How many times have you faced this situation – you’re in a hurry to complete a print job, you’ve installed a brand new ink or toner cartridge refill but the printer refuses to print or prints incorrectly? Don’t stress because such issues can sometimes be solved with some basic troubleshooting methods that have been outlined below.

Ink Printer Not Recognizing Replacement Cartridge
Printing trouble can occur with both ink and toner cartridge replacements. If you’ve installed an ink cartridge and the printer gives an error message that the cartridge is not recognized or a message to insert a new cartridge, it may be a sign of miscommunication between printer and cartridge. Remove the cartridge, switch off the printer and unplug it from power source. Check if you’re removed all the protective seals and tapes around the cartridge. Use a soft cloth to wipe the microchip on the cartridge – it might be dirty. Power on the printer and install the cartridge back in.

Ink Printer Not Printing
If you find that the printer recognizes the ink cartridge but the printer is still not printing, it may be due to some blockage in the cartridge’s nozzle. A clever hack is to dab some warm water or isopropyl alcohol on print head and clean the opening with a q-tip to unclog it. If this does not work, you can try to placing the bottom of the cartridge in a container of warm water – this will help loosen any dry ink. You can also try running the printer head cleaning process as the printer head itself could be clogged.

Laser Printer Error Message
If the problem is with a toner cartridge refill, there are solutions too. If you view an error message when the new toner cartridge is installed, you can remove the cartridge, switch off the printer, boot it up again and place the toner inside. You can also make a note of the specific error message and go the trouble shooting pages of the manufacturer’s website to determine what the error message means and how to solve it. Leading ink and toner manufacturers such as Brother, HP and others have troubleshooting tips on their websites.

Laser Printer Imperfect Printing
If you find that your laser printer is leaving spots, smudges or that the printing is light, you should check to ensure that all protective seals and tapes on the toner cartridge have been removed - if not removed, these seals and tales can interfere with printing results. Make sure there’s no excess toner on the roller and if there is, clean it using a soft piece of cloth. You can also try shaking the cartridge to ensure even distribution of ink powders inside. If none of these hacks work, try removing the drum unit and putting it back again. If you haven’t replaced the drum or imaging unit in a long time, it may be time to do so.

Sometimes, solutions are very simple – try the above basic troubleshooting tips for problems you may face with ink and toner cartridge replacements! replacements!