Brand notes
Ricoh printer fixes and tips
Independent notes on Ricoh office printers and multifunction devices: SC service codes, held jobs, Web Image Monitor, scan settings, waste toner and drivers.
About these printers
Ricoh makes office printers and multifunction devices, from desktop lasers to large copiers in the IM and older MP ranges. Many are leased with a service contract through a Ricoh dealer, and some Ricoh-built machines carry other brand names from Ricoh, such as Savin, Lanier and Gestetner.
These machines are network devices with a lot of settings: scan destinations, address books, user codes and secure printing. Most everyday problems come down to a held job, a changed network setting or a scan destination that no longer accepts the connection, rather than a hardware fault.
Drivers, firmware and manuals are on Ricoh’s website for your region. If the device is leased, supplies and repairs are usually covered by the service contract, so check that before buying parts.
Common printer families
- IM and IM C series
- Current office multifunction printers, monochrome (IM) and color (IM C). Many have a large touchscreen called the Smart Operation Panel.
- P and M desktop models
- Desktop laser printers (P) and multifunction printers (M), with a C added for color models.
- SP series
- Earlier desktop lasers and multifunction printers, including small personal models with all-in-one toner cartridges.
- MP and Aficio
- Earlier office copiers and multifunction printers. Many are still in service.
Habits worth knowing
Service call codes start with SC
An SC code with a number on a Ricoh device means it has detected an internal fault. Write down the code, turn the machine off fully, wait a minute and turn it on once. If the same SC code returns, it’s a job for your Ricoh dealer or an authorized service provider.
Check Status shows what’s holding things up
On many Ricoh multifunction devices, the Check Status key or icon lists current errors, supply alerts and job status in one place. Start there before opening covers, because a message about a tray, toner or a full waste toner bottle often explains why printing has stopped.
Held, locked and stored jobs
Ricoh drivers can send jobs as locked print, hold print or stored print, which wait at the device until someone releases them. If a job seems to disappear, check the print job list on the control panel; a locked print job needs the password set in the driver. If your office uses user codes, check that one is entered in the driver too.
Web Image Monitor
Ricoh’s built-in web page, Web Image Monitor, opens when you type the device’s IP address into a browser on the same network. It shows status, supply levels, the address book and network settings. Changing settings needs an administrator login, which is often managed by IT or the dealer.
Scan destinations break when passwords change
Scan to email and scan to folder depend on stored server details and passwords. When the email account’s password, the shared folder’s password or the mail server’s security settings change, scanning fails until those details are updated in the address book or the device’s settings. That’s the usual cause when scanning stops on a device that was working.
Waste toner bottle and other replaceable parts
Color Ricoh devices collect spent toner in a waste toner bottle that you can replace, and the device stops when it’s full. The control panel and Web Image Monitor show which supply is low or due. Parts beyond toner, the waste bottle and staples are usually replaced by the dealer under the service contract.
Common fixes for Ricoh printers
- Won’t print Print jobs stuck in the queue and won’t delete Documents sit in the print queue saying Printing, Error or Deleting and nothing moves. Clear the queue safely on Windows, Mac, Chromebook and phones.
- Scan & copy Scan to email won’t send The printer scans the page but the email never arrives or fails with a sending error. Check the mail settings, sign-in method and file size step by step.
- Scan & copy Scan to computer from the printer doesn’t work You press Scan to Computer on the printer’s panel and nothing arrives, or no computer is listed. Get your PC or Mac listening for scans again.
- Scan & copy Document feeder jams or feeds pages crooked Pages stall, crumple or go in skewed when you scan or copy from the top feeder. Clear it, clean the rollers, and spot when feeder parts are worn out.
- Paper & feeding Paper is jammed in the printer Paper stuck inside? Remove it safely in the direction it travels, find any torn scraps, then reload the tray so it doesn’t happen again. Covers inkjet and laser.
- Scan & copy Copies or scans have lines, streaks or marks Copies and scans show lines, dark streaks or spots that aren’t on the original. Find out whether the scanner glass or the print side is to blame, then clean it.
- Connection & offline Computer can’t find the printer on the network Your Wi-Fi printer doesn’t appear when you add a printer or open the print dialog. Confirm it’s really on your network, then add it directly by IP address.
- Drivers & software Printer driver is unavailable or missing Windows shows Driver is unavailable, or the printer has no working driver. Clear out the broken one and install a clean, matching driver from a safe source.
Error codes and messages
Ricoh’s own support
Drivers, firmware, manuals, warranty claims and repairs come from the manufacturer. This link leaves Printwright.
Ricoh (opens in a new tab)Common questions
What does an SC code on a Ricoh mean?
It’s a service call code: the device has found an internal fault, often in the fuser, a motor or a sensor. Restart it once; if the same code returns, it needs a repair by your Ricoh dealer or an authorized service provider.
Can I use Ricoh drivers for a Savin, Lanier or Gestetner machine?
Often, because many of those machines are built by Ricoh and use the same drivers as an equivalent Ricoh model. Search Ricoh’s support pages for your exact model name first, and install a driver only if its page lists your device.
Why did scan to email stop working on our Ricoh?
The most common reason is a changed password or security setting on the email account the device sends from. Update the stored email server details in Web Image Monitor or the device’s system settings, with help from whoever manages the device.