Hello there, and Happy Tuesday! (Or Wednesday if I post this a day late LOL)

Today, we’ll go over a few things you will need to have (And want to do) before you place a service call for your copier. We know it’ll happen eventually, the trusty workhorse of your office will eventually need some TLC from one of our technicians. It does happen, and we’re more than eager to help! With that, we want to help prepare you to get the most out of your phone call for service!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: This list is fairly short, but we will detail exactly what you will need when calling for help on your copier:

* Equipment ID: This is an identification number that can be found on a tag on the front of your copier. This is highly important as this allows us to identify the equipment you are calling about, so that we may best assist you with your machine!

* A few minutes on the phone: Literally just a few minutes! We like to try to help you troubleshoot the issue. Usually, we can help you fix your problem with just a simple phone call, saving you a lot of time on waiting for a tech to arrive.

* Point of Contact: If we do have to dispatch a technician to your location for on-site service, we will need to know who our tech will work with on this issue, whether it is you, or someone else that is having an issue with the machine.

Now, Let’s talk about some of the most common issues you may encounter with your copier, and how you can easily resolve them! This can save you having to call for service, and having to wait on a service tech to arrive:

PAPER JAMS: One of the most common issues that can happen. Fortunately, this is one that is often easily user-resolvable. Here’s some things to check:

* PAPER TRAY GUIDES: Are the guides set tight against the paper in the tray? Loose or maladjusted tray guides can cause a myriad of issues, from paper jams to skewed/off-center prints, and the machine thinking that there is no paper in that tray because it’s seeing some other size loaded in there. Ideally, there should be zero gap between paper and guides. Your copier is beyond smart enough to know what paper is in what tray, and how it is loaded, but it relies on these guides being set right!

* PRINT DRIVER SETTINGS: Another one that can cause your copier to suddenly start channeling Bob Marley. Check your print driver settings to ensure you are printing to the proper size, type and orientation of paper. Make sure your print job’s paper settings match that of your copier’s settings.

* PAPER QUALITY: Yep, you read that right! Poor quality paper can also cause jams. Check the paper, ensure that it is as flat as a table. The edges should be arrow straight with no deviations. If you see ripple or waviness to the sheet edges, that paper is bad and must not be used. When in doubt, change it out! A fresh ream of paper can solve many jamming issues. Also, never store open reams of paper as the sheets will soak up moisture from the humidity in the air. This is accelerated if your copier or paper is in an area where temperature swings are great, such as near a window or exterior door.

* IS IT LOADED PROPERLY?: Just like with the guides, proper loading of paper is key too! Ensure you are loading paper only where you are directed to by the indications in the tray, and never overfill the tray. The max fill is also indicated in the tray.

CROOKED OR MISALIGNED PRINTS/COPIES: While it may not jam, you may encounter times where prints or copies come out either crooked or off center. There’s ways to address this easily. Here’s some things to check:

* PAPER TRAY GUIDES: Are the guides set tight against the paper in the tray? Loose or maladjusted tray guides can cause a myriad of issues, from paper jams to skewed/off-center prints, and the machine thinking that there is no paper in that tray because it’s seeing some other size loaded in there. Ideally, there should be zero gap between paper and guides. Your copier is beyond smart enough to know what paper is in what tray, and how it is loaded, but it relies on these guides being set right!

* FEEDER GUIDES: When using the document feeder to make copies, ensure that the guides in the feeder are tight against the paper being scanned. Just like with the paper tray, maladjusted guides can equal crooked or off-center scans and copies. This can also cause a jam in the feeder due to the paper getting fed wrong.

* DOCUMENT OFF CENTER ON GLASS: If you’re using the flat glass to make copies (Lift, place, close), Ensure that your original is lined up with the arrows in the top left corner of the glass bed. Close the lid/feeder gently to ensure you’re not accidentally blowing the original off center.

SMEARED PRINTS/COPIES: This issue really only has one thing to look for: Paper type settings. Smearing can happen if the paper tray is set to say, Thick paper or Cardstock, but there is plain copy paper loaded. This causes the fusing process to not complete properly due to the fuser being set to accept the thicker paper. Check the paper type settings for that tray directly on the copier.

ERROR CODES: When printing, scanning, or copying, your copier may stop and throw up a random error code. Good news, is many of these are easily user-resolvable! Let’s look at a few common ones:

* ANY “Fxxx” CODE: This usually points at having an incorrect print driver. Ensure you’re using only the manufacturer print drivers.

* ADD PAPER TO MULTIPURPOSE TRAY: This can be caused by one of three things: Incorrect print driver, Incorrect print settings, or improperly set paper trays. When you see this message, look below it. The copier will tell you what size and type of paper is being requested by the print job. If you are certain you have the right paper loaded, check the trays. Make sure all guides are set properly. Next, check the print settings in the software you are printing from. Make sure those match the paper size and type you want to use. Finally, check your print drivers. Ensure that you are using the manufacturer’s drivers.

* C10xx CODE: This one is partially user resolvable. A 10xx code usually indicates a lift motor error in one of the paper trays. Common causes of this are an overloaded tray, or paper loaded outside of the guides. As this will lock out the tray, you will need to call us to reset it once you’ve cleared the condition that caused it.

DOCUMENT FEEDER JAM: DF jams are fairly easy to clear out. In the majority of cases, you can use a simple file folder to clear the obstruction. Slowly feed the folder through the DF until it comes out. High probability you will see the obstruction come out with it. When using the feeder, make sure you remove any and all paper clips, staples, post-it notes, etc. Try to avoid sending taped or severely damaged originals through the feeder if possible. Use the flat glass for these. While feeding in a slightly ripped document won’t cause an issue, sheets with large rips can come apart in the feeder, creating obstructions that can lead to a jam.

I CAN’T PRINT: Common thing to do here is unplug the machine’s power for 30 seconds to a minute, then plug it back in. 9 times out of 10, this can resolve a no print issue. Other things to check are:

* IS MY PC ON THE RIGHT NETWORK?: This is a common occurrence in environments where WiFi is the majorly used connection medium. Ensure your PC or device is connected to the same network as your copier.

* PRINT DRIVERS: Ensure you are using only the manufacturer specified print drivers. This can not only cure a no print situation, but can cure and prevent a whole host of issues.

I CAN’T SCAN: Again, fully power cycle the machine. If this doesn’t help, check the following:

* EMAIL PASSWORD CHANGED?: If you changed the password to the email the copier uses to scan, you will need to reflect this change on the copier through the web interface.

* IS MY PC ON THE RIGHT NETWORK?: This is a common occurrence in environments where WiFi is the majorly used connection medium. Ensure your PC or device is connected to the same network as your copier.

* DID YOU CHECK THE SPAM/JUNK FOLDER?: If the scan fails, but the copier presents no error messages, there’s a high chance your scan is in the junk folder in your inbox. Check there first.

* IS MY SCAN FOLDER WHERE IT SHOULD BE?: If the scan folder has been moved or deleted on your PC, you won’t be able to scan. Ensure that it is where it should be. This is usually on the desktop.

I CAN’T FAX: Once more, do a full power cycle. If this doesn’t help, check the following:

* PHONE CORD: As most FAX units do have two jacks, one for the line, and the other for an actual phone, ensure that the incoming line is plugged into the socket with the picture of a phone plug next to it. On CopyLady copiers, this is the bottom most plug. When the FAX unit activates, the extension (top) plug is cut off from the line.

* DIAL TONE: Using a standard home landline phone (Not a VoIP Office phone), ensure you have a dial tone on the FAX line.

* CAN YOU DIAL OUT: Using a standard home landline phone (Not a VoIP Office phone), ensure you are able to place a call from the line. You can either call your cell phone, or your business line.

* TRY A TEST FAX: You can easily rule out your end by sending a test fax. There are two test services that you can use: There’s Canon’s FAX Test service at 1-855-392-2666, then there’s HP’s at 1-888-473-2963. Both are toll free numbers. When you send a FAX (It can be anything) to these services, they will send a FAX back to you. This will help confirm that you can send and receive faxes. If this works without issue, then the FAX problem is on the recipient’s end.

This should help you easily resolve common issues. If you still need our help, give us a call at 239-939-5383 and we’ll get you going right away!