Print media is the material on which the
final output will be placed. Traditionally this media has been paper,
but recent advances in printer technology allow other materials to be
printed upon, such as transparency media, slides, card-stock, and so
on.
Before installing any print media, be sure that it meets the
specification of the printer. Physical size, weight, texture, and
absorbency should all be taken into consideration.
The following steps should be taken when installing print
media:
Step 1
Adjust the appropriate media tray. Most printers can handle
multiple media types and provide different media trays and feed
options. Identify the proper media handling input tray first. For
example, HP ink-jet printers require users to place regular, 20#
bond paper into the lower media tray while heavier stock is
single-sheet fed at a different location. Once the tray has been
identified, adjust the tray so that the media fit is correct. Most
media trays have adjustable guides that keep the media lined up as
it enters into the printer. Adjust these guides carefully because
too much slack can cause a misfeed while too much pressure may
cause a jam. Also, check to see if the printer has a media
selection lever near the input tray(s). This lever (or button)
sets the height on the rollers used to pull the media from the
tray.
Step 2
Prepare the media. When using a stack of media, be sure to fan the
media to negate the effect of static electricity. Static
electricity may cause multiple sheets to cling to one another,
which can cause a printer jam. It is also imperative that the
print surface of the media is properly oriented. Most
transparencies and many types of paper have a special printing
surface that is indicated on the media packaging. Failure to print
on the correct surface can cause poor output and may harm the
printer.
Step 3
Make any other physical adjustments to the printer. Many printers
now have multiple media output options. For example, printed plain
paper may fall into a catch tray, while printed envelopes are held
at the end of the output path for the user to retrieve one at a
time. If a printer has these capabilities, it will usually have a
switch to select output paths (which may be the same as an input
switch). If the printer output is to be
placed into an output tray, be sure to adjust the guides on that
tray for the intended media.
Step 4
Configure the print driver for the proper media. This is
accomplished on the computer using the print setup option. In
print setup, the user can inform the printer of the specifics of
the media. These can include size, weight, texture, absorbency,
media input tray, and output path. Bypassing this important step can lead to many
printer errors.
