When using laser printers to output various documents, their owners often have problems associated with poor print quality. In particular, horizontal or vertical stripes of different lengths may be present on the resulting document.
There may be several reasons for this, namely: a running out toner in a cartridge, laser problems, a damaged photoconductor or a magnetic shaft, broken contact between them, a leak in the cartridge, an overflowed refill, damage or failure of the charge roller.
Also, the appearance of horizontal and vertical stripes when printing on a laser printer is possible due to the fall or malfunction of the cartridge, incorrectly refilled it. The low quality of the toner should not be excluded from the reasons.
White stripes on a document
If white streaks occur when printing on a laser printer, it is most likely that the toner has run out of the cartridge, or the problem is with the laser. The finished ink is indicated by a wide white stripe over the entire length of the page, which will increase with each subsequent attempt to output a sheet of paper. It is worth noting that if the toner runs out in the cartridge, do not remove it and shake it, since these actions will not affect the print quality in any way, and the drum unit may be seriously damaged or completely malfunction. The solution will be to refill the cartridge.
If there is toner, but the bands remain, then most likely there are problems in the laser. This is not necessarily something serious. It is possible that dust, small insects, or particles of paint got into the optics. To prevent this, you need to monitor the cleanliness of the printer and, if necessary, wipe the laser mirror with a lint-free cloth.
Drum Wear
The photoconductor, in other words, the photoreceptor is the main component of the cartridge. It is an aluminum shaft coated with a coating that is susceptible to optical radiation. Over time, the coating wears out, which is why stripes appear when printing on a laser printer.
The first sign of damage to the drum unit will be gray-black wave-like stripes at one of the edges of the printed document. The problem is solved by replacing the drum unit. Stripes may also appear due to dried grease on the photoreceptor. Such a malfunction occurs quite often, especially if the device has not been used for a long time. It is solved much easier: just run the printer cleaning program from the settings menu on the computer.
Magnetic shaft failure
In the design of the laser printer, the magnetic shaft is designed to transfer ink from the hopper to the drum unit. The absence or presence of defects, such as stripes, when printing on a laser printer directly depends on how evenly the toner is fed to the photoreceptor. A noticeably darkened gray background or small dark stripes indicate primarily the deterioration of the properties of the magnetic shaft. You can fix the problem by replacing a failed shaft.
Problems with the metering blade
One element of the cartridge is the metering blade. With its help, the amount of toner that enters the magnetic shaft during printing is controlled. The poor quality paper used for the printer can be one of the reasons for this breakdown. Small fibers from the paper will accumulate on the blade, as a result of which the shaft will not be able to collect a sufficient amount of toner in the place of their accumulation. As a result, the printed document will have a white stripe over the entire length of the page.
To restore print quality, make sure the metering blade is installed correctly. If blockages are visible, the blade must be cleaned, and in case of complete wear - replace it.
Contact problems between the photoreceptor and the magnetic shaft
Horizontal black bars when printing with a laser printer indicate a violation or complete lack of contact between the drum and the magnetic shaft. In most cases, this is caused by contamination formed at the contacts. To solve this problem, clean the cartridge.
Leakage
In the event that when printing on a laser printer, stripes appear in different places throughout the page, most likely the problem is in the cartridge itself. To find out the cause of the malfunction, remove the part from the printer and carefully inspect. If toner spills from it, make sure that there are seals and no signs of mechanical stress, such as cracks or chips. In the event that an irreparable defect is found, only replacing the cartridge will help.
Waste Toner Overflow
If toner is poured from the cartridge when removing the cartridge, you need to check the fill level of the bin. The fact that the bunker is full can also indicate vertical black bars when printing various files on a laser printer. They can consist of scattered small strips and dots and span the entire length of the document. Also, these stripes will be located to the right or left of the center of the sheet. This defect can be eliminated by cleaning the waste from the hopper.
Charging roller malfunction
Problems with the charge roller can be diagnosed if during printing the whole or some part of the document is doubled. The charge roller, aka Korotron, is a metal rod with a rubber sheath. A charge passes through it to the surface of the drum at the start of printing and the removal of residual static voltage after. Incorrect operation of the charging shaft is caused by such malfunctions as:
- dirt on the rubber surface of the shaft or its wear;
- tears or punctures of the rubber coating;
- electrical breakdown or a change in electrostatic parameters.
If there is no visible damage on the rubber coating of the shaft, then to eliminate doubles and streaks when printing on a laser printer, it is worth checking whether there is electrical contact on the shaft itself and also clean the rubber shell. If these manipulations did not give a positive result or there are mechanical damages in the roller device, it must be replaced.
Conclusion
This article discusses the causes of blurring of the image, vertical and horizontal stripes when printing on a laser printer, as well as methods for restoring its performance. It is worth noting that everything described above is done at your own peril and risk, and if you are not an expert in this field, it is better to have the printer repaired by qualified craftsmen to fix the printing malfunction. Sometimes, independent intervention can exacerbate the problem and ultimately lead to even more expensive repair of the device.