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Error codes and menu paths differ between manufacturers, even when the underlying fault is the same. Pick your brand for the version that matches your machine.
The differences are not cosmetic. A Brother printer reports a wireless failure as TS-02, a Canon reports an ink problem as 1660, and a Ricoh reports almost everything as an SC code that means it expects an engineer. The same jam, on three machines, gives you three unrelated looking messages.
Where the make matters most is in what you should try. Replacing toner does nothing for a Brother asking for a drum, because on a Brother those are separate parts. Cleaning a print head is possible on a Canon and not on most of the others. And a Pantum reporting itself offline is usually answering a question Windows asked rather than failing at anything.
- HP17 pagesHP drives more of the printer from software than other makes, so HP Smart resolves more HP faults than manual steps do, and cartridge schemes explain many ink errors.
- Canon16 pagesCanon numbers its faults as support codes, and the range the number falls in tells you whether it is ink, paper or something mechanical.
- Epson11 pagesEpson uses pigment ink that dries in the nozzles when a printer sits idle, which is behind most faded and banded Epson output.
- Brother9 pagesBrother separates the drum from the toner and reports wireless faults as TS codes, which is why so much Brother trouble comes down to the wrong part or a misread code.
- Xerox5 pagesXerox machines are managed office systems, so a printer that works for others and not for you is nearly always a queue or permission problem.
- Lexmark6 pagesLexmark machines are shared office printers, so their faults are usually queue, permission or address problems rather than anything physical.
- Ricoh4 pagesRicoh reports faults as SC service call codes, and unlike consumer printers most of them genuinely mean an engineer rather than a home remedy.
- Kyocera4 pagesKyocera ECOSYS machines use a long-life drum rather than replacing it with the toner, so their maintenance and their faults look different from other makes.
- Pantum3 pagesPantum printers most often report themselves offline because of a status check Windows makes and the printer does not answer, rather than any real fault.
- OKI3 pagesOKI uses LED print heads rather than lasers, which changes what a failing head looks like and makes single colour faults easier to trace.
How each make reports a fault
Worth knowing before you start searching, because the shape of the code tells you which manufacturer you are dealing with, and occasionally that is the only clue on the machine.
| Brand | How faults are shown | The thing that catches people out |
|---|---|---|
| Brother | TS codes for wireless faults | Drum and toner are separate parts |
| Canon | Numbered support codes | Print head lifts out and can be cleaned |
| Epson | Lettered codes such as E-01 | Pigment ink dries in the nozzles when idle |
| HP | Plain messages, few codes | HP Smart does most of the repair work |
| Kyocera | Numbered panel codes | Drum lasts the life of the machine |
| Lexmark | Numbered panel codes | Built to be shared, so faults are usually the queue |
| OKI | Numbered panel codes | LED print head rather than a laser |
| Pantum | Little on the panel | Usually reports offline when it is not |
| Ricoh | SC codes, meaning service call | Most genuinely need an engineer |
| Xerox | Numbered panel codes | Managed machines, often on a contract |
Finding your model number
Nearly every guide depends on it, and it is rarely on the front. Look on a label on the back or underneath, which carries the full model and the serial number. Failing that, the printer will print its own configuration page from the panel, usually under a reports, information or setup heading, and that page names the model, the firmware version and the network address in one go. The name on the front of the machine is often a range rather than a model, which is why a search for it returns guides for a printer that is not quite yours.
Brand names and model numbers are trademarks of their respective owners. They are used here only to describe which equipment a guide applies to. PrinterFixUp is an independent resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorised by any manufacturer.