My printer is connected to my computer but not printing

If a problem exists within your printer i.e. the printer driver or the application you are trying to print from try the following suggestions to identify and hopefully solve the issue.

Firstly, make sure your printer is switched on and ready to use and that the correct printer is set to default. This is accessible in printers and devices from your Start menu. If the printer is correctly set as the default printer or you need to select it as the one you are about to use then try to print a test page.

Try printing from Notepad or from a Word document. This verifies that the printer driver is correct, and confirms that the problem lies with the application. If you cannot print from Notepad or a Word file, the problem lies with the printer driver.

It may be necessary to uninstall the printer driver and install a newer version which you can download form your printer brand website. If the printer will print a test sheet but the print quality is poor then you may need to perform a head cleaning procedure. If the ink cartridges have not been used for a while it's possible that the print heads have become blocked. To perform a head cleaning procedure – depending on your printer – you can either complete this directly on the printer or through your PC and a Notepad or Word document.

Blocked print heads do not mean there is a problem with the ink cartridge as such, the ink has become hard and congealed around the print head and can be cleaned using one of the following methods.

For those printers that come with an interface, (this is basically a control panel normally located in a window on the front of the printer), this allows you to perform certain functions within the printer independent to the PC. With the printer switched on, move the arrow until you find maintenance then move the arrow until you locate head cleaning. Follow the operating instructions it gives making sure you have plenty of paper in the printer. It may take several attempts to clear a blocked printer head and even result in having to replace an ink cartridge as this procedure does use a lot of ink. The second option is from your PC – go to file > properties > maintenance > head cleaning. If there is no printer interface then you will have no choice but to perform this procedure. Remember it may take several attempts to clear a stubborn blockage.

It is more likely that this will happen when using compatible inkjet cartridges, as they do not contain the chemical found in original brand cartridges that prevents hardening of the ink.

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Are Compatible Ink Cartridges as Good as Originals?

To be clear about the term 'compatible ink cartridges' this is a brand new ink cartridge produced by a third party manufacturer. These cartridges have no direct connection with the printer manufacturer and have not been used previously. The remanufactured ink cartridge, also sometimes referred to as a compatible, have been used once, returned to the factory, cleaned, refilled, reset, checked and tested. In simple terms compatibles are a lot cheaper than original ink cartridges. In some cases they can be up to 70% cheaper than the original brand cartridge.

The big savings are made by those who print in large volumes and as the compatibles very often contain more ink than the originals then the savings keep on growing. How is this possible? Well, the original brand cartridge manufacturers do not always fill the cartridges to the top – compatible will be filled to the maximum capacity of the ink cartridge and your cost of ink will then drop further. For those of you that don’t print that regular, there is a chance that the print heads may become blocked using compatibles, as they do not contain the chemical that prevents this. It would be a good idea to run some form of printed document through your printer once a month to keep the ink flowing.

The print quality of the compatible ink cartridges makes them perfect for everyday printing, with very little noticeable difference between them and the original cartridges. Of course if you are printing photo quality prints and expect them to be fade resistant then you would be better to do some tests first to see if the compatible will print to the standard you desire. A good quality compatible combined with original photo paper will give brilliant results and for home photos it’s hard to tell the difference between those and the original brand cartridges. The life of the image on the print may be slightly less with a compatible ink cartridge but if you frame your photos it should last longer.

Will the compatible inkjet cartridge or toner damage your printer? That is a question that is often asked by those buying compatibles or remanufactured cartridges for the first time. The simple fact is that a good quality compatible is no more likely to damage your printer than an original brand cartridge.

Compatible cartridges are certainly well worth a try, if you have had a bad experience in the past don't let that stop you trying them again. Find a reputable supplier who will offer advice and a money-back guarantee on your ink and start saving money!

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Where Can I Buy Good Quality Compatible Epson Ink Cartridges for My Printer in Dublin?

Epson printers are among the most popular sold in Dublin mainly due to the initial low purchase price of the printer. An Epson printer can be bought for as little as Euro 35 in some stores and while this appears to be a great bargain, some thought should go into the cost of the ink that you will need to buy to run the printer. The latest All-in-One Epson Expression printers are the most popular and buying ink cartridges in Dublin for these models can be expensive unless you take the compatible cartridge route. These cartridges are not refillable so unless you want to pay the full price for the original brand printer inks in Dublin it is worth researching before you buy the printer to research the availability of the compatibles.

The Epson printers generally take four ink colours black, cyan, magenta and yellow. In some cases Epson photo printers will use an extra 2 ink cartridges such as light magenta and light cyan. These colours enhance the photo quality of the prints when using photographic printing paper. Original brand Epson printer ink in Dublin (these are original Epson cartridges) has become very expensive in recent times with more and more people using compatible or third party suppliers of ink. Online suppliers of compatible ink cartridges in Dublin are frequently rewarding their customer’s loyalty with gifts or complimentary cartridges. The best deals for printer cartridges in Dublin are definitely to be had online and with next day delivery available from most Internet suppliers it makes sense to place your order online.

Buying compatible Epson ink cartridges online can be a concern for anyone who is used to buying their printer ink in Dublin in a high street shop. Some of the concerns include the print quality, a printer recognising the cartridge and the return of faulty cartridges. The website you buy from should have a clear returns policy or be able to offer some advice if you do have issues with your cartridges. As a rule, a good quality compatible ink cartridge is a safe bet when you weigh up the savings on the original brand Epson printer ink. It's likely that more and more high street shops selling ink cartridges in Dublin will stock a wide range of compatibles inks in the future (due to the numbers of ink cartridges for all brands on the market, it's not realistic for a shop to stock every cartridge). Shopping online for your printer ink in Dublin will guarantee you the best deals and prices for all leading brands of printer but especially Epson.

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10 Reasons to Choose Compatible Ink Cartridges

There are certainly many good reasons why we should choose compatible ink cartridges over original brand. To those of us it is fairly obvious but to those new to compatible ink and toner I have listed some of the benefits below.

1. Firstly, the price will make a big difference in the budget to anyone printing on a regular basis. Compatibles can save you up to 70% on the cost of original brand cartridges.


2. Compatible ink and toner are now manufactured to the highest quality matching the ISO standards set by the original brand manufacturers. Many suppliers of compatibles have a failure rate of less than 1%.


3. As part of the quality control, the cartridges are tested regularly by supplier in their own printers to ensure compatibility and the investigation of any issues that might arise with particular brands. For example, if there are issues with HP 364 ink cartridges the top on-line suppliers will endeavour to have a selection of these cartridges tested regularly for compatibility and recognition.


4. There are two types of compatible ink. Firstly there is the compatible inkjet cartridge and the ink tank. Without wanting to over complicate matters, the basic difference is that with the inkjet the print head is attached to the cartridge and the ink tank cartridge has the print head located in the printer.


5. Most cartridges nowadays are manufactured with pigment based inks ensuring high quality printouts.


6. Typically and in the case of the HP364 cartridges, much research has gone into the remanufacturing of the cartridges and techniques have been perfected thus providing customers with excellent quality compatibles that are reliable and good quality.


7. Many compatible ink are filled to capacity and will yield more pages than the original brand. For example, the original brand HP 364XL (high capacity version) will print up to 550 pages at 5% coverage whereas the compatible version will print almost double! How is this possible? The original brand inks are not filled to the top but the compatibles are; it’s as simple as that.


8. Many on-line suppliers of compatibles offer incentives to buy with low cost next day delivery. These incentives range form free ink to seasonal packs of goodies that may appeal to those on-line shoppers looking for some added value with their order.


9. A no quibble money back guarantee can be offered by many suppliers with a full technical back up should you need it. Peace of mind comes as standard with all good on-line compatible ink suppliers


10. To recap, the benefits of buying compatible ink cartridges by far outweigh the original brand. Price, more ink in the cartridges, high manufacturing standards, incentives to buy and customer loyalty rewards make buying compatibles a sensible move for those that haven’t yet made the switch

First Published at Printerinkcartridges.ie