Codes” »

Image: Wikipedia.org

If you are looking for a new or upgraded business printer or MFP for your office, one of the features you should pay close attention to is the memory capacity, or RAM.  Though this is not an element of a machine that is typically broadcast or highlighted to consumers, it is absolutely essential to get a device that has sufficient memory to handle your office’s demands.  This varies based on the number of users sharing the printer, the volume of tasks, and the type of documents being produced.  On average, a small office should have at least 64 MB of RAM, a medium office should shoot for 256 MB, and a large office will want 512 MB or more. Continue reading “Memory for Business Printers” »

A print spooler is management-oriented software designed to keep tasks in order when multiple print jobs are being sent to the same printer.  Almost serving as a levee to the printer, the spooler catches the orders and slowly sends them through to the printer one at a time.  As this is such an essential process for high-volume printers, it is important to understand the possible errors that can occur.

How do you know when to run your troubleshooting program, though?

Some of the primary symptoms short of an error message are consistent system freezing, overworked CPU and print queues that do not allow you to manually open tasks.  The two most common messages that will pop up on your computer screen when the spooler is having problems are (the words may not be exactly the same, but the message will be):

• Spooler subsystem application has encountered a problem and needs to close.
• Operation could not be completed.

Continue reading “Print Spooler Errors” »

Epson printers are generally pretty reliable, but they can still experience problems from time to time. Epson printers typically have an LCD display that will show error messages, rather than number codes when there is a problem, but these messages can sometimes be difficult to decipher.  Here is a list of some of the most common Epson printer error messages: Continue reading “Epson Printer Error Messages” »

Printer require numerous moving parts, all working together to provide high-quality documents and images.  Because of this, it is easy to see how issues could arise from time to time.

There are a number of things that could go wrong with a printer during operation.  Some of these issues are fixable by the user and some require a professional.  Below are the Top 6 most common printing problems, as well as simple troubleshooting tasks that you can attempt before seeking help. Continue reading “6 Most Common Printing Problems” »