Making copies on a multi-function printer is a lot like scanning a document. You open the machine up, plunk the paper in and push some buttons. Unlike a scan, making copies gives you something you can hold in your hands rather than an ephemeral packet of electronic information. There is something about the smell of the ink and the feel of that paper, still warm from the printing process, that a cold hard drive can never equal.
Things You'll Need
Video of the Day
- Computer
- Multi-function printer
Video of the Day
Step 1
Start up your multi-function printer and computer. Wait until it has powered on completely before beginning.
Step 2
Open the printer's lid and place your item on the copying surface with the side you want copied face-down on the glass. Double-check the alignment.
Step 3
Shut the printer's lid. For large items, such as books, you may want to remove the printer lid rather than forcing it closed.
Step 4
Choose the kind of copy you want: black-and-white or color. You also may have to select the kind of paper that you are copying.
Step 5
Size the copy to the page if desired. Some multi-function printers allow you to expand or shrink the original to fit different sizes of paper.
Step 6
Enter the number of copies you want. You may do this on the multi-function printer or in the print setup of your computer. Make sure the paper tray has enough paper to finish your copying job.
Step 7
Press the "Start" button. Other names for this might be the "Copy" or "Print" button.
Step 8
Remove the pages as they are delivered from the printer's feeding mechanism. Do not tug on the copies as they come out. Let them fall into your hands.
Tips & Warnings
- A copy is always less perfect than the original. Before copying, examine the original for defects that might show up in the copies.
- Copy speed and quality have an inverse relationship: as one increases the other diminishes. Balance your need for speed against how good you want the copy to be.
- Perform a self-test printing before replacing ink cartridges. Look for streaking or missing colors in the image and replace the ink cartridges if needed.
- Making copies of a copyright-protected work without the owner's permission is not lawful or polite. Obtain written permission before copying.