Common Printer Problems and How to Fix Them: A South African Troubleshooting Guide

Most printer problems are fixable in minutes — before you buy a new one, try these simple steps.

In short: Most printer faults come down to a handful of causes: a stuck print queue, a paper jam, a blocked printhead, a cartridge that needs reseating, or a dropped wireless connection. Work through the quick checklist below first — it clears the majority of issues — then jump to the specific problem you're facing.

A printer that won't cooperate always seems to act up right before an important deadline. The good news: the vast majority of printer problems are simple to diagnose and fix yourself, without a call-out fee or a new machine. As a South African retailer that's been keeping people printing since 2002, we've seen (and solved) nearly every printer complaint there is — so here's our practical guide to the most common ones.

Start here: the 2-minute checklist

Before diving into a specific problem, run through these five checks. They resolve a surprising number of faults on their own:

1. Power-cycle the printer — switch it off at the plug, wait 20 seconds, switch it back on. This clears the printer's memory and most temporary errors.
2. Check the connection — a USB cable fully seated at both ends, or the printer connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your device.
3. Check paper and ink — paper loaded correctly and not crumpled; enough ink or toner to print.
4. Check for error lights or messages — on the printer's screen or on your computer.
5. Restart your computer or phone — it clears stuck print jobs more often than you'd expect.

Why is my printer not printing at all?

The printer is on, but nothing happens. Usually it's a software or connection hiccup rather than a hardware fault.

Try this

• Check it's the default printer — your computer may be sending jobs to a different (or old) printer. Set the correct one as default.
• Clear the print queue — one stuck document blocks everything behind it. Open the print queue, cancel all jobs, then try again.
• Confirm it's not in "Offline" or "Pause" mode — right-click the printer in your settings and make sure neither is ticked.
• Reconnect — reseat the USB cable, or for wireless, confirm the printer and device are on the same network.

Why does my printer keep jamming?

Paper jams are the most common mechanical complaint — and usually down to how the paper is loaded or its quality.

Try this

• Remove jammed paper gently, in the direction the paper normally feeds — pulling against it can damage the rollers.
• Check for torn scraps left behind — even a small piece will cause repeat jams.
• Fan the paper stack and reload it squarely — sheets stuck together are a frequent culprit, especially in humid coastal areas.
• Don't overfill the tray, and use the right paper weight for your printer — very thin or very thick paper jams more easily.

The Inky Shop can help

• Quality A4 paper at the right weight prints cleaner and jams less.

Why are my prints faded, streaky or full of lines?

Poor print quality — blank pages, faded output or horizontal lines — usually points to a blocked printhead, a nearly empty cartridge, or a seal that's still in place.

Try this

• Check the protective seal is removed from a new cartridge — but never touch the copper strip or the small circular seal on Epson cartridges, as that damages them permanently.
• Run the printhead cleaning programme once or twice — found under your printer's "Maintenance" settings as "Nozzle Clean", "Deep Clean" or similar. Blocked nozzles are common after a cartridge has been stored or unused for a while.
• Run a print-head alignment if lines are misaligned rather than missing.
• If output is simply faded, the cartridge may be low — it could be time to replace it.

For step-by-step cartridge-specific help, see our detailed Troubleshooting Tips page.

The Inky Shop can help

• Affordable compatible ink and toner cartridges for Canon, HP, Brother, Samsung, Pantum, Epson and more.

Why won't my printer recognise my cartridge?

If the printer refuses to detect a newly installed cartridge, or says it's "not installed properly", the fix is usually quick.

Try this

• Remove any orange clip or tab the cartridge shipped with, and press the cartridge in firmly until it clicks into place.
• Gently wipe the chip — the gold and copper contacts — with a dry, lint-free cloth to clear dust, then reinstall. Don't touch the contacts with your fingers.
• Power the printer off for a few minutes, then switch on and reinstall the cartridge.

A compatible cartridge may look different from the original due to patent design — that's normal, and it's still made to fit. If the chip genuinely won't communicate, it's a rare fault we'll gladly exchange: just get in touch.

Why do I get a "low ink" or "non-genuine cartridge" warning?

These warnings often appear with compatible and refilled cartridges. In most cases they're a manufacturer nudge toward pricier original cartridges — not a real fault — and you can carry on printing.

Try this

• Dismiss the prompt — selecting "Yes", "Continue" or "OK" usually lets printing carry on normally.
• For Canon tri-colour cartridges, press and hold the STOP / RESET / RESUME button for 7–10 seconds when the low-ink alert appears, then print as usual.
• Wipe the chip contacts with a lint-free cloth and do a hard restart (off at the plug for 20 seconds) to refresh the printer's memory.
• Some remanufactured chips read "empty" regardless of the real ink level — simply print until the pages start to fade, and you'll know when it's genuinely time to replace.

Worth knowing: manufacturers push firmware updates that can block compatible cartridges. If you use after-market ink, it's wise to set updates to manual rather than automatic — more on that on our firmware page.

Why is my wireless printer always offline?

Wireless printers are convenient until they drop off the network — which, in South Africa, often happens after a power cut resets your router.

Try this

• Restart both the printer and the router — especially after load-shedding, which frequently knocks wireless printers offline.
• Confirm the printer is on the same Wi-Fi network as your device (not a guest or 5GHz network the printer can't see).
• Untick "Use printer offline" in your printer settings if it's switched on.
• Move the printer closer to the router, or reconnect it to the network through its on-screen Wi-Fi setup.

Load-shedding tip: Sudden power cuts and surges can corrupt a printer's settings or even its firmware, and repeated hard shutdowns shorten its life. Plug your printer into a surge protector, and always switch it off properly before an expected outage rather than letting it cut out mid-job.

Browse surge protectors and power solutions to keep your equipment safe.

When should I stop troubleshooting and replace or ask for help?

Most issues are fixable at home. But it's worth knowing when the cartridge, or the printer itself, has reached the end of the road:

• Prints stay faded after a cartridge change and two printhead cleans — the old cartridge was simply empty; you're sorted with a fresh one.
• A cartridge won't communicate with the printer at all after cleaning the chip — that's a rare defect, and we'll exchange it.
• The printer makes grinding noises, repeatedly jams despite correct loading, or throws hardware errors — it may be time for a new machine.

Not sure which printer suits your needs? Our Which Printer Should I Buy? guide and our range of affordable printers can help.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my printer printing blank pages?

Usually a blocked printhead, an empty cartridge, or a protective seal left on a new cartridge. Remove the seal (not the Epson copper strip), run a printhead clean once or twice, and replace the cartridge if it's low.

Do compatible cartridges damage my printer?

No. Quality compatible cartridges are designed to work safely in your printer. Warnings about "non-genuine" ink are a manufacturer prompt, not a sign of damage — you can dismiss them and keep printing.

How do I stop my printer going offline after load-shedding?

Restart the printer and router once power returns, make sure the printer rejoins your Wi-Fi, and use a surge protector so outages don't corrupt its settings.

How often should I run a printhead clean?

Only when you notice faded output, lines or missing colours — each clean uses ink, so there's no need to run it routinely. Printing a page or two every week helps prevent nozzles from drying out.

Still stuck? We're here to help

If you've worked through these steps and your printer still won't play along, reach out — we've been solving South Africans' printer problems for over 20 years, and we're happy to help you get printing again.

Need ink, toner or a hand with your printer? Shop affordable cartridges or contact our team at www.inkyshop.co.za.