Aug 082012
 

brother mfc printer Brother MFC 9970CDW Named Top Color Laser Multifunction Printer By PCWorld

The latest edition of PCWorld Magazine (Yeah… I still get hard copies of print magazines!) names the Brother MFC-9970CDW as the “Best Buy” in their “Top 10 Color Laser MultiFunction Printers” list. The printer earned a score of 3.5 stars (out of 5.0) and a rating of “Very Good” with mentions for the 5″ touchscreen display, print speed, Wi-Fi support, and inexpensive toner. The Brother MFC-9560CDW and Brother MFC-9125CN also made the list, which gave Brother three different units on the Top 10 List. Pretty good news for a printer company whose printers you could barely find in the box-store marketplace just a couple of years ago!

We see Brother laser printers come through our shop at American Printer Service, Inc. every now and then. We’ve found them to be sturdy machines that most customers are pretty happy with; however, when parts are needed, we sometimes have trouble rounding up a supplier as easily as we can for laser printers made by Hewlett Packard or Lexmark. Still, it is certainly worth noting that Brother seems to be gaining more and more of the market share when it comes to personal and business class laser printers.

Jul 302012
 

I was watching a couple of movies over the weekend and for some reason, I was noticing all the printers that popped up in the different scenes. I suppose it really isn’t any big surprise that you’d see printers in office scenes in the movies since it would be a little weird to see an office without one. Still, this was a futuristic type movie so I guess it bodes well for American Printer Service, Inc. that according to Hollywood, we’re still going to have printers in the future!

Seems like most of the printers that I was noticing were HP series printers so looks like they’ll be around for a few more years too. Always nice to have a little job security, right? Anyway, if you spot a printer in a movie or TV show, take a screen shot and send it to us here on Printer Repair Blog and we’ll feature it here, as well as try to track down the model. Just kind of a fun thing to do.

Jul 112012
 

In your copious amounts of free time, and because I know dusting is high on everyone’s priority list, if you ever feel the need to move your printer around, here are a little tips that may save you costly repairs!

For some reason, printer manufacturers tend to hide the power switch on their units, especially laser printers. However, you can damage your unit if you simply ‘pull the plug’ out to power it down. Search around and if the power switch for your printer isn’t on the front cover, chances are it is either on the back near the plugin or on the site.

Check the back of your printer after shutting it down and remove all the cables attached to it. I can not tell you how many times a printer is brought to American Printer Service, Inc. where the customer forgot or didn’t think to remove the Ethernet cable and then tripped over it, ripped the cable from the connection, and then couldn’t get it to work later. Even if you think you won’t trip over a loose cable, it just isn’t worth the risk… and if you’re really unlucky, tripping over the cable may pull your entire printer off your desk and completely destroy it!

If you’re taking a printer out of service for some time, it is a good idea to remove the cartridges, especially when you’re dealing with inkjet cartridges, which can dry with non-use and then clog. Toner cartridges should be kept out of direct sunlight in a cool, dry place. If dust is going to be a problem you may want to place it into a plastic bag… any garbage-type should do. If you’re storing inkjet cartridges for an extended amount of time, clean the contacts with a light alcohol / water mix so there are no ‘globs’ of ink on them. Then carefully place it in a plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as you can, and try to store it upright (the way it sits in the printer).

Never turn any printer on its side or upside down. With inkjet printers, the carriage bar may become loose, causing damage to the printer. With laser printers, it is just not a good idea. Printers are made to sit upright and never to be turned on end.

If you did pull out the plug instead of using the power switch to power the unit down, make sure it is turned off (complete circle) before plugging the unit back in. Plugging in the unit when it is switched on may result in a power surge that could permanently damage your printer.

I hope these little tips help you when you decide it is time to see what is hiding underneath your printer!