Knowing what my cat is doing

When a copy machine breaks down or seems to have the same problem repeatedly, you may not always need to call for repair. Sometimes you just need to clean the glass and inside the cover to get rid of spots on your copies or clean the rollers inside the machine with a soft cloth to get the copier working properly again. In some cases, the machine may just need to sit idle and cool for several minutes so that it can start running again. However, there are times when the repairs your copier needs are beyond a simple cleaning or just letting it cool down; you may need to call for photocopier servicing to address problems with internal parts. Note when this is and what repairs your copier might need.

Wrinkled paper

First note if you're using paper that is too thick for your machine; not every copier can manage poster board paper or even a very thick bond. In these cases, the paper may not fit through the feeding area, causing it to get bunched up or wrinkled. If you're using standard copier paper, wrinkles and bunches usually mean that the rollers in the feed mechanism are faulty; you can open the front of your copier and note if the paper seems to get bunched up as it's fed through. If not, the rollers that pull the paper out of the machine once a copy is made are usually at fault. In either case, a technician may need to simply replace these rollers altogether.

Lines on paper

If you've cleaned the glass of your copier and the lid that holds the paper in place but are still getting lines on the paper, this usually means the drum of the copier is defective. The drum transfers toner to the paper in order to make a copy. If the drum has a scratch or other defect, it might hold toner in this area and, in turn, this will show up as a line on the new copy. The drum usually needs to be replaced altogether in this case.

Light copies

When the drum holding the toner begins to wear out, it may not work very well to transfer enough toner to the new copy. In this case, you'll see light copies no matter what settings are on your machine. If you've adjusted the overall darkness of new copies but are still getting grey or washed out copies, the drum usually needs replacing.