After a quieter summer, your school's printers and copiers are about to get busy again.
Teachers are preparing classroom materials. Administrative teams are printing schedules, forms and welcome packets Guidance offices are getting ready for student requests. Devices that may have seen limited use for weeks will soon be handling a steady stream of printing, copying and scanning.
A little preparation now can help you catch problems before the first-day rush.
Before classes begin, schools should test every printer and copier, check print quality, verify scanning and network connectivity, inspect paper and toner supplies, clean user-serviceable areas, review device security and schedule professional service for recurring problems.
Use our school printer maintenance checklist to help make sure your printers, copiers and multifunction printers (MFPs) are ready when teachers and students return.
School printer maintenance includes the routine inspection, cleaning, testing, supply management and professional servicing needed to keep printers, copiers and MFPs reliable.
For networked school devices, maintenance goes beyond paper and toner. It can also include checking network connectivity, print drivers, scanning workflows, user authentication, device security and print management software.
The goal is simple: identify potential problems before they interrupt teachers, administrative staff or students.
Summer break can create a unique situation for a school's print environment.
Some devices may have seen little use for weeks. Paper may have been exposed to summer humidity. Toner or other supplies may be lower than expected. At the same time, your IT team may have updated computers, networks, servers or security tools while fewer users were in the building.
Any one of those changes can create a problem that isn't obvious until someone tries to print, copy or scan.
The week before school starts gives you an opportunity to find those problems before print demand increases.
Start with the basics. Make sure every printer, copier and MFP powers on and reaches its normal ready state.
This is particularly important for equipment that saw limited use during summer break.
As each device starts, check for:
Don't assume a warning can wait simply because the device still prints. Increased back-to-school volume can turn a minor issue into an interruption at the worst possible time.
If you're responsible for multiple buildings or a large print fleet, work from an equipment inventory so you can confirm that every device has been checked.
A device can power on normally and still have print-quality or paper-handling problems.
Print several test pages from each machine. For color devices, test both color and black-and-white output.
Look for:
Don't stop with printing.
Make copies using both the scanner glass and automatic document feeder, if the device has one. That can help you distinguish a printing problem from an issue with scanning or document feeding.
Persistent defects, recurring jams or unusual noises may indicate that the device needs professional service before normal school-year volume returns.
One of the easiest back-to-school mistakes is checking whether an MFP prints without checking everything else staff needs it to do.
School multifunction printers often support important administrative workflows, including scanning student records, sending documents by email and routing files to shared locations.
Test the functions your staff regularly uses, such as:
This becomes especially important if your school changed email systems, servers, network configurations or security settings over the summer.
A successful test print only proves that the device can print. It doesn't prove that the entire workflow is ready.
A copier can be mechanically perfect and still be unusable if staff can't connect to it.
Summer is often an ideal time for school IT teams to complete technology projects. New computers, network upgrades, server changes, security updates and software deployments can all affect printing.
Before staff returns, verify:
Whenever possible, send a print job from an actual staff workstation rather than relying solely on the copier's control panel.
This is also a good opportunity to remove outdated print queues and confirm that users are being directed to the appropriate devices.
Paper condition has a direct effect on printer reliability.
Paper exposed to moisture or poor storage conditions can curl or feed improperly, contributing to paper jams and inconsistent performance.
Inspect paper that has been stored over the summer. Look for damaged packaging, curled edges or signs of moisture.
Then inspect the paper trays themselves.
Check that:
Store unused paper in a clean, dry, temperature-controlled location when possible, and keep unopened reams protected until they're needed.
If a printer suddenly begins jamming when school resumes, check the condition and loading of the paper before assuming the device itself is failing.
Few printer problems are easier to prevent than running out of supplies.
Before teachers return, review supply levels throughout your school or district.
Depending on your equipment, check:
Give extra attention to high-volume areas such as administrative offices, teacher workrooms and central copy areas.
At the same time, avoid overstocking toner simply to be safe. Excess inventory ties up budget and can leave you with unused supplies when equipment is eventually replaced or relocated.
A managed print program can help schools monitor device needs and replenish toner based on actual usage rather than guesswork.
Basic cleaning can help prevent minor problems and improve output quality, but it's important to know where routine user maintenance ends.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your specific device.
Common areas users may be instructed to clean include:
For example, a dirty strip of document feeder glass can result in an unwanted line appearing on scanned or copied pages.
Avoid disassembling equipment, applying lubricants or cleaning internal components unless the manufacturer specifically identifies the procedure as appropriate user maintenance.
Printers and copiers contain delicate components, and some internal areas can become hot during operation. If you're unsure, consult the device documentation or contact your service provider.
Printers and copiers aren't isolated office equipment. Network-connected MFPs are endpoints within your school's technology environment.
Include them in your back-to-school IT review.
Depending on your school's policies and equipment, review:
Firmware updates shouldn't be installed automatically simply because a newer version exists. Your IT team or technology provider should evaluate and deploy updates accordingly to your organization's security policies, compatibility requirements and manufacturer's recommendations.
The objective is to make sure your print environment aligns with the technology and security environment staff will use this school year.
School staff can handle many routine checks, but some printer and copier problems should be evaluated by a trained, factory-certified technician.
Consider requesting service when you encounter recurring paper jams, persistent print defects, unusual grinding or clicking noises, repeated error codes, internal component problems or issues that continue after manufacturer-recommended troubleshooting.
Repeated DIY attempts can sometimes make the problem worse. If the solution requires disassembling the machine or working with components not identified for user maintenance, it's usually time to call a professional.
Addressing those problems before school gets busy can also reduce the risk of an inconvenient service interruption later.
Download Fraser's one-page Back-to-School Printer and Copier Checklist to give your IT team, administrators or building staff a quick list of items to inspect before classes begin.
Use it to check:
Click the image to the right to download our Back-to-School Printer & Copier Checklist.
A printer that performs perfectly in an empty building may behave differently when teachers and staff return.
The first two weeks of school provide valuable insight into how your print environment performs under normal demand.
Watch for patterns such as:
Those patterns can tell you more than an individual service incident.
For example, a copier that constantly receives large jobs while another nearby device sits underused may point to a fleet configuration or workflow issue rather than a maintenance problem.
That is when it becomes useful to look beyond individual devices and evaluate your entire print environment.
Preventive maintenance before school starts helps, but maintaining a reliable print environment is an ongoing process.
Schools can reduce printer downtime by monitoring equipment performance, addressing recurring problems early, keeping appropriate supplies available, maintaining devices according to manufacturer recommendations and reviewing how printers are being used across the organization.
For district managing many printers and copiers, Managed Print Services can add another layer of visibility and support.
A managed print strategy can help schools:
The goal isn't simply to fix printers faster. It's to create a more reliable and manageable print environment throughout the school year.
Q: How often should school printers be maintained?
A: School printers should follow the maintenance intervals recommended by their manufacturers and service providers. Schools should also perform routine visual and functional checks throughout the year, especially before high-volume periods such as the beginning of a new school year. Maintenance needs vary based on device type, print volume, age and usage.
Q: Can printers have problems after sitting unused over summer break?
A: Yes. A printer that hasn't been used regularly can have issues when it returns to service, although the risks vary by printer technology and model. Schools should test devices before normal printing resumes rather than assuming equipment that worked at the end of the previous year is still ready.
Q: Why is my school printer jamming after summer break?
A: Start by checking the paper, paper trays and accessible paper path. Paper exposed to humidity or improper storage can curl or feed incorrectly. Incorrectly positioned paper guides, damaged sheets and debris can also contribute to jams. Recurring jams after basic troubleshooting may require professional service.
Q: What printer maintenance can school staff perform themselves?
A: Staff can typically perform basic tasks identified in the device manufacturer's documentation, such as checking supplies, loading paper correctly, cleaning scanner glass and testing device functions. Internal repairs, component replacement and procedures not identified as user maintenance should be left to trained personnel.
Q: How can schools tell whether a printer needs service?
A: Recurring jams, persistent print defects, unusual noises, repeated error codes and problems that remain after recommended troubleshooting are good reasons to contact a service provider. Schools should also pay attention to devices that generate repeated support requests or downtime.
Q: How can Managed Print Services help schools?
A: Managed Print Services can help schools monitor printers and copiers, manage supplies, analyze device usage, improve print security and identify opportunities to optimize the print fleet. A proactive approach can also reduce the amount of routine printer management that falls on internal IT teams.
The beginning of a new school year brings enough last-minute challenges. Printer problems don't need to be one of them.
Before teachers and students return, take time to power up your devices, test printing and scanning, confirm network connectivity, inspect paper, review supplies and address maintenance concerns.
Then keep watching once school begins.
Recurring jams, supply problems, service calls and help desk tickets may be telling you something bigger about how your print environment is configured and managed.
A little preparation before the first bell can help your teachers and staff spend less time thinking about printers and more time focused on the school year ahead.
Fraser helps schools take a proactive approach to managing printers, copiers and multifunction devices. From equipment and service to Managed Print Services, our team can help you identify opportunities to improve reliability, simplify printer management and support your school's technology goals.