All posts by Vincent

How do I fix a printer error state?

By Vincent on September 29, 2015

You keep getting a printer error state message but have no idea how to fix it? Read my easy to follow tips and your printer will be working again in no time. I will be covering the most common printer error problems and how to fix them. For some specific, more in depth, analyses of your error you can always consult your printer manufacturers website.

Under usage/Poor printing quality

Very common printer error. This has to do with clogged printing heads/nozzles. Printing heads are a part of your cartridges. When you aren’t printing on a regular base the ink will dry out. Dried ink can’t be used anymore and has to be replaced with new ink. Basically you have 2 options to solve this. In the first place you can buy a new cartridge and replace it with the old one. Secondly you could get a cleaning kit and clean the printing head yourself.

Latest Drivers

Printers and all other kinds of hardware need the right software to keep running. When your computer isn’t set to automatically check for the latest drivers you will have to go the manufacturer’s website and download it. If you aren’t sure about what driver to install, look on the back of your printer for a sticker. There you will find the correct product code.

Running out of ink (or not?)

Your printer can be running out of ink without telling you specifically. Or even worse, your printer can tell you it’s running out of ink even though it’s not. Very little you can do to fix this since it greatly depends on your printer model. You could however remove the cartridge and look if its empty. If it’s not, replace it and try printing again. If that doesn’t work you will have to buy a new cartridge. Don’t just instantly buy the same cartridge you had before! Changing to a better, more compatible cartridge could improve your print quality.

Paper getting stuck

Check your printer for hoods that can be opened or removed. Paper can get shredded into small pieces during the printing process and those pieces can obstruct the printer gear. Make sure to remove all pieces at once. Get a flashlight to help search every part of your printer. Remove the remaining paper out of the tray and replace it with new paper. Old paper can get moist and won’t print.

Blank sheets

Although this won’t show you an explicit printer error, it can be annoying to deal with. Luckily it’s easy to solve. You just need to adjust some printer settings. Go to your printer properties, accessed from the devices and printers screen in the control panel. Select the advanced tab in the printer properties screen and select separator page. Turn it off or leave it blank to prevent your printer from printing a blank sheet after every print job.

Old cables

Old cables can cause your printer to show you an error state message. Control every cable if its plugged in well and if this could be the cause of the error. You can also try the cables with other printers and computers and see if it works. Doing this you can also find out if the error is coming from your printer or computer, so you can locate the problem better.

If you have any feedback or experiences with printer errors, I would love to hear them. Simply drop a comment below and I will get back to you.

Vincent

Best Printers in 2026 — Our Top Recommendations

Looking for a reliable printer in 2026? Here are three of our top-rated picks across different categories, offering excellent value, reliable wireless connectivity, and low running costs.

1. Epson EcoTank ET-4850 — Best Overall All-in-One

The ET-4850 is our top overall recommendation for home and home-office users. The supertank ink system delivers thousands of pages before needing a refill, virtually eliminating cartridge waste and keeping running costs incredibly low. It features solid print speeds, an automatic document feeder, and a surprisingly compact footprint for a full-featured all-in-one.

→ Check the Epson EcoTank ET-4850 price on Amazon

2. Brother HL-L2350DW — Best Budget Laser Printer

If you print mostly text documents and want a reliable workhorse that won’t let you down, the Brother HL-L2350DW is a classic choice. This monochrome laser printer is fast, reliable, and incredibly easy to set up. Its high-capacity replacement toner cartridges keep print-per-page costs minimal, making it perfect for students and professionals alike who need volume printing without the high operating expense.

→ Check the Brother HL-L2350DW price on Amazon

3. HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e — Best Wireless All-in-One

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e is a feature-packed all-in-one with strong wireless support, making it ideal for multi-device households. It offers fast printing, automatic two-sided scanning, and seamless integration with the HP Smart app. It’s also Instant Ink eligible, which can help keep running costs predictable. A great choice for busy home offices.

→ Check the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e price on Amazon

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Office depot printer cartridges: 6 easy tips

By Vincent on September 28, 2015

Unfortunately, there is no way around it. To keep our printers running we will need ink. However, I can provide you with 6 awesome tips that will make your quest for ink a bit easier.

In our search for the right office INK1 depot printer cartridges we better think twice before making a purchase. I’m just going to jump right into things and lay out all tips that come to mind when purchasing a cartridge.

Cheap printers

First of all typical office depot printers are priced anywhere from $30 to $300. They are more compact and are ideal to put on a desk or in a small office, hence their name. Cheaper printers can come along with high cartridge price tags. Buying a $50 printer and having to spend an extra $100 every month on ink might not exactly be what you are looking for. Tip 1: Check the corresponding cartridge prices before buying. Some companies actually lose money or barely break even when selling their printers. They generate profits from customers buying their (overly) expensive cartridges. Don’t let them fool you into this trick!

Yield of the cartridge

Secondly not every cartridge serves the same purpose or will be conformable with every printer. On top of that there can be huge price differences between the same cartridges, or cartridges that accomplish the same goal. However, these prices can sometimes be justified according to the quality and yield of prints they are capable of producing. Tip 2: try to figure out the yield of the cartridge you are planning on buying. Manufacturers are not obligated to provide you with such information.

Third party’s

Overpriced cartridges opened up a new market. For starters there are the third party manufacturers. These are entity’s other than the main manufacturer that produce and sell cartridges at cheaper prices. Tip 3: Just make sure the cartridge from this third party is compatible with your printer and that this party is verified. This way you can save up a lot of money. Be careful however, not every third party is thrust-worthy. Counterfeiters will always lurk around to sell you less qualitative ink or under a main manufacturer’s name.

Refilling cartridges

Another trick manufacturers came up with was the possibility to refill their cartridges. Cartridges have a big impact on the environment and refilling them is more environmentally friendly. Not every cartridge can be refilled though. Refilling can be a profitable thing to do if you know how and have a good refilling kit. You could go to a manufacturer and let him refill your cartridges too, but I won’t recommend refilling at all to be honest. It is known for a fact that refilled cartridges will have higher printing failure rates. Besides, the quality of the prints will go down drastically and typical problems like page curling and uneven ink spreading will occur more often. Tip 4: You might want to stay away from refilling.

Heavy users

On the other hand when you are a heavy user in need of a lot of ink you might want to consider upgrading your printer(s). Industrial printers or often laser printers that work with toners can have higher yields and become a lot cheaper in the long run. Tip 5: Industrial printers have a high investment cost but cheaper ink patterns.

Buying in bulk

Lastly when you are more of a heavy consumer consider buying ink in bulk. Manufacturers tend to give promotions when you buy more of a product. Same goes for ink and cartridges. If the manufacturer doesn’t have a bulk offer available at the moment you can still contact him yourself and discuss a possible discount. Tip 6: Be on the lookout for bulk offers. Buying more of a product will cut the costs.

When you follow those tips you are off to a great start when buying your next cartridges. Buying cartridges doesn’t have to be a hard task and it won’t if you follow those easy steps. If you are still having questions about cartridges feel free to leave a comment. I will be happy to answer them.

Vincent

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What are the best printer brands?

By Vincent on September 27, 2015

What company makes the best printers? This question goes hand in hand with what kind of printer you are looking for. The answer will be different depending on what kind of user you are. There are literally thousands of companies that make printers, so picking out just 1 might be a bit difficult. I will narrow it down for you to what I would consider the best printer brands in no particular order.

printer-market-share

HP

First brand that comes to mind when thinking about printers would probably be Hewlett-Packard. Up until 2000 no other brand came even close to their market share. This has changed however. The software those printers use hasn’t always been that crisp, might be a bit harder to install and can lead to printer errors and paper jams. On the flip side, the quality of the prints is still really high and they have a very wide product range. You can find a review of my recommended HP printer here.

Ricoh

Their main focus lies with the corporate world and industrial printers. They do a really good job at it and have a very strong footing in that particular market. Ricoh printers are compatible and very reliable. Company to customer service, even after you bought the printer, is amazing with them. When you are looking for more of an industrial printer this might be your go to brand.

Kyocera

Kyocera makes use of a somewhat different technology compared to other brands. Their printers run with ceramic drums, hence the company name Kyocera. The advantages of this ceramic drum are the lower printing costs and the lower impact on the environment. On the other hand those printers tend to have a higher initial price tag. It wouldn’t be my first choice of printer, but in some cases it can be interesting getting one of those.

Epson

Interesting brand that is the only one who makes use of a different printing process. Other brands make use of the thermal drop on demand process whereas Epson uses a piezoelectric drop on demand. My only experience with this process is that the print head nozzles clog up faster than usual. This is a huge turnoff to me so I wouldn’t call Epson a very user friendly brand.

Canon

Very trustworthy brand. They are a big player on the printer market for a very long time now and cover a wide range of niches. Whether you are looking for an industrial printer or you are a student with a low budget, Canon probably has something for you. Biggest advantage would probably be the reliability of their printers. One thing to look out for are the prices of their ink and cartridges. Those prices lean towards the more expensive side so be careful and do your research before you buy.

Brother

A brand which main focus is on the personal user market. Their inkjet printers produce great quality prints and are very reliable too. The cost for these printers can be higher in the long term (due to higher production costs) but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem for a personal or home user.

Conclusion

Don’t forget to check out some reviews before buying. There might be things I didn’t cover in this post and you don’t want to stumble upon any unpleasantries. Thinking about your printing intentions is a good start. Will you need a laser printer or an inkjet printer? After you can decide what brand fits your wishes the best and finally you can decide to make a purchase. Good luck to you on your next printer hunt!

Vincent

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