Printing Guides

We often get calls about printers that refuse to print. Often people will live with these minor problems for a long time before calling for help. Very often the problem isn’t related to the computer settings, the printer queue, or even the item being printed, but with the how the paper was loaded.

Many people load paper into an empty printer tray and assume it will just work, but very often they nudge the printer guides or even mis adjust them thinking the paper needs more room.

Printer guides are important. Many printers tell the size of the paper based on this settings. The printer guides can slide back and forth and are found at one side and one end of where the paper normally would rest. They often have marks defining the paper size:

The appropriate way to put paper into the tray is to set the marks first and then drop the paper in. Many people often reverse this. It is important the the marks and arrows line up. Even being one notch off can confuse the printer.

Next time your printer is acting funny, check the printer guides. You may save yourself a lot of frustration and time. Need more help with hardware or printer issues? Contact us today and we’ll pass on years of knowledge!

Liked this article? Don’t forget to check out our blog on how to centralize print services.