Is your printer suddenly jamming, misfeeding paper, or underperforming – even with regular maintenance? The issue might not be the printer, but the environment it’s in. High humidity can seriously impact printer performance, especially for businesses using printers in warehouses, manufacturing floors, or offices without climate control. That’s where a printer enclosure – especially a waterproof printer enclosure – makes a critical difference.
In this post, we will examine how high humidity impacts printer performance, the hidden cost of printer downtime, and the benefits of using a waterproof printer enclosure to protect your equipment.
How High Humidity Impacts Printer Performance
Printers are notoriously tricky devices, and environmental conditions play a larger role in their performance than you may realize. In humid conditions, when your printer is giving you trouble, more often than not, the paper is the root of your printer’s problems.
Paper naturally absorbs moisture in the air through a process called hygroscopy. This causes the paper to warp and curl, increasing the risk of paper jams. Damp paper also makes it harder for the ink to dry properly, resulting in blotchy or smudged prints.
High humidity will also cause the printer’s internal components to rust. This type of wear leads to unexpected breakdowns, more frequent maintenance, and a shorter overall lifespan for your printer.
The Hidden Costs of Printer Downtime and Repairs
It is easy to take a printer for granted when it is performing as expected. However, when something goes wrong it can bring your operations to a screeching halt. Suddenly, your employees are spending their time troubleshooting the issue, logging IT support tickets, or standing around waiting for a fix.
There are also financial consequences to consider. Emergency printer repairs and replacement costs add up. For businesses that rely on timely printing for packaging slips or shipping labels, even an hour of downtime can impact your ability to fulfill orders and cause delays that erode customer trust.
If you are in a high humidity environment and have frequent printer issues, think about how much downtime is really costing you.
Protective Solutions: Climate-Controlled and Waterproof Printer Enclosures
One of the more reliable and cost-effective ways to protect your printer is to store it in a printer enclosure that protects it from the humidity. A waterproof printer enclosure protects against dust, moisture, and splashes. This makes it great for warehouses, manufacturing floors, and other industrial settings.
Our printer enclosures include:
- Optional climate control features, like built-in air conditioning or heaters, to regulate internal temperatures and humidity levels. This protects your equipment from overheating or condensation that can cause costly damage.
- Easy-access panels or swing-out doors for quick and convenient maintenance.
- Custom-fit options to accommodate different printer models.
Protect Your Printers From Humidity Damage
If your printer is acting up and nothing seems to fix it, take a step back. Before assuming your printer is the problem, consider whether the environment may be contributing to the issues you’re experiencing. Humidity can have a detrimental effect on printer performance, leading to paper jams, poor print quality, and mechanical failures.
By investing in a climate-controlled or waterproof printer enclosure, you can protect your printer from humidity damage.
Reduce downtime and extend printer life: Contact Dust Free PC today to learn more about our waterproof printer enclosures and how they can protect your printers from the impact of humidity.