All printer guides
Every PrinterSage guide, in ownership-journey order: choose, understand, set up, use, run and maintain.
Buying Advice
Work out what you need before you compare models.
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How to Choose a Printer: A Plain-English Buying Guide
How to choose a printer without the jargon: describe how you print, pick inkjet or laser, then compare features, connectivity and running costs fairly.
6 min read
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Choosing a Printer for Home, Students and Families
What to look for in a printer for home use, students and families: light vs regular printing, color needs, phone printing, idle periods and running costs.
5 min read
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Choosing a Printer for a Home Office or Small Business
Choosing a printer for a small office or home office: shared Wi-Fi or Ethernet, scanning, document feeders, monthly volume, security and running costs.
4 min read
Printer Types
Inkjet, laser, ink tank, all-in-one, mono and color.
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Inkjet vs Laser Printer: Which Suits the Way You Print?
Inkjet vs laser printer explained: how each works, print quality, speed, idle periods and running costs, so you can match the technology to your printing.
5 min read
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Ink Tank vs Cartridge Printers: Costs and Trade-Offs
Ink tank vs cartridge printer compared fairly: upfront price, refill bottles, cost per page, mess, idle periods and who each type suits best.
5 min read
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All-in-One Printers Explained: Print, Scan, Copy and Fax
An all-in-one printer prints, scans and copies, and sometimes faxes. How each part works, what a document feeder adds and when single-function is better.
5 min read
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Monochrome vs Color Printers: Do You Need Color?
Monochrome vs color printer: what each is good at, how color affects running costs and maintenance, and how to tell if black-only printing will do.
5 min read
Setup & Wi-Fi
Unboxing, Wi-Fi, USB, Windows and Mac.
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Setting Up a New Printer: From Unboxing to a Test Page
Printer setup in plain steps: unpack, install ink or toner, load paper, choose a connection, get software from the manufacturer and print a test page.
5 min read
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How to Connect a Printer to Wi-Fi
How to connect a printer to Wi-Fi using its control panel, the manufacturer's app or WPS, plus fixes when it won't find your network or join it.
5 min read
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How to Add a Printer in Windows and macOS
How to add a printer to Windows 11 or a Mac, over Wi-Fi, a network cable or USB, with the right driver, a test page and fixes when it isn't found.
5 min read
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Reconnecting a Printer After a New Router or Wi-Fi Password
Changed your Wi-Fi password or router? Reconnect the printer step by step: forget the old network, join the new one, then refresh it on your computers.
5 min read
Printing & Scanning
Settings, two-sided printing, scanning and phones.
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Print Settings Explained: Paper, Quality, Color, Photos and Envelopes
Print settings explained in plain English: paper size and type, orientation, quality, color or black only, scaling, plus how to print photos and envelopes.
5 min read
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How to Print on Both Sides of the Paper (Duplex Printing)
Duplex printing explained: turn on two-sided printing in Windows or on a Mac, choose the binding edge, or print both sides by hand if your printer can't.
5 min read
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How to Scan a Document to Your Computer or to PDF
How to scan to PDF or an image on Windows and Mac: use the built-in scan tools or the maker's app, scan multiple pages, and find your saved files.
5 min read
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Printing From a Phone or Tablet: What Works and What to Check
How to print from a phone or tablet: AirPrint on iPhone and iPad, Mopria and print services on Android, the maker's app, and what to check if it fails.
4 min read
Ink & Toner
Consumables, running costs and safe handling.
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Ink vs Toner: Cartridges, Drums and Other Consumables Explained
Printer ink vs toner in plain English, plus drums, printheads, maintenance boxes and fusers: what each does, which printers use them and how they wear out.
5 min read
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How to Work Out a Printer's Cost per Page and Running Costs
Work out printer cost per page from published yields and current prices, include drums and paper, and compare printer running costs fairly over time.
5 min read
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Genuine, Compatible and Remanufactured Ink and Toner Compared
Genuine vs compatible ink cartridges and toner, plus remanufactured supplies: quality, compatibility, firmware and warranty trade-offs, explained fairly.
5 min read
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Replacing, Storing and Handling Ink and Toner Safely
How to replace an ink cartridge, refill an ink tank or change toner safely, store spares so they stay usable, and clean up or recycle without mess.
5 min read
Maintenance & Fixes
Offline, stuck queues, print quality, jams and care.
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Printer Offline or Not Detected: How to Reconnect It
Printer offline or not detected? Check power and messages, the printer's network status and your computer's queue settings, then remove and re-add it.
5 min read
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Printer Not Printing or Jobs Stuck in the Queue
Printer queue stuck or not printing? Clear stuck jobs, restart the print spooler safely, check the default printer and get the right driver from the maker.
5 min read
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Fixing Streaks, Faded Prints, Smudges and Blank Pages
Fix faded printing, streaks, smudges, wrong colors and blank pages: check settings and supplies, use the printer's own cleaning tools, know when to stop.
5 min read
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Clearing Paper Jams and Fixing Paper-Feed Problems
Clear a paper jam safely: power off, open only the doors the manual shows, pull paper out slowly, then fix feed problems like double feeds or no pickup.
5 min read
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A Simple Printer Maintenance Routine, Including Printhead Cleaning
A simple printer maintenance routine: weekly, monthly and occasional checks, printhead cleaning where supported, safe cleaning and firmware updates.
5 min read