The photocopier prints with black stripes, what should I do? Why does the printer print in stripes and how to fix it

Each of us is faced with a huge amount of documents every day. Many people use printers, plotters, and multifunctional devices at work or at home. It is quite natural that over time they begin to produce low-quality results. One of these problems is the appearance of streaks on printouts.

Reasons why the printer starts streaking

For inkjet and laser artists, the reasons may be different, so the situation will also have to be corrected in different ways. Let's look at each of them.

Laser printer prints in stripes

In this case, the cause may be a small amount of toner in the cartridge or a malfunction of the photoconductor. Therefore, it is best to call a specialist who will refuel it and at the same time diagnose the operation of the device. If the problem is only a small level of toner and you do not have time to call a specialist, then you can remove the cartridge yourself. Before doing this, it is advisable to cover the furniture and floors, because the toner can stain everything. Remove the cartridge and shake it slightly. This procedure will be enough for you to print a maximum of 50 pages. In the future, you will still have to call a specialist.

Inkjet printer prints in stripes

In the case of jets, there may be several reasons. Firstly, ink also tends to run out. Secondly, due to prolonged inactivity and dye deposition, the print head may become clogged. Thirdly, the print head cable may be faulty. Fourth, the print head is faulty.

The simplest thing in this case is a low level of dye. To check this, you need to go to the printing device dialog box and find the corresponding tab there. Here you will see which color or cartridge needs to be replaced. If you use a continuous ink supply system (CISS), then controlling the level is much easier. Its clear ink tanks are always visible and easy to refill.

If the print head nozzles are clogged, it is necessary to carry out its prevention. Every inkjet printer has automatic nozzle cleaning. To do this, select the “Maintenance” function in the printer dialog box and start the process. After completing the procedure, you need to print a control page. If the situation has not changed, you will still have to contact the service center. Most often, such a print head should be replaced. But if you urgently need to print an important document, then you can carefully remove the sticker and inject ink using a regular medical syringe. Inject only as much as the cartridge is rated to avoid overfilling.

Methods for cleaning the print head

There are several options for how to manually normalize the print head. To do this, you need to remove the cartridges and place them in a container with an alcohol-containing solution or 40% ethyl alcohol. Make sure the cartridge is placed with the print head facing down. Leave it in this position for several hours. After this, it will be necessary to carry out purging.

If the print head is inactive for a long time, you need to use another method. Try holding it above the steam at a distance of 10-15cm for 10 seconds. Repeat the procedure approximately 5 times, in between blowing out the cartridge using a medical syringe.

If you install CISS, this problem will not affect you. Thanks to the uninterrupted movement of the ink, the print head is always full and therefore does not dry out. You can also solve this problem by using water-soluble ink. They do not form sediment, which is the cause of clogging.

In addition, you can find special solutions designed for soaking cartridges. There are three types of such compositions:

acidic - excellent for the print head of an HP printer;
alkaline - suitable for the print head of Epson and Canon printers;
neutral.

If you were unable to correct the situation, it is better to contact technical support specialists. Our experts will help you set up your printer’s work and also give advice on how to use it effectively.

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Dirty printing, black stripes, causes and their elimination

Black lines along the entire page, we tell you the reasons for their appearance and how to eliminate them.

Does your printer leave black streaks along the entire page when printing?

These black lines when printing are a very unpleasant phenomenon, especially when you urgently need to print out an important work or contract, and it’s a shame that this unpleasant moment happens when we don’t have time to deal with this problem.

This problem is one of the most common, faced by almost every user of a laser printer or MFP.

Here's what you'll learn from this article:

What Causes Black Streaks or Smudges on a Print Page

How to fix black stripes printing problem

What's the deal with weak or missing prints?

WHAT CAUSES BLACK STRIPES OR SPOTS ON A PRINT PAGE?

There are several possible reasons for the appearance of longitudinal black stripes across the entire sheet, as well as pale spots, and each of these faults has its own reason. Let's first determine what exactly you have?

1. Black lines or tracks from top to bottom along the entire sheet, they can be either on the right or on the left, less often they are located in the center.

2. Missing areas when printing, just a white empty spot where the text should be (it happens most often somewhere in one place on the sheet and is always repeated, or not).

3. Black dirty spots from toner on a sheet of paper, they can also be repeated all the time in the same places on the sheet.

In any of the cases shown above, the first thing you need to do is run the printer, image drum and fuser cleaning wizard. All this is in the printer’s system menu; cleaning can be started both from the console of the device itself and from the computer. Now after cleaning the printer everything remains unchanged, we proceed to the next steps:

BLACK LINES ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE SHEET

Cause: Inside the printer, a sheet of paper is moved by rollers and a transfer belt, it is a piece of film. So, longitudinal lines along the sheet can appear due to their contamination or the coating of these elements with excess toner powder, and accordingly, when the paper moves along them, our unpleasant lines remain.

Solution: You can perform the following series of procedures to try to resolve this issue.

1. Take a lint-free cloth, rubber gloves to prevent toner from getting on your hands, isopropyl alcohol and a soft brush, and use them to gently clean the rollers that you can easily reach;

2. Use a vacuum (carefully with a vacuum cleaner not at full power) to remove visible toner particles;

3. Using a lint-free cloth, very carefully wipe the transfer ribbon (not all printers have this);

4. If after this, the problem remains, then only replacing the transfer belt will eliminate the problem.

Warning: Do not touch the transfer ribbon with your fingers; you may leave fingerprints on it, which can also have a negative effect on subsequent printing.

Remember, you need to be extremely careful when cleaning the printer, but if you are not sure, it is better to contact a specialist who already has experience in cleaning the printer.

MISSING PRINT AREAS (either always in the same place or not)

Cause: There are several possible causes, so we need to check each of them during the troubleshooting process to find it, but in most cases, the problem is caused by a worn-out drum cartridge.

The principle of operation of a laser printer is that a beam throws an image of what you want to print onto a photodrum (metal green shaft) or, as it is also called, onto a drum cartridge or photoconductor. Then this shaft rotates and transfers the fixed toner onto the paper, and then it is thermally “baked” on the sheet; we described in more detail about the operation of a laser printer.

If the drum is damaged in any way or has fingerprints, dirt and other foreign matter, this can lead to blocking the fixation of the powder on its surface, which is what the white - empty prints on the sheet tell us.

Another reason that causes white spots on a printout may be damage to the fuser.

The fuser is a component part of the printer, which, like other components, has its own printing resource; it is responsible for “melting” the toner (powder) or, more simply, for fixing it on a sheet of paper.

Solution: Unfortunately, this technical part of the printer cannot be cleaned so simply and easily, but the following steps can help fix the problem:

1. Replace the toner cartridge, it may already be finished and a small amount of toner powder may lead to this problem;

2. Try replacing the drum block;

3. Replace the fusing unit (oven, fuser), this is unfortunately the most expensive part in the printer, but it also has an impressive resource of more than 100,000 pages.

Warning: Never touch the metal cylinder (image drum), and remember, if you are unsure, call a professional.

DIRTY SPOTS ON A SHEET OF PAPER (either always in the same place or not)

Cause: your printer has printed a sheet of paper with dirty, black spots on it, this indicates that there is a problem with the drum or rollers.

This reason is very similar to the wear on the drum that we described above, a fingerprint or dirt on the roller that lubricates the toner on the page as it passes through the fuser.

Solution: if the printer allows you to remove the photodrum, then after taking it out you can visually inspect for any defects on its surface (the presence of fingerprints, scratches, chips and other foreign objects). You can also remove the toner cartridge and look inside the printer and see if everything is clean and beautiful. Let's try to fix this problem step by step and get the desired clean sheet without any defects.

1. Clean the rollers with a brush or vacuum;

2. We will replace the toner cartridge, if we have a spare one, it may be faulty or has already exhausted its printing life;

3. Replace the drum block;

4. Replace the fusing unit.

One of these steps is guaranteed to eliminate the problem of dirty pages when printing. Be careful and careful when carrying out this work, and if you are not sure, then calling a specialist will be the best solution.

It also happens that when printed, a white, blank sheet comes out!

You can be very impressed by focusing on the fact that you will now receive a beautifully printed document from the printer, and then you will receive a blank sheet of paper. Or a sheet with faintly visible text.

This is the least common problem, I didn't focus on it too much, but don't worry, I'm here and will cover it too!

Weakly noticeable or missing prints can be caused by the fact that the cartridge does not fit tightly to the drum, is not completely seated in its place, or is not completely closed.

Here's one way to help fix this:

1. Visually check the cartridge or drum for the presence of protective tapes and shipping seals, whether you have removed everything unnecessary, whether you have pulled out the protective tape if any, and also all the orange plastic “things” must be removed.

We hope that you carefully examined everything, removed or pulled out what you forgot to remove and received a high-quality and beautiful print. This method, of course, was suitable for a new cartridge that you just inserted; with any other method, this means that the cartridge is already exhausted and needs to be replaced.

Why does the printer print in stripes? This is primarily due to the fact that as the printer ages, the quality of the printed image deteriorates.

One of the most common printing defects is the appearance of stripes on paper - wide and narrow, single-color and multi-color, horizontal, vertical, located in one place or, conversely, in different places.

There are many reasons why a printer prints in stripes. Most often, this is banal wear of parts and contamination of the printing mechanism with paint particles.

However, first things first.

If you have an inkjet printer

Reasons for striped printing

Here are the main reasons why streaks appear when printing with any brand of inkjet printer:

Ink is running out.
The ink has dried inside the print head.
The print head is airy.
The print head is faulty or its cable has failed.

Troubleshooting

1. Check the ink levels:

run the printer management utility (if you don’t have it, install it from the disk that came with the printer when you purchased it or from the manufacturer’s website);
open the “Maintenance” or “Service” section;

run an ink level check.

This is what the “Estimated Ink Levels” tab looks like in the HP Printer Management Utility

And so - in the Epson printer settings

In continuous ink supply systems (CISS), the level can be assessed visually, since the cans are transparent.

If the ink runs out, the cartridge needs to be replaced or refilled.

2. Clean the print head

The printheads in inkjet printers can be located in the cartridge or in the printer itself.

The first option is implemented in the bulk of Canon and HP models, the second - in Epson.

If you have a printer of the first type, you can simply change the cartridge to solve the problem.

In cases where replacement is impractical (the cartridge is not completely used), or is irrelevant (replacing the print head in Epson printers is comparable in cost to buying a new printer), you can try to solve the problem by cleaning it.

At home, it is best to do this programmatically:

Insert a sheet of paper into the printer, launch the management utility and open the “Maintenance” section (“Service”).
Clean the print head and check the nozzles (nozzles or, in other words, “spray guns” from which ink comes out). Such options are available in the service programs of printers of any brand. Here are some examples:

Advice! If the problem is not solved, cleaning should be repeated 1-2 more times. When this does not help, you can remove dried ink from the print head with chemical liquids (at home, “Mr. Muscle” is usually used for this).

If you have CISS, make sure that the holes through which air enters the jars are clear. If they have filters installed, check that they are not dirty.

If air passes through the filters with difficulty, they need to be replaced or removed.

Advice! If you rarely print, to prevent ink from drying out, it is enough to turn on the printer at least once a week. It is not necessary to print, since after switching on, a little ink is forced through the print head nozzles. It doesn't have time to dry out in a week.

Cleaning the print head also helps if it becomes airy, which happens after changing or refilling cartridges.

3. Make sure the print head is working properly.

If cleaning, including manual flushing with liquids, does not help solve the problem, most likely the head or associated parts (cable) have failed.

Breakdowns of the printing mechanism often occur due to careless handling during removal, and sometimes spontaneously, especially if you print often and a lot.

The only way to fix the problem is to replace the faulty part.

Why is it easier to solve this problem when a Canon or HP printer prints in streaks? Because, as we said, their print heads are located in cartridges.

You just need to replace the cartridges with new ones.

However, remember that their price can be 50-90% of the cost of the printer. The high cost is explained by the fact that the print head costs much higher than the ink tank.

If the printing device in an Epson or another model with a print head in the printer itself breaks down, you will have to contact service.

If a laser printer prints in stripes

Causes of malfunction

Streaks in laser printing may be caused by one of the following problems:

The toner is running low.
The cartridge is not sealed.
The waste toner bin is full.
The photoconductor is damaged.
The metering blade is not installed correctly.
The contact between the photodrum and the magnetic shaft is broken.
The magnetic shaft is damaged or a foreign object has fallen on it.

Troubleshoot printing problems in different situations

The stripes appear in different places each time

If your laser printer prints in stripes across the entire sheet of paper or the stripes are always located in different places, the problem is most likely in the cartridge.

Remove it and make sure it is sealed tightly.

If the toner spills out, check whether the sealing rubber bands that retain the toner are in place, and whether there is any damage to the cartridge body.

If the defect is irreparable, replace the cartridge with a new one.

The stripes consist of individual small dots

This problem often occurs when the cartridge is refilled poorly - the hopper is overfilled with waste toner or the dispensing blade is installed incorrectly (the dispensing blade regulates the amount of toner that falls on the magnetic roller).

To solve the problem, you need to refill the cartridge, set the blade to the correct position and clean the hopper.

If a printer with an HP or Canon cartridge prints with such stripes, do not ask why and do not try to refill it. Change the cartridge - their quality leaves much to be desired.

Unprinted stripes in any part of the sheet

This often happens when the toner runs out, or when a foreign object gets on the printer shaft - a paper clip, a screw, or a piece of hardened toner. Refill required.

A wavy or intermittent stripe is located along the edges of the sheet on one or both sides

This defect occurs when the image drum is worn out or damaged.

The photodrum is a cylinder coated with a layer of photosensitive varnish. Immediately before printing, the laser illuminates the areas of the photodrum to which the magnetic roller transfers the toner.

During prolonged use, the photosensitive layer wears off on the edges of the paper. When this happens, the drum needs to be changed.

For some reason, it is believed that Epson printers begin printing with such stripes after 3-5 years. This is not true - printers of any brand are susceptible to the problem.

Horizontal stripes at equal distances from each other

This defect occurs when there is poor contact between the photodrum and the magnetic roller due to spilled toner, as well as due to the toner waste bin being overfilled.

Usually it is the result of poor-quality cartridge refilling, and sometimes it is a consequence of wear of the printing mechanism components (photo drum, shaft or squeegee - plate for cleaning the drum).

The problem can be solved by refilling the cartridge or replacing the faulty unit.

Why does the printer print in stripes? Everyone puts their own meaning into this question: for some, the stripes are always in one place, for others they are located chaotically, for others they are red, for others they are black, others complain about white, etc. They can also be vertical or horizontal. Everyone has their own, so let’s look at the main reasons in order.

If the stripes are always in different places

When the printer prints in such a way that the stripes on each printed sheet are located randomly, in different places, then the problem in 90% lies in the damaged integrity/tightness of the cartridge. In other words, the toner wakes up. It’s easy to check it yourself (if you’re not afraid of getting dirty), take out the cartridge and start... shaking it. Got dirty? Take it to the technician, it is likely that the problem can be easily solved.

The black bars are always in the same place.

I see two explanations for this.

1. If the printer is old (3-5 years), then it shaft could well have fallen into disrepair, this is due to the usual obsolescence of technology.

2. Again, the shaft, but it could be deformed due to foreign objects: for example, a paper clip, buttons, seeds, etc. After all, the material from which it is made is ordinary rubber, which, you see, cannot boast of great stability. To give you an idea of what this is, here is a screenshot:

Horizontal stripes.

We check the nozzles, see which colors appear in stripes, and calibrate the print head.

The program will help with this Print Head Alignment

After installation, make sure there are no printing errors,

load A4 paper into the printer,

Click on the printer icon (in the taskbar) and select the appropriate one. item “rint Head Alignment”

Vertical stripes.

If the result is as in the picture, try cleaning the nozzle.

For Epson, this is done programmatically, in the settings, “service” tab, cleaning function. 3-4 times is enough. Sometimes this is not enough, so be prepared to work with your hands, or, what’s easier, take the printer to a service center.

The stripes are located along the edges

It doesn't matter if it's from the left or right edge. This is due to a worn out photodrum. The problem is solved by replacing it; it is also necessary to clean the cartridge.

General algorithm of actions

If you have any printing problems, first of all always check the print head, if cleaning it does not help (software), check the nozzles, clean them. If this does not work, the fault is with the cartridge, or with a failed head, the latter is the saddest.

White streaks are visible when printing on the printer.

Most printer owners have experienced this. The reason is prosaic - the paint is running out.

IN average one cartridge is enough for 1200-1400 pages.

If you need to print something extremely urgent, shaking the cartridge will help. Literally. But I don’t recommend doing this often, because... The image drum wears out faster.

Interesting things on the blog:

Sometimes printing equipment breaks down. Depending on the type of device (laser or inkjet printer), troubleshooting has its own individual characteristics. The black line may appear on the side, or the printer may leave horizontal streaks along the sheet. Such defects can be found when Canon and Brother equipment malfunctions.

If black strip arises at print on laser printer, then there may be several reasons for the defect.

The toner has run out of ink. When the ink runs out, the device most often prints documents with white spaces or spots. When printing, the printer leaves black stripes in different places on the sheet only when there is a malfunction. To complete urgent printing jobs, you can carefully remove the cartridge and shake it slightly so that the remaining powder is evenly distributed over the entire inner surface. This will help restore the device's functionality for a short time. This way you can print approximately 30-50 pages. You can replace the toner yourself, or take the cartridge to a specialized center;
Wear and tear of the photo roll. If there is enough ink, but the device leaves horizontal streaks or streaks on the side of the paper, the problem may be due to wear on the supporting elements. This malfunction is detected by visual inspection of the cartridge. If there are stains, scratches or other mechanical damage on the surface of the photo roller, it will need to be replaced. If there are no visible changes in the surface of the shaft, try to correct the operation of the printer using a special printer management utility. Enter the maintenance section (service) and select print head cleaning with nozzle check;

Printer photo roll

Worn image fixing unit. Elimination of such a malfunction is possible only in a service center by replacing failed parts;
Dirt gets on the photosensitive drum. This problem can be solved by completely reassembling the part and removing adhering dirt from the photosensitive coatings. If the conductive grease on the contacts of the photo shaft has dried up, you will have to completely replace it;
Wear of the dosing blade. In this case, the entire cartridge must be replaced.

Inkjet printer

If jet printer produces black stripes when printing, then possible causes of the malfunction may be:

Low ink. To resolve the problem with horizontal or vertical streaks on the side, go to the device management dialog and check the ink level. If there is a lack of resource, the cartridge should be replaced;
Clogged nozzles on the print head. If the test shows that there is enough ink for printing, but the device still produces sheets with streaks, go to the “Maintenance” section and level the print quality by running the cleaning program. Alternatively, you can try cleaning by hand;
Worn cable on the print head and other serious damage. Usually it is not possible to fix a malfunction of this nature on your own. You will need qualified assistance from an experienced specialist who can set up the equipment and configure the printer for normal printing.

A horizontal black line when printing on a Canon or Brother printer may appear as a result of a clogged head. In the models mentioned above they are located in the cartridge, and in Epsons they are located inside. If you are unable to determine on your own why your print device is producing sheets with horizontal stripes on the side, contact a professional for help.