How to Save Ink on an Inkjet Printer for Monochrome Printing Needs
Print on Economical Mode
Nothing else helps people in an office to shrink the printing budget than savings on ink cartridges. Since the lifespan of an inkjet printer cartridge tends to be short, refilling it is something common but its print quality takes a beating after several refills. That is why users need workarounds to save the ink levels in the cartridge used to print monochrome documents in particular. If you are printing a black and white document containing only text, there are methods to earn savings on ink as follows.
Print on Economical Mode
An option to choose Economical Printing mode for printing, preferably text-only docs, is tucked away in the Properties or the Printing Preferences menu. You need to configure it in Windows printer to earn savings. Note that while printing images on photo quality paper in this particular mode, the ink begins to fade gradually so it is advisable to choose this mode for printing monochrome documents.
Use Ink Saving Fonts
Configure Grayscale Setting
Printing in fonts such as Calibri and Times New Roman will consume ink only to an extent. Besides that, using fonts that claim to save ink will come in handy especially while printing documents on a tight budget at the office. Certain fonts such as Eco Sans and Century Gothic are also ideal for that. What’s more, you can download and install these fonts in Windows PC without much effort.
Configure Grayscale Setting
In case your inkjet printer runs out of standard black ink, then you can configure this setting to print documents using color ink cartridges. To launch Printing Preferences of a connected printer in Windows 7, press down Ctrl key, Shift key, and P simultaneously on the keyboard. When Printing Preferences dialog box pops up, navigate to the Features tab and click on Print in Grayscale under the Color Options heading. Note that these steps may vary according to the inkjet printer model but most printers will have the option to configure the setting.
There is a chance the ink cartridge may dry up or it may necessitate a refilling. In which case, the color cartridges installed in the printer can bail you out. Now you know how to save ink simply by optimizing the right Printing Preferences settings for printing documents filled with strings of text.
Workarounds to Troubleshoot the No AirPrint Printers Found Error in iOS
No AirPrint Printers Found Error
AirPrint lets users take printouts of photographs, emails, documents and web pages from compatible apps without having to install a driver for that in the Apple device but over private Wi-Fi. If you encounter a No AirPrint Printers Found error while printing from an iPad, iPhone, or other Apple device, ensure the printer is connected to the same private wireless network as the compatible device.
Verify the Apple device features the latest version of iOS or that you can install AirPrint update in iOS 4.2 or above. Besides that, ensure the application is compatible with the printing technology. Most of the inbuilt iOS apps support AirPrint including Safari browser, iWorks, and Photos app. However, if you are trying to AirPrint from a third-party app downloaded from App Store, ensure that it is compatible with the feature.
In order to know AirPrint compatibility in an app, open the email, web page, or photograph you need to print from an iPad, tap the Action icon or a print button and tap Print. In case you cannot see either of the buttons on iPad, then that means the application is not compatible with AirPrint.
Common Printer Issues
After that, crosscheck if the printer is AirPrint compatible as well. For that, you can either check the user manual of the printer or go to the manufacturer website. AirPrint is supported by default in most of the popular printer models so if you want to know compatibility, crosscheck the same in Apple support to see the listed printers that supports the feature.
In case you see No AirPrint Printers Found while trying to print in an iPad, reboot the printer and wait for the printer to reestablish wireless connectivity. Note that the error may pop up in iOS if you try to AirPrint before the wireless printer reboots and joins the private network as well. As a workaround, turn off the Airplane mode for three to five minutes in iPad and then enable it to see if that solves the error.
If that fails to solve it, move the Wi-Fi router up close the printer no more than 6 feet from the router. After that, clear any household items nearby the printer and the router that may interfere with wireless signals and connectivity like cordless telephones, and microwaves. Also, check whether the printer has enabled wireless. AirPrint feature is not backwards compatible with an older software or hardware, and one is yet to find a workaround in order to turn on backward compatibility.
How to Clear Stuck Print Jobs in the Spooler in Windows 7 or Later
Clear Stuck Print Jobs
When print jobs get stuck as a long queue in the spooler it may slow down printing process in the background or even prevent sending further documents to be printed. If that happens, you will have to cancel the stuck print jobs in the print spooler service in order to resume productive printing at workplace. Oftentimes, clearing the software program that regulates sending print jobs to a local or a network printer in Windows can troubleshoot slow printing speeds in an office setup.
Restart the Spooler
Clearing the print spooler and restarting the Windows local service shall be the first step when trying to fix long print queues in the spooler. There are two ways to stop print spooler service in Windows, one manually and the other by creating a batch file. It is recommended to follow the batch script method since that can enable you to stop spooler with a mere click of the mouse button.
For that, open a blank text document in Notepad app and enter the below text strings verbatim and in separate lines.
- net stop spooler
- del /Q /F /S “%windir%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.*”
- net start spooler
Common Printer Issues
After entering the three lines without formatting, save the Notepad with .bat file extension. For that, click on the File menu in Notepad app, select Save As, and choose a directory in Windows 7 to save the file. In the Field Name, key in Restart Print Spooler.bat, select All files in Saves as type, and click Save button.
Whenever you want to clear the print spooler service in Windows, you only need to double click the batch file so save it in a convenient location like in Documents. Better yet, send a shortcut of the batch file to desktop or Start menu, or wherever you can access it quickly, so that you can clear the spooler and restart it as per need.
In case you are using Windows 10, click Start menu, search Services, and open the best match, which is the Services app. In the subsequent window that pops up, search for and double click Print Spooler to launch its properties window. In the next pop-up window, select General tab and Stop the Running spooler manually. Since you may have to do this each time, the print queues get stuck, it is best to create a batch file.
How to Troubleshoot Local Print Spooler Service is Not Running in Windows 10
Print Spooler Not Running
The print spooler is a software program or local service that regulates the print jobs in Windows. When users try to print a spreadsheet or a document, the output gets stored on the hard disk in digital format and the spooler sends it to the printer in the backdrop at slower printing speeds.
You may get an error message that denotes a print spooler service not running when installing a new printer in Windows 10 or mostly commonly while initiating print of a document, or a spreadsheet with a Print command in the spooler. Resolving the print spooler error in Windows is important to resume productive printing. You can try any of the below steps to fix the “Local Print Spooler Service is Not Running” error. Note that it is only a temporary error message that pops up while installing printer drivers in the system or while initiating print.
Troubleshooting Steps for the Local Print Spooler Service is Not Running
- Search Services when on the desktop screen and open the best match shown there.
- Double-click Printer Spooler in the list of local services shown.
- In the next dialog box that pops up on screen, configure the Startup Type under General tab to Automatic instead of other options.
- After that, reboot the computer and try installing the printer driver once again.
Common Printer Issues
When connecting a printer to Windows PC, the spooler gets enabled by default. However, you will still come across “Local Print Spooler Service is Not Running” error when it stays Disabled. Changing it to Automatic will help to solve the issue. After doing that, reboot the system or the print spooler message to see if it has gone.
If the print spooler error occurs while printing in Windows 10, right-click Computer icon on the desktop and click Manage. Then, double-click Services & Applications. Double-click Services, look for Print Spooler in the list of Services and Stop the running process. After that, remove the data from C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS folder and C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Drivers\w32x86 folder in Windows 10.
Often reinstalling the printer driver in the correct way, the driver becomes ready to use as expectedly. If you are still experiencing any issues, get in touch with a printer support technician for advanced troubleshooting.
How to Set Printing Orientation Settings in Windows 7
Printing Orientation Settings
Most of the printers print from top to bottom by default, but you can customize the printing orientation setting in Windows 7 PC. In order to match wide spreadsheets or photos, you may have to change the setting in landscape mode instead of default portrait orientation to print sideways, so that the printout has all portions covered.
The portrait orientation setting aligns the print preview vertically; hence, the printout will adhere to that with a paper that is taller than it is wider. Change the setting to landscape mode in Windows, so that the paper gets horizontally aligned and the printout comes out correctly.
You can either change the printing orientation setting as per need or set Landscape orientation as the default. In addition to that, many software programs give their own customizable settings to change the orientation so you change the preference. Most of such programs that enable printing open a Print Preview page. The program may allow you to change portrait to vertical prior to printing the page.
Selecting Printer Preferences in Windows 7 brings up the preferences for the printer you chose. Opening the preferences from a completely different software program only goes to change the settings for a present printing session.
Selecting Printer Preferences
The next time you try to print from the same program, the default orientation gets restored. In case the default settings have been changed by somebody else to print a wide photo, you may need to repetitively adjust the same while printing a standard invoice on an A4 sheet. To make the portrait orientation the default again, click Start and navigate to Devices and Printers.
Now spot your printer in the subsequent window, right-click on it and choose Printer Preferences in Windows. Changing the printing orientation in this portion and not in the software program will make the new setting the default one. Assuming you will print invoices from top to bottom, choose Portrait.
Moreover, most of the programs allow you to tweak the orientation while printing a document. Although, the printer settings may be rightly configured to take a portrait printout, the program may be configured to print in landscape. Such settings in a software program are usually changed by navigating to a Page Layout menu and then spotting the Orientation setting.
How to Reset Third Party Printing System in Mac OS X
Printing Files from Mac
Printing works in Mac OS X with support from a third party print server. Whether you are facing a print queue that is broken with print jobs yet to be printed or an unresponsive printer issue, the best troubleshoot to try is resetting the printing system in Mac OS X. This will disconnect the scanners, faxes, and all printers to have connected with Mac and clear the print jobs in queue.
Note that you will need to add the printers and begin the printing process all over again after the reset. It is a last resort troubleshoot for annoying printer problems due to third party software, so opt the below steps only if all other methods fail to troubleshoot. The below troubleshooting steps for Mac OS X work the same way in all versions including Mavericks (10.9), Yosemite (10.10), and Snow Leopard (10.6).
Steps to Follow
- Select System Preferences from menu denoted by the Apple icon and click on Printers & Scanners.
- Press down Control key and click the mouse button on the list of Printers to the left or right-click a printer icon if it is shown there and choose Reset Printing System.
- Key in the administrator password then and click on Reset upon prompt to confirm the same. A warning will pop up stating that resetting will remove existing scanners, printers, and faxes alongside the respective pending print jobs. Click on Reset only if you can afford to re-add the respective drives in a while.
Reset Printing System
For that, wait for the printing system to reset in Mac OS X, and once done, click on the plus button to re-add the device drivers mentioned. Note that resetting will also remove the faxes and scanners from Mac, which means that you should re-add them manually.
The print queue may become unresponsive if some tries to print a file from the desktop of Mac or without waiting for the pending print jobs to clear out. An unresponsive print queue may also occur unexpectedly in normal operation since the printer support is third party in OS X. Updating the printer driver from the respective manufacturer website can help resolve such kind of printer issues.
Try the above troubleshoots the next time you face an inability to print a file from your Mac. Alternatively, you can call upon professionals in printer service to get support on the issue.
Most Common Printer Issues and Their Fixes
Common Printer Issues
Printers can get on your nerves if they do not work properly, especially when you are on a busy schedule. There are many maddening printer issues such as running out of ink, flawed output quality, slow speed printing, paper jams, etc. Luckily, most these issues can be solved in a few simple troubleshooting steps. Below are some common printer issues and the ways to address them.
Printer Won’t Print
This is one of the most common problems with printers. The first thing you have to do in such cases is to check the printer’s connection and ensure that it is connected properly. If you are using a wireless connection or Wi-Fi, check the signal strength and make sure that you are connected to the correct network.
Furthermore, ensure that the printer driver and software is properly installed on your computer. In most cases, the problem will be a faulty driver. So, check the driver and update it to the latest version if needed.
Printer Running Out of Ink
If your printer is running out of ink, it will display a low ink warning. However, there is no need for you to rush in order to replace the cartridge when you see this. This warning depends on the size of the ink tanks in your printer and it varies in different models. In some models, it will display the low ink warning before reaching the minimum level itself. So, continue your printing works until you get flawed output.
Cannot Print from Mobile Device
Printer Won’t Print
Most mobile phones now come with printing apps that allow the users to print the content directly from the phone. Some of them can scan the documents as well from these devices. Anyhow, to print the files from your mobile, make sure that you have installed the particular software for it properly and it is up to date.
Wi-Fi Printing Takes Too Much Time
You can tackle this issue by placing the router close to your printer. This way, you can enhance the speed and output of the printer. Furthermore, make sure that your printer’s firmware is updated and supports both 5GHz and 2.4GHz band. You can also use a repeater or wireless extender to boost up the speed.
Multifunction Printers Won’t Scan
If your multifunction printer stops scanning, then the scanner software is more likely to be corrupted. So, check your software package and reinstall it to the latest version. If this does not work, try to contact the manufacturer or refer the user guide. In some cases, you might have to replace the whole unit to fix the issue.
How to Clean a Clogged Printer Head
Automatic Print Head Cleaning
There are several reasons why a printer outputs low quality or blotched printouts. Clogged print heads are one reason that results in the microscopic nozzles of the cartridges to become blocked thus preventing the proper delivery of ink onto the paper. This causes the prints to appear faded or even missing in some areas, which can be frustrating especially if the printer is used in offices.
The print heads can get clogged if the printer is not used for a long time and if the ink dries up and blocks the nozzles. There are several ways to clean a clogged printer head and resume normal printing; below are some effective steps that you can try.
Running Automatic Print Head Cleaning
All printer manufacturers include a program along with the printer software that allows the user to clean the print heads automatically. This utility program can trigger the head nozzles to fire at random that will normally clear of any blocks in the head and restore normal ink flow.
For this, go to the printer’s utility program and select from any of the head cleaning methods by following the onscreen instructions properly. After the automatic cleaning is done, print a test page to determine whether the print heads are functioning normally and repeat the process if the printouts still remain faded, unclear or blotched.
Using Window Cleaner for Installed Print Heads
Common Printer Issues
Window cleaner is an effective solution that can help restore the normal ink flow on installed print heads. First, turn off the printer and remove the malfunctioning cartridge from the head. Apply a small amount of window cleaner on the nozzle of the cartridge by using an eyedropper.
Then fix the cartridge back into the printer and run the automatic head cleaning utility of the printer. Apply the window cleaner on the nozzle if the head is still clogged. Repeat the process by running the head cleaning utility again to clear of the blocked nozzles.
Manually Cleaning Cartridge Print Heads
Cleaning the print cartridge heads manually can usually resolve the issue of clogged heads. For this, take out the affected cartridge and gently wipe the print head and nozzle with a cotton swab dipped in glass cleaner solution. Lightly rub the moist cotton swab on the print head in repeated action for unclogging the heads.
Then fix the cartridge back into the printer and run the automatic print head cleaning. Do a test print and if the printer head is still clogged, soak the nozzle portion of the cartridge in a small bowl of glass cleaner for a few hours. Attach the cartridge back and then run the automatic head cleaning utility to restore the print heads.
How to Fix Printer not Working Error after Windows 10 Update
Printer Not Working Error
Several computer users who use printers for work-related or personal tasks often complain that their printer is not working after updating the operating system of their computer to Windows 10. If your printer was flawlessly operating before the Windows 10 update, and if it stopped printing files after the upgrade, then it means that you are experiencing the printer error due to the upgrade.
However, there is no need to panic, because there are a number of simple solutions that will help you to resolve the issue. Note that if you are a computer user who has no idea on how to fix computer printer issues, then it is best to seek the help of an expert printer support technician, as they will be easily able to fix the issue. Nevertheless, if you are planning to fix the issue on your own, then below are a few simple set of steps that will help you to do so.
Run Printer Troubleshooter
If your printer is not working after the Windows 10 update or if you are experiencing printer spooler error after the update, then the first thing you should do is to download the Windows printer troubleshooter to solve the issue.
- Run the Windows printer troubleshooter on your PC
- You will now have to select Printer from the results
- Click on Next to begin printer troubleshooting
Update Printer Driver
Now, check whether the issue has been resolved by running a test print job. If the issue is not yet fixed, proceed to the next troubleshooting step.
Update your Printer Driver
In most cases, the root cause behind this issue is the use of an outdated printer driver. So, if you have not updated the printer driver on your PC or laptop after the Windows 10 upgrade, then updating the driver might help you to solve the issue. After updating the printer driver, you will once again need to run a test print job to check whether your printer is working or not.
Computer users who have no idea on how to update their printer driver should seek the help of an expert printer support technician. The expert technicians will give you advice on how to fix printer spooler error and other common printer errors. In fact, they will even remotely update your printer driver to solve the issue.
How to Fix Printer Spooler Error on Windows PC
Printer Spooler Error
Print spooler is a software program on Windows OS that manages all print jobs sent to the connected computer. It helps users prioritize print jobs as per printing needs. Several errors associated with the spooler may happen once you initiate print from the laser printer or its printer driver thereof. They may comprise of:
- Print jobs listed in a long queue;
- Documents or other types of data in the printer spooler getting corrupt and the software failing to translate it into a printable format; or
- Failure of printer spooler service due to the software or the PC crashing midway through the file transfer.
In all these cases, you may need to know how to fix printer spooler issues on Windows in order to resume productive printing.
How to Fix Printer Spooler Error on Windows PC
Prior to proceeding with advanced troubleshoots for the same, try rebooting the system and retry print. The error message on computer will prompt you to do this at first, although it may not always work on Windows PC. However, you should perform a system reboot in order to eliminate other causes – ensure to save the to-be printed documents prior to rebooting.
Common Printer Issues
It is likely you may have to reset the printer spooler to clear errors. Resetting the printer spooler will clean the print queue and may even help remove any errors associated with the spooler. For that,
- Close software programs from which you tried to print.
- Launch Start on desktop and navigate to Administrative Tools.
- In the menu, double-click on Services and choose Print Spooler from the drop-down list that pops up on the screen.
Search and find it by pressing Ctrl and F keys simultaneously in order to avoid scrolling down the list.
- Once you find Print Spooler, right-click on it and choose Stop.
- Then, navigate to My Computer, open C:// Drive and double-click on Windows.
- From that folder, go to System32 > Spool > Printers. Remove all the print jobs in Printers
- Now go to Services folder, search and find Print Spooler, right-click on that and choose Start.
When done, try to open the software program you closed previously and retry printing the same digital file as usual to see if the printer spooler error on Windows PC is fixed. If not, contact a printer support technician for advanced troubleshooting.