Most copier faults have a quick fix.

Paper jams usually mean damp paper, so load a fresh ream and try again before you call anyone.

Lines down the page usually mean the glass needs a clean.

The faults below are the ones we get called about most, each with the first thing to try.

Paper jams

Take the paper out of the tray and load a new ream straight from its wrapper.

Check the fill line and the paper guides while the tray is open.

If the jam comes back in the same place, a roller may be worn, and that needs a technician.

Lines or streaks down the page

A speck of correction fluid or dust is enough to show.

Clean the main glass, then the thin strip beside it that the document feeder reads through.

Use a soft cloth that does not leave fibres.

If the line appears on printed pages as well as copies, the fault is inside the machine, not on the glass.

Blank or half blank copies

Check that the original is face down on the glass, or face up in the feeder.

Then check the paper guides in the tray, because a loose guide lets sheets feed at an angle.

This often happens when someone loads a new ream without noticing the guides have moved.

Faded or patchy prints

Look at the toner level on the control panel first.

If toner is fine, check whether the print driver is set to a draft or toner saving mode.

Patchy colour that has drifted over time is usually fixed with a calibration from the panel.

The copier will not wake up

Press the power or energy saver button once and give it a minute.

If the screen stays dark, check the power point and switch the machine off and on at the wall.

Leave it off for about thirty seconds before turning it back on.

An error code on the screen

Write the code down before you restart anything.

A code tells the technician which part is involved, so the right part usually comes on the first visit.

Do not open panels the screen has not asked you to open.

A document stuck in the feeder

Lift the feeder cover on top of the machine, not the main covers.

Ease the original out in the direction it was travelling so it does not tear.

Staples and sticky notes are the usual cause, so take them off before the next scan.

Very thin, creased or glossy originals feed better when placed on the glass one at a time.

Scans are not reaching email

Check that the address in the machine’s address book is spelled correctly.

Very large scans can be blocked by your email system, so try a lower resolution or fewer pages.

If nothing arrives at all, the email settings on the machine may have changed, and that needs whoever looks after your network.

When to stop and call

Call when the same fault returns after the quick fix, or when the screen shows a service code.

Also call if you hear grinding or smell burning.

For anything a quick fix will not solve, use our expert printer repair services.