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Laser Printers / Toner Cartridges
| PROBLEM | POTENTIAL SOLUTION |
|---|---|
| Installation Error Message After installing the genuine or compatible cartridge, you receive an error message similar to:
| Every cartridge contains a chip that is read by the printer when it is installed. The chip informs the printer the type of cartridge it is, how many pages have been printed from the cartridge so far and various other diagnostic information. Many times, the chip is not successfully read by the printer causing installation error messages. A cold restart of the printer generally clears up these issues. To perform a cold restart:
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| Horizontal or Vertical Streaks/Bars Light Prints or Fading | If you see a predictable and repeatable pattern to the streaking or bars, it is most likely the drum or roller that applies the toner to the drum. Generally, the diameter of the drum is larger than the roller. To determine if the problem is caused by the drum or roller on the cartridge, the repeated streaking/bars will be at a consistent distance relative to the diameter of the defective part. Hence, larger spacing will point to the drum and smaller spacing will indicate the roller. Some toner cartridges have the drum built in and hence will need to be replaced no matter what. If possible, put the old cartridge that was almost empty back in and see if the problem still exists. If the problem still exists, the drum is the issue. Occasionally, particles of paper or toner will build up causing the seals of the toner cartridge to malfunction. Cleaning the cartridge can resolve the issue.
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| Page Yield You are not getting the stated number of pages from the cartridge or you feel the toner is running out faster than expected. | Many factors can affect the actual page yield achieved from a toner cartridge. The following are the most common: Use of colors and page coverage Stated page yields are based on an average 5% page coverage. If you print at an average of 10%, you are going to get half the number of stated pages from the cartridge. In addition, when color printing is enabled, many of the colors are being used even when you don't think they are. For example, to achieve a darker blue, black toner is utilized or to create a lighter grey, yellow is being mixed with the black. Print quality selected for each print job Choosing a draft mode will use significantly less toner and can extend the life of a cartridge, whereas a Best quality mode will use more. Duplex mode selected When printing on both sides of a page, this is considered 2 pages, not 1. Sometimes it can be as simple as the printer not recognizing that you changed the cartridge and hence thinking the cartridge is empty. See the "Installation Error Message" section above and follow the cold restart procedures. Page yield can be accurately calculated by printing a Supplies Usage (also know as statistics page, printer information, device information, supplies status etc.) printout. The supplies usage page will show the expected page yield based on the average page coverage you have been printing. Consult your printer user manual for instructions. |
| Blank Page Printed After installing a new cartridge, every page you print is blank. You may also hear a clicking noise and receive an error message requesting the sealing tape to be removed. | Most toner cartridges ship with a sealing tape. The sealing tape keeps the toner from spilling out of the cartridge during transit where the cartridge is exposed to significant amounts of tossing and turning. The clicking sound you hear may be an indication the sealing tape is not removed or dirty gears.
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| Loose Toner on Printouts | All laser printers have a fuser that utilizes heat to make the toner stick to the paper. If the fuser is not heating properly, the toner may fail to stick to the paper. Printers will automatically adjust the fuser temperature based on the paper stock.
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| Shaded Background on Printouts | When a shaded background exists, there are 3 things that could be causing this:
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Inkjet Printers / Ink Cartridges
| PROBLEM | POTENTIAL SOLUTION |
|---|---|
| Page Yield You are not getting the stated number of pages from the cartridge or you feel the ink is running out faster than expected. | Many factors can affect the actual page yield achieved from an ink cartridge. The following are the most common: Use of colors and page coverage Stated page yields are based on an average 5% page coverage. If you print at an average of 10%, you are going to get half the number of stated pages from the cartridge. In addition, when color printing is enabled, many of the colors are being used even when you don't think they are. For example, to achieve a darker blue, black ink is utilized or to create a lighter grey, yellow is being mixed with the black. How often you print and how long you have not printed If you don't use your inkjet printer very often, the printer will know and "prime" the cartridge to ensure the health of the cartridge and ink handling system, which wastes some ink. If you print frequently, the printer will not go through these priming sequences as often. Print quality selected for each print job Choosing a draft mode will use significantly less ink (approximately 50% less) and can extend the life of a cartridge, whereas a Best quality mode will use about 5% more ink than a normal mode. Paper type selected for each print job The weight of a paper and how well it absorbs ink has a dramatic impact on the page yield. Lighter weight paper generally does not absorb ink as well as thicker/heavier paper. Duplex mode selected When printing on both sides of a page, this is considered 2 pages, not 1. Page Yield can be accurately determined by printing a Supplies Usage (also know as statistics page, printer information, device information, supplies status etc.) printout. The supplies usage page will show the expected page yield based on the average page coverage you have been printing. Consult your printer user manual for instructions. |
| Installation Error Message After installing the genuine or compatible cartridge, you receive an error message similar to:
| Every cartridge contains a chip that is read by the printer when it is installed. The chip informs the printer the type of cartridge it is, how many pages have been printed from the cartridge so far and various other diagnostic information. Many times, the chip is not successfully read by the printer causing installation error messages. These issues can usually be resolved by cleaning the contact points and performing a cold restart of the printer:
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| Blank Page Printed After installing a new cartridge, every page you print is blank. | If your ink cartridge is not printing, this is usually caused by the ink cartridge not communicating with the printer properly due to a poor connection or the ink cartridge has a clogged hole. Follow the procedures below to clear the hole and cold restart the printer to clear any printer memory issues.
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| Print Quality Problems Print quality issues could be:
| Virtually all inkjet printers have a cleaning and alignment function. This will help ensure colors are printed accurately. The cleaning function will generally clear any clogged holes in the print head, however additional manual steps may need to be taken with a moist cloth.
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