It’s a fascinating revelation for many businesses that you can boost printer speeds even on machines you already possess. While you might believe that a printer must produce at a fixed speed defined by the manufacturer, many machines do provide some level of flexibility over this.
Things like the internet you use, wrongly set security measures, the clarity of the output, the paper you are using, and even if you had a most recent firmware loaded can all have an impact on how quickly you can print.
In certain situations, you may even update the parts of an older printer, such as the CPU and RAM. However, it’s best to do so directly from the manufacturer rather than through a 3rd party, which may void the warranty.
Here are several strategies you may use to get the quickest print speeds available.
Check the Connection
Your network may also have a role. If the connection is crowded or if there are problems with your server or network settings, you may observe that documents do not transfer as rapidly to the printer, slowing down the printing speed. To remedy this issue, ensure that any network difficulties are resolved.
Furthermore, the network you choose – whether wired or wireless – as well as the performance of the network actually – will influence print speed. These concerns will not have a significant influence, and it’s also true that a stronger network connection will enhance the overall performance to transfer any print job to the printer.
Quality Settings
One of the significant changes you would see in printer output speed is the quality setups. Simply measure the printer resolution; if you’re familiar with printing in full resolution mode, then start changing to the draft output setting. You will realize a considerable increase in performance for all documents.
Interestingly, many people continue to utilize the same quality levels for months and months. But, not all document requires the maximum quality setting. For certain models, decreasing the quality can even double the speed.
It’s also worth weighing the benefits of color printing vs. black-and-white printing. Color outputs print slowly, and therefore if you choose black and white print for initial papers when you don’t need color, you can enhance print speed.
Firmware Updates
The majority of printers don’t gain significantly in terms of speed after installing a new firmware upgrade. In reality, a printer is certified at a certain output speed dependent on the parts being used in this device as well as the CPU utilized in that printer.
Nevertheless, changing the firmware may bring some performance gains. For example, a photo printer maker may provide a new drafts mode option that consumes less ink and produces faster results. It’s possible that a unique setting relating to an “eco” mode will be added that would make printing even quicker because it consumes less ink.
A fresh firmware may also boost print speed marginally by employing new programming techniques or enhancing print speed via the printhead.
Processor and RAM Upgrades
Even though these techniques are not frequently recognized or employed, there is a way to boost printer speed by updating the components within a printer. In certain circumstances, this may imply increasing the device’s RAM, which means the printer can handle more data.
The print rate can rise with the CPU since the printer can handle more tasks at once while processing documents quicker. However, remember that this does not affect printhead performance.
Checking Security Features
Examine the security settings on your device to ensure they are not interfering with the printing process. If your printer is not linked to any external network and you are printing documents straight from your device, you can disable any antivirus software that is causing the printer to slow down.
However, if you are printing over the internet, never entirely disable your computer’s security firewall when printing, as hackers have been known to steal information directly from the printer itself.
Bypass Spooler
The spooler located inside the printer is the halfway point that serves as a waiting station for data in the event of a lag in the printing procedure.
For speedy systems, you may completely avoid the spooler by selecting the “Print straight to the printer” option on the printer. This will remove one of the phases in the printing process, allowing the process to go more quickly.
Print in Black Ink Only
If you are using the inkjet printer/laser printer, you know that most color printers make black and white prints utilizing the different ink colors present in your inkjet until you specify in the printer’s control or print dialogue box that the print job must be done using black ink.
This refers to the contrast between multiple passes of ink and a single pass of black ink. This suggestion, like printing with a lower print resolution, it’ll save you both time and cash and increase print speed.
Upgrade Software
Finally, ensure that the printer software is up to date. If, and from the other side, the printer, even when fully loaded, works at less-than-desirable speeds, it may be time to upgrade to a quicker model.