Printer Cleaning

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by flex22, Sep 24, 2003.

  1. flex22

    flex22 Gigabyte Poster

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    I'm trying to print my CV.When it prints, the quality is poor.I've been throught he utilities to clean the nozzle and all that.On the check, the black ink looks ok, however when I print, it's just a little faint and patchy.

    It's not bad, I mean, you can read it.I just want it to look tops.

    I've gotta send this thing offin a couple of hours before the post.

    All suggestions to make the quality better appreciated, asap, thanks.

    If I can't get it perfic, do you think the potential emploee will care if the CV is slightly faint, but readable :?: :unsure

    Sorry about this, I'm just useless with printers and cleaning them.
     
  2. flex22

    flex22 Gigabyte Poster

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    By increasing the print quality, the print out will now suffice.It's not perfic, but it looks the business enough for me.

    Any advice or links on how to keep your printer in good nic, are welcome though.

    Thanks :!:
     
  3. Phil
    Honorary Member

    Phil Gigabyte Poster

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    Hi Flex,

    Sorry I can't be of much help, I just tend to feed printers ink until they fall over, if the print quality is a bit off I clean the heads a lot. If that fails I buy a new one or get someone else to print whatever it is for me.
     
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  4. tripwire45
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    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    I did a quick google search and came up with this link:

    http://pcadventurers.net/iboard/index.php?showtutorial=3

    It didn't seem particularly comprehensive, but it was the only good one I could find in a minute or two. Of course, the Mike Meyers A+ book has a section on printers including printer maintainance.

    The first place I'd look though, is in the printer's documentation. There's usually a troubleshooting and maintainance section towards the back that tells you how to regularly service your printer and how to troubleshoot specific problems.

    Most of the resumes I send off these days are as e-mail attachments so I don't worry about printing. When I had my interview with Zial, they wanted me to bring a physical copy, so I had to use my "wearing out" 680 deskjet (boy, I'd love a nice laserjet to replace it).

    In a pinch and if I had time, I could always go down to the state job service and ask them to print off a few nice copies for free from your disk (I think their limit is five a day). They also let you use their fax machine, computers and a number of other resources to try and find a job. I've gone down there periodically but since they're not located very near me, I tend to use other resources if I have them. I don't know how this works in the UK but you never know.

    Also, if you've got the dough, you can go down to a copy shop (in the US, Kinkos is big) and pay for the use of a nice copier or printer (just take your document on a floppy and bring money).

    How's that for more than you wanted to know on the subject?
     
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  5. flex22

    flex22 Gigabyte Poster

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    I just thought of that.I only bought the book the other day and I've forgotten to use it already :oops:

    Your telling me.I'd love one.

    Tripwire, your post was enlightening and faultless.

    Phil, thanks for the tips also.

    To be honest, the reason why I'm useless at keeping my printer healthy is because I just can't be bothered with it.

    I like working stuff out system wise, but when it comes to cleaning printers, well it's a good alternative to a sleeping pill, I suppose.
     
  6. Phil
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    Phil Gigabyte Poster

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    I'm with you all the way there mate :)
     
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  7. tripwire45
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    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    If my old deskjet were to die right now, it would just be a good reason to bug my wife to invest in a good, small office, laser jet. I've had to noodle around with the old beast just because we need a working printer and can't rush out and buy a new one on the spur of the moment. I think a lot of techs are bored with printer work because it's not "sexy", like running a network.

    Keep in mind folks, that in a working situation, the ability to print is just right behind the ability to e-mail in the eyes of most users. If you're a tech in any office setting, sooner or later (probably sooner), you're going to be asked to install, configure, and troubleshoot some cranky local or network printer. You'd better know how...even if it's boring. That's why the stuff is on the A+ exam. Printer work is extremely common, alas.
     
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  8. Jakamoko
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    Jakamoko On the move again ...

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    True words as usual, Trip,

    I had an episode last night when I decided to revive a "Print Server in a box" a mate gave me a while back. They use them widely on a Novell network.

    It's an Intel NetPort 10/100, that takes 2 Parallel and one Serial printers. Basically, I brought it back out of the Store because it saves me having to unplug the printer from my main machine whenever I want to open it up. It just plugs into an RJ-45, and all my machines can print to it :thumbleft

    So I went to print off a Job App ( I HAD tested the box before, with a Test Page), and it comes up "Insufficient User Rights for this Print Device"

    EH ??? I'm the Admin, installed it with admin rights, and it hits me with this ??? At that stage last night, I was pretty p***ed off anyway, so I grabbed Ownership back off it (I'm running W2k here), reset the box - Bingo, up and running.

    But would your ordinary User know to do that ? Hence we need to know about printers.A point well made, Trip :!:
     
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  9. SimonV
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    SimonV Petabyte Poster Gold Member

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    I get printer problems nearly everyday, as its a school you can imagine the amount of printing that gets done in a day. If a printer in a room stops working then all hell breaks loose. Get to know how to solve printer problems and your life as a tech will run that little bit smoother. 8)
     
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  10. AJ

    AJ 01000001 01100100 01101101 01101001 01101110 Administrator

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    Know exactly what you mean SimonV.

    Like you we spend a lot of time changing toners, cartridges and the like, clearing paper jams and serviceing printers. Keeps us in a job though.
     
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  11. Jakamoko
    Honorary Member

    Jakamoko On the move again ...

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    Just to add that I went in to work this morning, and my Boss tells me his printer has stopped working.

    He was reporting it as powering up fine, but with an error light on it. Also, when he opened the front panel (inkjet, btw), the carriage did not return to the centre as it should if you were changing the tanks.

    I told him that that sounded like a mechanical failure (3-4 year old budget-ish machine), and practically had him off up the street to buy a new all-in-one printer/scanner/toaster, etc. After all, he did have the monthly invoice run to print off this weekend, so it was fairly urgent.

    My Boss then phoned me this afternoon to tell me he had taken it to a local print specialist, who had said that it was the ink overflow tank that needed emptied - from when the nozzles do a cleaning routine - and only a specialist Canon agent could do this.

    Must say, thats the first time I'd heard of that, but I think I managed to save face by mumbling something about balancing the specialists' costs v a new printer ...... :oops:

    My point being there is always a lot to learn about these beast we rely on so much :cry:
     
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  12. tripwire45
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    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    The moral of the story boys and girls, is that even though printers aren't "sexy", they are the peripheral businesses need. Learn to love them because you can't live without them.
     
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  13. flex22

    flex22 Gigabyte Poster

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    Oh no, the curse of the printer cleaning thread has claimed its first victim.

    Sorry Jak.
     
  14. Jakamoko
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    Jakamoko On the move again ...

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    You'll pay for this, Flex - oh yes, you will pay !!! :cry:
     
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  15. flex22

    flex22 Gigabyte Poster

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    Why did I start this thread, why :!: :bigcry
     

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