Information Systems:Laser Printers
This article is to keep track of the laser printers used in the Distribution Centre and Office that uniPHARM owns. For the leased/managed Xerox copiers, refer to this article
Inventory
The following table summarizes our printer inventory:
| Hostname | Location | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| gm-printer | GM's office | Brother MFC-L3770CDW | - |
| it-lab-printer | IT Lab/Cage | Lexmark MS415DN | - |
| buying-dept-printer | Buying Department | Lexmark MS415DN | - |
| accounting-dept-printer | Accounting Department | Lexmark MS415DN | - |
| dc-office-printer | DC Office | Lexmark MS415DN | - |
| dc-large-down-invoice-printer | DC Large Down | Lexmark MS521DN | - |
| dc-fridge-invoice-printer | DC Fridge | Lexmark MS521DN | - |
| dc-narc-invoice-printer | DC Narc Cage | Lexmark MS521DN | - |
Distribution Centre Printers
Lexmark laser printers are used for printing invoices at each picking station (warehouse zone) in the Distribution Centre. The current models are the MS521 and T652, which replaced the previous T640s and T630s (some may still remain). While there is no restriction on the use of other brands of laser printers (HP for example) it is a best practice to keep the number of brands as close to 1 as possible so that users don't have to adjust to 10 different print drivers. The laser printer at each of the picking stations is connected to the HP JetDirect print servers with a parallel cable, but these are being transitioned to Ethernet connectivity. Keep in mind that the JetDirect-connected printers are not visible on the network and therefore are not "fully configured". The advantage to this is that they can be interchanged easily e.g. with printers in other zones, but this method is being retired in favor of fully networked printers.
The Lexmark printers at the picking stations are not set up as shared network printers from a Windows print server. The HP boxes are configured as TCP/IP printers on the Lucy Jetforms server, but they are not shared so that users can print to them.
Office Laser Printers
Lexmark printers are also used for departmental/workgroup printing. The current model is the MS417. These are shared through Windows.
Management
Setup
Other articles exist that detail different setup processes depending on where/how the printer is used (IBM i printer, Windows printer etc.)
Consumables
Toner replacement is very common in the warehouse and so has become self-service (they order and replace the toner themselves). It doesn't help that the printers were not networked before and so IT could not proactively replace toner before it ran out. For departmental/office printers, IT initiates the internal order and does the replacement themselves.
Maintenance kits on the other hand, must be done on a case-by-case basis, as they are expensive and thus it may make more sense to buy a replacement printer. These kits, while user-installable, also require more effort to install, which must be factored in as well.
Troubleshooting
Invoices not printing
- If the Lexmark still does not print an invoice then power cycle the HP print server box at the picking station.
- If that still doesn't work then check the network cable (of the print server). If the green lights on the HP print server box are not blinking rapidly then there is no valid network connection.
- There are spare JetDirect servers in the IT Lab (cage), but these are virtually unconfigurable (require XP).
Bad print quality
- Try another toner cartridge. Regardless of toner level, sometimes a replacement can improve/fix image quality. This is because the fuser is built into the toner cartridge for some of these high-volume workgroup printers, and a dirty fuser causes bad print quality
Maintenance warning (fuser)
This is more than likely referring to the fuser; a fixed page counter triggers an alert to purchase a maintenance kit to replace a core set of printer parts (fuser, rollers etc.). There are some tips to keep in mind:
- The printer can still function if this message is bypassed.
- The print quality may be fine despite this message. It is only a recommendation that is triggered by the page count (I think...)
- The maintenance counter can be reset.
- If you need to install a new fuser into the LP05 printer in accounting (C748 model) and the printer refuses to see a brand new fuser as a brand new fuser, reboot the printer while holding down the 2 and the 6 buttons on the front panel. The printer will boot into a special configuration menu where you have to reset the page counter on the new fuser. I suppose you could do this same trick when that printer prompts for a new fuser because that printer eats consumables like the fat Austrian kid on the Simpsons eats chocolate.
- To reset the T650/52 d/dn maintenance counter turn the power off, hold the check mark and the right arrow while turning on and wait for the 128mb to flash then wait for the config menu.Reset the maintenance clock from there.
Paper jam (Lexmark)
At least for the Lexmark printers, some paper jam error messages correlate to worn paper pickup rollers, so this is the first thing to check after an actual paper jam has been ruled out (which the users would resolve themselves). Remove the tray, and this part is then located above where the paper would be (its job is to pick up a sheet of paper from the tray and feed it into where the printing occurs. As per Lexmark docs, a quick test and temporary workaround is to turn the rubber inside out. The entire roller assembly can be removed, or the rubber can be removed in-place (check YouTube or online pics). Once turned inside out, if it starts to pick up paper again, replacement rollers should be purchased. Keep in mind that this can happen on the extended tray as well, which have their own pickup rollers.
Grinding noise when printing
Online resources point to this also being related to the fuser/maintenance kit.