If the red light on your printer starts to light up, this can signal various problems with the device. To figure out the exact reason, you'll need to examine the printer. The button lights up from a trivial lack of paper, as well as from more serious problems that require disassembly. Therefore, you will need to pay attention to the different parts when searching for a breakdown on your own.
A printer is a device designed to print information from electronic media onto paper. The different colors of light indicators – green ("ready") and red ("warning") – are always present on this equipment. They are designed to indicate the status of operability.
The indicators respond to changes in the state of the equipment in different ways: they light up periodically or permanently, or sometimes they are off altogether.
If the red button blinks on Epson, HP, Samsung, or Xerox laser printers, the reasons may be as follows:
From this list, the most common problems are jammed or missing paper and cartridge malfunctions.
Possible causes for the flashing of the warning light vary greatly. But it is still possible to look for problems in a certain sequence of actions. The algorithm for finding and solving problems is as follows.
There may be a printing condition where two LEDs – red and green – are lit or flashing at the same time. The procedure in these cases is as follows.
When the printer still does not print after performing all the suggested actions, and the LEDs are signaling, then you can try to print the report.
You can do this as follows: Press the large button on the printer and hold it down for a few seconds. The printout that appears may indicate a lack of toner or the need to "reflash" the device. Then the ink should be added, or the counter should be reset using a special program.
Below we will look at why the red light is on, using popular brands of printers as an example, and how to fix it.
On an EPSON printer, an LED with a "blob" symbol signals the operation of the cartridges. It has two states that tell you about different problems.
If the "drop" starts flashing, it signals that one of the cartridges is running low. If possible, it should be refilled; if not, the cartridge should be replaced. If this does not help, then the device probably did not realize that the ink cartridge was refilled. In this case, it should be reset – for this, it is enough to turn off the device for a short time.
If the problem endures, it is worth doing the following.
If the automatic check does not work, but you are sure that all the cartridges are filled, you will need to reset the counter manually. To do this, go through the following steps.
If the LED is on all the time, there can be two possible reasons:
If the cartridges are installed incorrectly, simply remove and reinsert them – you will hear a click when they are installed correctly. Also, ensure that no foreign object is preventing the cartridge from being properly positioned.
Cartridges should be inserted until they click into place.
If that doesn't work and the problem is faulty ink cartridges, then they should be replaced. Sometimes the LED blinks because the nozzles are clogged. In such a situation, you should remove the cartridge is removed and place it with the nozzles down in a container with water, or better yet, a special cleaner. After a few hours, wipe off the cartridge and put back in place.
Only EPSON mobile printers, that is, those that can run on battery power have such an LED. The LED is not always on the control panel and can be displayed on the printer's screen. Accordingly, its indication is a signal that charging is taking place. It can respond not only to connect to a power outlet but also to the USB connector of a PC.
If the LED blinks on its own, the cause is either a software failure (the printer froze) or battery death. In the first case, it is sufficient to restart the device, try to discharge the battery, or remove and replace it. In the second case, you will have to address a specialist.
If your Samsung printer is not printing and the light is red, the first thing to do is to refill the cartridge and reset the counter to zero. To do this, run the following commands:
After switching on the LED should go off.
If the above recommendation did not help, the following is possible:
The cause of the red LED blinking on the Brother printer is similar to Samsung – the device forces you to buy a new cartridge. However, an expensive purchase can be avoided by resetting the counter and refilling the cartridge.
The following is required to reset:
To reset the image drum counter, do the following
Then the red LED will stop flashing. If the green and red LEDs flash alternately or together, this is a signal of one of the device states. To understand what this means, just refer to the manual, which explains all the possible combinations.
Most of the causes of the red light on the printer flashing can be corrected with your own hands, without resorting to outside help. Remember that the paper should be inserted carefully, not exceeding the number of sheets allowed for the model you are using. The best course of action is to familiarize yourself with the operating instructions at the time of purchase, not when the problem arises. Observance of the rules of use is a guarantee of the long and trouble-free operation of the equipment.