Printing quality problems

If the inside of the machine is dirty or paper has been loaded improperly, there might be a reduction in print quality. See the table below to clear the problem.

Condition	Suggested solutions
Light or faded print	If a vertical white streak or faded area appears on the page, the toner supply is low. Install a new toner cartridge (see Replacing the toner cartridge). The paper may not meet paper specifications; for example, the paper may be too moist or rough. If the entire page is light, the print resolution setting is too low or the toner save mode is on. Adjust the print resolution and turn the toner save mode off. See the help screen of the printer driver. A combination of faded or smeared defects may indicate that the toner cartridge needs cleaning. Clean the inside of your machine (see Cleaning the machine). The surface of the LSU part inside the machine may be dirty. Clean the inside of your machine (see Cleaning the machine). If these steps do not correct the problem, contact a service representative.
The top half of the paper is printed lighter than the rest of the paper	The toner might not adhere properly to this type of paper. Change the printer option and try again. Go to Printing Preferences, click the Paper tab, and set the paper type to Recycled (see Opening printing preferences).
Toner specks	The paper may not meet specifications; for example, the paper may be too moist or rough. The transfer roller may be dirty. Clean the inside of your machine (see Cleaning the machine). The paper path may need cleaning. Contact a service representative (see Cleaning the machine).
Dropouts	If faded areas, generally rounded, occur randomly on the page: A single sheet of paper may be defective. Try reprinting the job. The moisture content of the paper is uneven or the paper has moist spots on its surface. Try a different brand of paper. The paper lot is bad. The manufacturing processes can cause some areas to reject toner. Try a different kind or brand of paper. Change the printer option and try again. Go to Printing Preferences, click the Paper tab, and set type to Thick (see Opening printing preferences). If these steps do not correct the problem, contact a service representative.
White Spots	If white spots appear on the page: The paper is too rough and a lot of dirt from paper falls to the inner components within the machine, so the transfer roller may be dirty. Clean the inside of your machine (see Cleaning the machine). The paper path may need cleaning. Clean the inside of your machine (see Cleaning the machine). If these steps do not correct the problem, contact a service representative.
Vertical lines	If black vertical streaks appear on the page: The surface (drum part) of the toner cartridge inside the machine has probably been scratched. Remove the toner cartridge and install a new one (see Replacing the toner cartridge). If white vertical streaks appear on the page: The surface of the LSU part inside the machine may be dirty. Clean the inside of your machine (see Cleaning the machine). If these steps do not correct the problem, contact a service representative.
Black or color background	If the amount of background shading becomes unacceptable: Change to a lighter weight paper. Check the environmental conditions: very dry conditions or a high level of humidity (higher than 80% RH) can increase the amount of background shading. Remove the old toner cartridge and install a new one (see Replacing the toner cartridge). Thoroughly redistribute the toner (see Redistributing toner).
Toner smear	Clean the inside of the machine (see Cleaning the machine). Check the paper type and quality. Remove the toner cartridge and install a new one (see Replacing the toner cartridge).
Vertical repetitive defects	If marks repeatedly appear on the printed side of the page at even intervals: The toner cartridge may be damaged. If you still have the same problem, remove the toner cartridge and, install a new one (see Replacing the toner cartridge). Parts of the machine may have toner on them. If the defects occur on the back of the page, the problem will likely correct itself after a few more pages. The fusing assembly may be damaged. Contact a service representative.
Background scatter	Background scatter results from bits of toner randomly distributed on the printed page. The paper may be too damp. Try printing with a different batch of paper. Do not open packages of paper until necessary so that the paper does not absorb too much moisture. If background scatter occurs on an envelope, change the printing layout to avoid printing over areas that have overlapping seams on the reverse side. Printing on seams can cause problems. Or select Thick from the Printing Preferences window (see Opening printing preferences). If background scatter covers the entire surface area of a printed page, adjust the print resolution through your software application or in Printing Preferences (see Opening printing preferences). Ensure the correct paper type is selected. For example: If Thicker Paper is selected, but Plain Paper actually used, an overcharging can occur causing this copy quality problem. If you are using a new toner cartridge, redistribute the toner first (see Redistributing toner).
Toner particles are around bold characters or pictures	The toner might not adhere properly to this type of paper. Change the printer option and try again. Go to Printing Preferences, click the Paper tab, and set the paper type to Recycled (see Opening printing preferences). Ensure the correct paper type is selected. For example: If Thicker Paper is selected, but Plain Paper actually used, an overcharging can occur causing this copy quality problem.
Misformed characters	If characters are improperly formed and producing hollow images, the paper stock may be too slick. Try different paper.
Page skew	Ensure that the paper is loaded properly. Check the paper type and quality. Ensure that the guides are not too tight or too loose against the paper stack.
Curl or wave	Ensure that the paper is loaded properly. Check the paper type and quality. Both high temperature and humidity can cause paper curl. Turn the stack of paper over in the tray. Also try rotating the paper 180° in the tray.
Wrinkles or creases	Ensure that the paper is loaded properly. Check the paper type and quality. Turn the stack of paper over in the tray. Also try rotating the paper 180° in the tray.
Back of printouts are dirty	Check for leaking toner. Clean the inside of the machine (see Cleaning the machine).
Solid color or black pages	The toner cartridge may not be installed properly. Remove the cartridge and reinsert it. The toner cartridge may be defective. Remove the toner cartridge and install a new one (see Replacing the toner cartridge). The machine may require repairing. Contact a service representative.
Loose toner	Clean the inside of the machine (see Cleaning the machine). Check the paper type and quality. Remove the toner cartridge and then, install a new one (see Replacing the toner cartridge). If the problem persists, the machine may require repair. Contact a service representative.
Character voids	Character voids are white areas within parts of characters that should be solid black: You may be printing on the wrong surface of the paper. Remove the paper and turn it around. The paper may not meet paper specifications.
Horizontal stripes	If horizontally aligned black streaks or smears appear: The toner cartridge may be installed improperly. Remove the cartridge and reinsert it. The toner cartridge may be defective. Remove the toner cartridge and install a new one (see Replacing the toner cartridge). If the problem persists, the machine may require repairing. Contact a service representative.
Curl	If the printed paper is curled or paper does not feed into the machine: Turn the stack of paper over in the tray. Also try rotating the paper 180° in the tray. Change the printer’s paper option and try again. Go to Printing Preferences, click the Paper tab, and set type to Thin (see Opening printing preferences).
An unknown image repetitively appears on a few sheets Loose toner Light print or contamination occurs	Your machine is probably being used at an altitude of 1,000 m (3,281 ft) or above.The high altitude may affect the print quality, such as loose toner or light imaging. Change the altitude setting for your machine (see Altitude adjustment).