A printer is very convenient accessory to have, especially if you are creating your own office space whether at home or otherwise. There are many brands of printers where all will share the basic function of printing while some will have more advanced functions such as copying, faxing and emailing. Printers can be used to print documents, files, photographs, invitations, flyers and labels. There are more large scale uses such as posters and brochures. If you are using a basic printer follow these instructions to printing your document.
Things you will need
- Computer
- Device driver – a software that allows the computer to interact with the printer
- Printer
Instructions
- Ensure your computer has a printer device driver and that its compatible with the printer to be installed.
- Connect the printer cables to the computer and install the printer. The new printer will come with a manufacturer CD. Insert the CD and follow the wizard steps to complete the installation. The wizard will take you through a test print to ensure the printer setup is successful.
- To print a document such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or Excel open the document and go to the File menu, click Print.
- A printing dialogue box will appear on your screen. The first option will be to select the printer you wish the print job to go to. This is essential if your computer is on a network that has more than one printer. Otherwise select the only option available.
- If your document has more than one page, select the page range you wish to print. If you’re printing specific pages, check the Pages option and enter the page numbers in the box separated by commas.
- Under Copies, enter the number of copies you want to print.
- You can also go to Properties for advanced options including selecting the paper source (if the printer has more than one tray), paper size (legal, letter or other), orientation (whether landscape or portrait) and paper type.
- It is also possible to print documents/information from the Internet.
- Go to the webpage you wish to print from. If you’re printing all contents on the page, go to the top of the window and click the Printer icon. The print dialogue box will then open. Follow the print steps as outlined above.
- If you’re only printing a portion of the webpage highlight the portion, go to the printer icon and open the dialogue box. Once open, under Page Range check Selection. Follow the remaining print steps as outlined above.
Do’s
- Always ensure that you’re using the latest printer driver for your printer. You can consult with the manufacturer to find out what drivers are available for your model.
- Always power off the printer when it’s not being used.
- Avoid using generic or cheap toner/ink cartridges with your printer
Don’ts
- If you encounter a paper jam do not force the paper out. Remove the hatch to get access to the paper, consult your manual for further info on this.
