Printer Central

Printer Central

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White Streaks on the page: Parts of the corona covered with toner (either the main corona or the transfer corona) leads to a vertical strip with little or no charge. The answer? Clean the coronas.

Some laser printers have a handy built in tool for cleaning the corona. Others might come with a small brush. The main corona is usually found in the drum / cartridge area. The transfer corona is inside the printer. It is a thin wire usually somewhere visible in the trench. Be careful not to break it! It can be cleaned with a QTip and rubbing alcohol.

Smearing on the Page: The fusing roller keeps the toner from smearing. After letting it cool down, you can try to clean it with a QTip and rubbing alcohol. Another reason ink smears is if you are trying to run double-sided print jobs. The rubber rollers can smear the already printed side. The answer? Don't print double-sided if it is causing a problem.

Horizontal Streaks on the Page: This is usually caused by dirt or scratches or general mishap with one of the many rollers that process your page. Generally, once this happens, it is is a difficult fix. If the printer is important & expensive - have it fixed professionally.

Cloudy, Faded Output: The probably cause is low toner, or dirty or damaged coronas.

Black Line on the Side of the Page: Usually an indication that the cartridge is deteriorating. Replace it.

Memory Overflow Error: You have asked your printer to do something that it doesn't have enough memory for. Most modern printers come with 8 - 32 mb of memory. The most obvious solution is to add more memory. You can try to reduce your font memory as well. Go to your printer properties, right-click, and look for the following:

Print True Type as graphics
Use Raster graphics rather than HP-GL graphics.

Startup Errors: If the printer has a diagnostic startup - you might might be able to determine the problem. Otherwise, this could be a circuit board issue and is best left for the professional repair shops.

Printer Picks up Multiple Sheets: This usually isn't the printer's fault. It usually occurs when you have moist paper. If paper sits in the tray for weeks at a time, it can pick up moisture from the air and curl. Leave the paper in the original package until needed. On several papers there is also a "correct" (wax vs wire side) side to print on. Look for the arrow on the package.

Paper-Jams: Double-sided printing, and humid paper can cause this. Make sure you are inserting the paper the correct way. Some models are more problematic than others. If you have a jam, do not try to rip it out of the machine. First try to power it on and off and see if the printer will spit the paper out on its own. If not, firmly grip the paper on BOTH sides and GENTLY pull it in the normal direction it would come out.

Reference: PC Upgrade & Maintenance Guide 2003 Edition www.sybex.com p577 - 581

Last Update: 05/28/2005 10:03:48 PM.