The Worst Printer Advice You've Ever Heard (and What to Do)

Bad printer advice costs money because it focuses on the wrong number or the quick fix. A printer is a long-term purchase with ongoing supply, paper and maintenance costs, so a decision that looks smart on day one can be expensive by year two.

Most of the worst tips sound reasonable. They get passed between colleagues, repeated in forums and followed for years without anyone checking. The common thread is that each myth saves a little effort or money today and pushes a bigger cost into the future. Here is a quick summary of the myths this guide covers and what to do instead.

Usually not. The purchase price is only the first cost; toner or ink, drums, maintenance parts and downtime decide what a printer really costs over its life.

Cost per page is the total cost of supplies and wear parts divided by the number of pages they produce. It is the most useful number for comparing printers that will see regular use. A low-priced printer that uses small, short-lived cartridges can cost far more over a few years than a sturdier model with higher-yield supplies.

When comparing printers, look at:

• Supply yields: how many pages each toner or ink cartridge is rated to print.
• Separate drums: whether the drum is part of the cartridge or a separate part with its own life.
• Build quality: whether the printer is designed for your workload or for occasional home use.
• Supply availability: whether cartridges are easy to find for years to come.

Downtime is a hidden cost too. A bargain printer that jams often or runs out of supplies at the wrong moment costs staff time every week, and that rarely shows up in the purchase decision. The right question is not what the printer costs, but what it will cost to run for the years you plan to keep it.

A well-chosen reconditioned printer can be a sensible middle path, giving you a business-class machine without buying new. For more ideas, read how to buy a new printer without breaking the bank.

No. Buy the printer whose recommended monthly print volume fits your workload, and use duty cycle only as a secondary measure of toughness.

A duty cycle is the maximum number of pages a machine can produce in a month without failure. It is a stress-test ceiling, not a volume you should plan to print. Recommended monthly print volume is the range the machine is designed to handle every month over its life, and it is usually much lower.

Buying on duty cycle alone leads to two opposite mistakes. Some offices choose a small printer because its duty cycle looks huge, then wear it out by printing near that figure. Others buy a far bigger machine than they need. Our guide to duty cycle versus recommended monthly volume shows how to measure your real volume and size a machine properly.

A quick sanity check helps: if your typical month would push a printer close to its duty cycle, it is the wrong printer. Look one class up, or consider a shared multifunction machine that can absorb the load comfortably.

Only briefly. Gently rocking a laser toner cartridge can redistribute the remaining powder and give you a few more pages, but faded or streaky prints mean the cartridge is nearly empty or another part needs attention.

Toner is the fine powder a laser printer fuses onto paper. When it runs low, coverage becomes uneven. Shaking hard, tapping the cartridge on a desk or opening it to add powder can make a mess, leak toner inside the printer and damage parts.

Faded output is not always the toner's fault either. A worn drum, a dirty or worn charging component or a failing fuser can produce similar symptoms. If a fresh cartridge does not fix the problem, check the other consumables listed in your printer's manual.

The better habit is simple: keep one spare cartridge for every printer that matters, and reorder when you open it. Browse our toners and drums collection to match supplies to your model, and see how to save ink before you hit print for ways to make each cartridge last longer.

No. Using paper your printer does not support, or paper that has absorbed moisture, is one of the most common causes of jams and poor print quality.

Every printer lists the paper weights, sizes and types it supports for each tray. Heavy card stock, glossy media, labels and envelopes may need the bypass tray or a specific setting. Paper that is curled, damp or dusty is more likely to misfeed and can leave debris on rollers.

Good paper habits include:

• Storing reams flat, sealed and off the floor in a dry room.
• Fanning the stack before loading to separate sheets.
• Matching the paper type setting to what is in the tray.
• Avoiding overfilling trays past the fill line.
• Keeping labels and envelopes to supported types only.

Our guide on preventing paper jams through better paper storage and handling goes into more detail.

For most office printers, no. Modern printers drop into low-power sleep modes on their own, so leaving them on usually costs little and keeps them ready for work.

Many current office printers and copiers are designed to meet energy efficiency programs such as ENERGY STAR for imaging equipment, which focus on low standby and sleep power. Turning a laser printer off and on repeatedly means more warm-up cycles, and on many inkjets powering on can trigger cleaning routines that use ink.

A sensible approach is to use the printer's built-in sleep and auto-off settings, switch off for long breaks such as holidays, and plug machines into suitable surge protection. If you want to cut energy use further, consolidating several small printers into one efficient shared machine often helps more than daily unplugging.

The exception is a printer that is rarely used at all. If a machine sits idle for weeks, switching it off between uses is reasonable, though inkjets in particular benefit from printing a page now and then to keep nozzles clear.

Yes. Networked printers and copiers are computers with storage and network access, so treating them as simple appliances is risky advice.

Many multifunction machines keep copies of scanned, copied and printed images on internal storage. The FTC's digital copier data security guide advises businesses to plan for that data from purchase through disposal. Basic steps include changing default admin passwords, keeping firmware updated, using secure print for sensitive documents and wiping storage before a machine leaves your office.

Our article on security threats a copier poses to your business explains the risks in more depth.

Another piece of bad advice is that older printers are too simple to worry about. Older networked machines often have outdated firmware and default settings, which can make them easier targets, so give them the same basic attention as newer ones.

Good advice is specific to your workload and backed by the machine's documentation. Run any tip through this checklist before you act on it.

1. Check the printer's manual or spec sheet before following a general tip.
2. Measure your real monthly page count instead of guessing.
3. Compare cost per page, not just purchase price.
4. Size machines against recommended monthly volume, not duty cycle.
5. Keep one spare toner or ink cartridge for every important printer.
6. Use supported paper and store it flat and dry.
7. Use built-in sleep settings rather than unplugging daily.
8. Change default passwords, update firmware and wipe storage before disposal.
9. Ask a specialist when a tip involves opening cartridges or overriding warnings.

If you would rather skip the guesswork, our team can help you compare printers against your real workload and answer questions about supplies. Browse printers, try the machine finder, or contact our team with what you print each month.