Many offices rely on high-output printers to deliver quality print jobs daily. When a printer isn’t performing or stops working altogether, it can really send the office into a tailspin. And while many offices have multiple printers to avoid coming to a standstill, repairing a broken high-volume printer can be costly and significantly impact in-office tasks, as well as delivering customer orders on time.

Of course, printer malfunctions and breakdowns can happen even to the best-maintained printers. Still, regular printer maintenance is instrumental in minimizing work stoppage and loss due to damaged or incomplete print jobs.

Let’s look at some simple maintenance tasks you can do that could end up saving you a lot of time and expense.

Talk to a Printer Specialist

Many larger companies have people in-house who are very familiar with larger printers and can handle many types of maintenance and repair. However, smaller offices and companies may have to partner with an outside contractor or specialist for repairs. It’s key to search for a trustworthy and competent specialist with whom your office can build a relationship. When a technician knows your machines well, they can often diagnose and fix problems while they remain small.

Keep Printer Components Clean

A good rule of thumb, whether you use your printer constantly or hardly ever, is to keep the printer components clean. Regularly wiping down the printer parts can keep everything running smoothly for much longer. And most of the time, you can clean printer parts with nothing more than clean water and a lint-free cloth. If you also want to disinfect, then isopropyl alcohol is usually safe. It’s not a good idea to use commercial disinfectants and sprays to clean printers.

You can also use clean, warm water and a lint-free cloth to wipe ink cartridge heads. Just be sure to let them dry before reinstalling them.

Use Good Quality Ink and Toner Cartridges

You can run into problems with good cartridges if you don’t store them properly. In a previous blog post, we talked about keeping your toner cartridges in good shape by storing them properly. Installing damaged or dirty ink and toner cartridges can lead to poor-quality print jobs and even cause damage to internal print components.

Buy and Use the Correct Toner and Ink Cartridges

While many people will see this suggestion and think, yeah? Of course? It’s important to note that even very competent people can accidentally order or install a toner or ink cartridge that seems like the right one or close to the right one. You may have an inexperienced employee who orders a very similar model or is in a hurry and makes an honest mistake.

Choose Toner Cartridge Depot!

It can also be tempting to purchase cartridges that are priced suspiciously low from less reputable websites. Avoid knockoff ink and printer cartridges from these places! Make sure you’re shopping with a reliable and trustworthy company like Toner Cartridge Depot to ensure you’re getting genuine ink and toner cartridge brands.