How to Repair a Color Printer

Color printers allow you to print everything from plain business documents to richly colored family photos right from the comfort of your own home. Even the best printers, however, can start to malfunction. The printer itself could be broken or it could simply be a technical bug that you can repair in a few hours or less. Knowing what to look for and how to fix it will save you time and money and ensure that you don't pay for extra repairs that you don't need.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ink cartridges
• Printer installation CD

1. Step 1

   Check that the wires are plugged in properly or that the printer is connected to the computer through a wireless network . Turn the power off and back on and make sure the light isn't flashing.

2. Step 2

   Open the printer, with the power on, and make sure the ink cartridge holders are not blogged or stuck. They should slide over into view after the power has been turned on. If they are stuck, they may need to be replaced.

3. Step 3

   Check the ink cartridges and replace them if they seem to be empty or are old. The ink may have dried up and blocked the rest of the ink from flowing out. Set the cartridges aside and run a test print with the new ink cartridges. If the printer still doesn't function, keep the old cartridges and try them again when the printer is fixed.

4. Step 4

   Uninstall the printer from the computer and reinstall using the CD or by downloading the software from the manufacturer's website. This may fix any problems with communication between the printer and the computer.

5. Step 5

   Test the printer using only a black and white print instead of color. There may be a problem with only the color cartridge, in which case the ink cartridge may need to be replaced. If this works, try using only the color cartridge to see if there is a problem with the black ink.