Three Ways To Tell A Printer Ink Cartridge Is Failing

2010-07-31

Your big project is due tomorrow and all that's left for you to do is print it, except that your computer is telling you that the printer ink cartridge is empty. At this point you only have a few options. You can accept your printer cartridge failure and hunt for a 24-hour store that carries replacements, find a 24-hour print shop, or you can run a few simple tests to see if your printer really is out of ink.

The easiest way to check the ink levels in your printer is by removing the cartridge and inspecting the ink. Most printers will alert you when the ink level is low, but not when it is out. Physically inspecting the ink cartridge is a good way to check ink levels because it can provide an accurate assessment of how much ink is left. However, there is also a chance that some ink can remain stuck to the wall of the print cartridge, which can lead to a false reading on the remaining ink.

Another way to test is to print a page with a small color picture and some text. Look closely at the text and the picture. If you notice that some of the colors are washed out, or not as vibrant as they usually are, then your printer may be right in telling you that there is a printer cartridge failure. It's helpful to have a document that you printed while the ink levels were still high for comparison. Make sure that your printer settings are correct before printing this page, as a printer set to "economy" or "draft" may always print with faded colors.

Finally, you can run a test through the printer by going to your printer's settings and selecting "print a test page." This is normally done by navigating to your computer's control panel, and then selecting "printers and faxes." Select the properties option and click "print a test page." A test page is designed to tell you if your printer is functioning properly. If the test page that comes out of the printer does not match the test page on the screen, it may be time to change your printer ink cartridges.

Your project may be safe if this is the first time you've received a printer ink cartridge failure warning. Most printers alert you when a printer ink cartridge is low, which is much different than the ink cartridge being out. By using the above methods to check your ink levels, you can save yourself time and money. Always make sure to check ink levels yourself before rushing out to buy a new ink cartridge.