Any interruption in the process of creating correspondence, presentations, or other paperwork diverts your attention away from routine business operations, from brief pauses in the middle of a print job to complete freezes that stop all output. Examine your output workflow to identify the source of the issue, starting with the document queue in your printer management software and moving on to causes that come from your files or the printing procedure itself.
Print Queue
The majority of desktop printing procedures call for three distinct phases. You must first print a document from the application you used to generate and edit it. Second, a spool file is created on disc from the data stream from your document. Third, the spooled data is sent to the printer by your operating system and the printer driver software that connects it to your output hardware. You can see the spooled documents that are ready for output in the list of jobs that appears in your print management software. This management software allows you to pause the output process so that nothing prints until the pause is lifted and delete jobs so that they never print at all. Especially if you’re using a networked printer, check the queue for signs that another user placed it in pause mode.
Large Job
Your printer may have to pause between printing pages as it processes the data for the following one if the data stream that represents a large job is too large, either in terms of page count, file data size, or both. You should be able to identify the graphics or other file assets that demand more “thinking time” from the hardware by looking at the printer’s output tray to see which pages have been printed and comparing the page it is currently processing with the document in your application software.
Consumables
When they require maintenance, printers pause. Whether your printer requires new ink or toner cartridges or has run out of paper, it will cease printing pages until you restock it. The specific consumables that need to be replaced should be identified in an onscreen alert, or you can check the device’s control panel for warning lights and readouts that indicate the issue. The device should automatically resume output once you replace or refill its supplies. After a supply-related stand-down, laser printers may need some warm-up time to get their toner-fusing mechanisms ready.
Data Problems
Your printer may halt if a document is corrupted because it cannot understand the data it receives. In these situations, you might see that a tiny document takes an unusually long time to finish or that a huge document never finishes no matter how long the output process is allowed to run. You should be able to identify the problematic page by looking at any completed pages that the printer has already produced. Look for damaged graphics files that display properly on your screen but won’t print out no matter how, where, or in which application or document you try.
Printer Driver
Documents may stall in your print queue if the printer driver software you use is incompatible with your hardware and operating system. Shutting down and restarting the printer and computer can sometimes solve print issues that appear to be related to driver software. The driver itself is to blame for persistent issues that affect numerous documents in numerous applications. The driver can be uninstalled and reinstalled, or you can download a new one from the website of the hardware manufacturer.
