Inkjet Printer Problems
Inkjet printers resemble the dot-matrix in many aspects. In this sense, it can be said that an inkjet printer is an extension of the dot-matrix printer. Maybe the most noticeable difference between the inkjet and dot-matrix printers is the way the paper is fed into the printers. In the dot-matrix, tractor-feed paper is used while in the inkjet normal paper is used. Inkjet printers are very popular these days. They are used both in office and home environment. They are easy to handle and are less expensive. They also produce high-quality print. But a person needs to have the fundamental idea about printer technology and how it works while dealing with inkjet printers. Some of the most common issues related to these printers are:
Print quality: Most complaints of an inkjet printer are related to the quality of print. It happens mostly due to problems in the ink cartridge. In an inkjet printer, the ink cartridge is made of the print head and the ink. An inkjet printer cannot be kept ideal for a long time or the ink in the small nozzles will dry out hindering the print when started again. Sometimes thin blank lines may be seen throughout the page in inkjet printing. This is due to at least one choked nozzle in the print cartridge. Faded printing is also a very common problem in an inkjet printer. All these issues get solved once the ink cartridge is changed. Sometimes, the ink cartridge may develop a hole causing an increase in the ink flow from the nozzles than is necessary. A little bit of smearing is quite normal but if the smearing seems abnormal, it is required to replace the cartridge.
Paper feeding problem: The paper-feeding system has two following mechanisms:
- The paper is stored in a tray in front of the printer and in most of the cases the tray is placed in the lower part of the printer.
- The paper is fed from a vertical tray placed on the back side of the printer.
Both these types have several options like envelope feed and manual feed. Whatever may be the feed style, the printer maintains a paper-feed mechanism. A paper is taken out from the tray and passed inside the printer for printing. This mechanism contains pickup rollers which are small rubber rollers that push the paper in and feed it into the printer. The mechanism contains small rubber patches called separator pads. These pads help to pick just one paper at a time. A pickup stepper motor helps in the movement of the pickup rollers. If the printer is unable to pick up the paper, it may be an indication of a damaged roller. If the printer is accepting more than one sheet at a time, it could be an issue with the separator pads, otherwise, the papers are sticky or damp. In a vertical paper feeder, a lever functions to adjust the tension between the pickup rollers and the separator pads. If the printer is constantly drawing several sheets of paper, it is required to increase the tension between the pick-up rollers and separator pads using this lever. Another vital component in this mechanism is the paper feed sensor. This sensor tells the printer when the tray is out of the paper. Sometimes, the sensor may malfunction. In such cases it is required to clean the sensor to work properly.
Stepper motor problem: An inkjet printer uses a stepper motor. It helps in the back and front movement of the printing head. The stepper motor and the carriage belt control the movement of the printing head. Again, the print head rests on a metal stabilizer bar to stay stable horizontally. Like the dot-matrix printers, the stepper motor in inkjet printers may also cause similar issues. If the main motor is malfunctioning, the space between two words and two sentences will not be even. If the print head motor is damaged, the Characters may seem disarrayed or squeezed together. Moreover, the print head may stop working or move noisily.
Paper jams: Paper jam is a inkjet problem is not as common as dot-matrix. However, it is not a rare case either. So, the user should not forget to clear the obstruction or clean the printout part once on 3-4 months. Paper jam in inkjet may occur due to the following two reasons:
- A damaged pickup roller due to overuse.
- Use of wrong paper type
