Why does a color printer print with stripes?
A printer is a complex piece of equipment that requires careful handling, and if we are talking about a color device, then the list of possible problems with it will be even wider. This article will talk about why color printers sometimes start printing images with completely unnecessary stripes on it, as well as what to do in such a situation.
The content of the article
Why does a color printer print with stripes? TOP reasons
There are only a few main reasons why a printing device may start printing images or photos with stripes. Among them:
- Ink shortage
- Filling PG nozzles with ink
- Presence of air in the print head
- Problems with the electronic “stuffing” of the device
Important! In some cases, it is possible to fix a particular breakdown on your own, however, if the user is not confident in his own repair skills, he should entrust the matter to professionals.
How to fix a printer failure?
If the printer began its “strip” printout suddenly, for no apparent reason, this may indicate that it is simply running out of ink. In order to check the ink level, you need to select “Service” or a similar option in the device management menu, and then start checking the ink level. This problem is easily solved by replacing the cartridge.
Important! If the printer was in the cold for some time before the malfunction occurred (for example, it was transported), then you should wait a little and let the device “thaw”, and then check the printing ability again.
If the printer was idle for a long time before the malfunction occurred, the ink in it could dry out and partially clog the PG nozzles. In order to clean the PG, you need to start cleaning the print head in the same “Service” menu. The procedure can and should be repeated several times, however, an interval of 10-15 minutes must be maintained between cleaning starts. If this does not help, you should rinse the head manually, and this is already a task for a service specialist.
Practice shows that sometimes stripes when printing full-color images occur due to failures in the mechanics of the device. In this case, most users advise contacting service centers for help, since attempts to fix the problem yourself can lead to even greater damage to the device.
Important! Problems with “mechanics” may be indicated by a number of vertical stripes along the sheet. Such defects are a sign of contamination of the raster tape, and they can be solved by cleaning it.
In addition, mechanical failures in the operation of devices include problems with the encoder disk. An encoder disk is a small wheel on the right or left side of the device, which is connected to the material feed mechanism engine through a gear drive. Using this part, the device “sees” the position of the material during the printing process. Contamination of the encoder disk is often indicated by transverse stripes on the materials. The spaces between such stripes are usually the same width.As in the previous case, the problem is solved by cleaning the part from dirt.
