Printer repairs for desktop laser and inkjet printers are a different job from copier repairs. Many small printers go to a workshop bench, some technicians come to you, and on a cheap printer the repair can cost more than a new one. The common faults are paper that will not feed, streaky or faded prints, a clogged printhead, a printer that shows offline, and Wi-Fi that drops. Send one request and we pass it to independent printer technicians and repair workshops near you, who quote you directly.
Bench or on site
A workshop bench repair is usually cheaper: you drop the printer off or a courier collects it, the technician diagnoses it and phones you with a quote. Ask whether there is an assessment fee and whether it is deducted if you go ahead. On site repairs suit businesses with several printers, networked machines or a printer that cannot be without for days. For big floor standing machines, see photocopier repairs instead.
Faults that are often worth fixing
- Misfeeds and double feeds: worn pickup rollers, a cheap part on most printers.
- Smudged prints or toner that rubs off: a worn fuser in a laser printer.
- Faded, streaky or blotchy prints: often a worn drum or a low or poor toner cartridge; in an inkjet, a clogged printhead.
- Grinding noises: a broken gear or a scrap of paper stuck inside.
An inkjet that stood unused for weeks may only need a cleaning cycle or fresh ink cartridges. Try that before paying for a repair.
When a repair is not worth it
On an inexpensive home printer, a new printhead or main board can cost close to the price of a new printer. Ask for the quote in writing, compare it with a replacement, and remember the remaining parts are just as old. If you print a lot, a repair may be the moment to move to a laser printer or an ink tank model with a lower cost per page. Ask the workshop how they dispose of a printer you decide not to fix.
Wi-Fi, driver and offline problems
Many calls about a broken printer turn out not to be hardware at all. A new router, a changed Wi-Fi password, an operating system update or a printer that picked up a new network address can all make it show offline. Setting a fixed address, reinstalling the right driver and reconnecting to the network usually solves it. A technician can do this on site, often in one short visit, so describe the problem clearly in your request. Say which devices cannot print, what changed recently and whether the printer still prints a test page from its own buttons, which tells the technician whether the fault is in the printer or the network.
What to put in your request
- Make and model of the printer
- Laser, inkjet or ink tank
- What goes wrong, with an error message
- Drop off, collection or on site
- How many printers need attention
Printer Repairs for offices, schools and home offices
- Home offices: a home inkjet with a blocked printhead taken in for a bench repair
- Small businesses and shops: an office laser printer that misfeeds fixed with new rollers in one visit
- Corporate and head offices: desktop printers on several floors serviced on site between copier calls
- Schools, colleges and universities: classroom and admin printers repaired in bulk during the school holidays
- Medical practices, clinics and hospitals: a reception printer for scripts and invoices fixed quickly so patients are not kept waiting
- Law firms, accountants and agents: an accountant's laser printer brought back online after a router change
- Government and municipalities: office printers across a department repaired under a quoted rate
- Factories, mines and warehouses: a warehouse printer clogged with dust cleaned and given new rollers
- Churches, NGOs and community groups: an office printer for newsletters assessed to see if it is worth fixing
Frequently asked questions
Do you fix printers yourselves?
Is it worth repairing an inkjet printer?
How long does a bench repair take?
My printer says offline. Is it broken?
Printer Repairs by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg