1320c printing grey instead of black - RESOLVED

Did you pull all EIGHT (8) sealing ribbons from the PHD unit during first setup and installation? (4 in front, 4 in rear)

This is the most common cause of what you're experiencing...... failing to follow the setup instructions..... exactly. The above image was "lifted" from the big newspaper size setup sheet which is the first thing seen when you open the printer box. There's also a very good setup instructional video on the CD.

If the 4 rear ribbons are still installed, remove them and print about 20-30 pages. If the print is still faint, you've ruined the PHD unit and you'll need a new one, Dell P/N DT574

Yeah I found that in the help also.  Thanks for your reply.  I ordered one just to replace.  Figured it has to be something with the printer not driver related.  Spent 129 on fuser and now 99 on PHD just about what we paid for the printer.  Hopefully that does it.   The printer was working fine until I replaced the black toner cartridge.  Never touched the PHD unit.  

Thanks, Bob

Hi , was hoping you could tell me if  you resolved the problems you had with your Dell 1320C. I have had the same sort of problem, and ended up having to buy a new printer because the warranty for the printer was only 1 year, whereas the toner has a 5 year warranty! My dell problem was that after just 2500 copies, the black and colour printout became faint on the left hand side of the print-out. I have tried everything that you have tried but it doesn't improve. I also failed to find a Dell service manual ( not operator manual but full service manual anywhere) which makes me think these printers are assembled under another name and then branded Dell.

Cheers, Brian

Well -- this seems to be a problem for many people.  I have also now run into this issue.

Below is not a fix -- but it does work --

I have found that you need to print a very large job -- like 100 or more pages.  In the middle of that large job, the printer will stop and do a re-set.  After he does the re-set, the page will come out black again.

I know this wastes about 75 or more pages of text -- however, since I it does not matter whether you are using the expensive or cheap cartridges -- it really does not matter to me.

So my recommendation -- buy the cheaper black cartridges (I have seen them as cheap as US$14.  When the gray starts -- setup a large full page of text -- 100 page print job.  Let it go.  The printer will stop somewhere around 50-75 pages -- will re-set itself -- and the pages will begin to be black again.

I have been able to re-create this at least a dozen times.  Still have only use 3 or 4 cartridges in the process.

Not the best solution -- but until Dell gives us update firmware or another fix -- this will work.

 (Don't forget -- it does not matter if you get the real expensive or cheap cartridge -- it happens with both!)

SIgn me -- A printing fool in Las Vegas. 

Does indeed work. Thanks!

Printing a 100 page document did solve my "black printing as gray" problem.

Hi, yes this resolved my printing problem as well. I just ran a print off with text on the 'back' of paper that was appropriate to my business, and reloaded paper, so not to waste it. I love this printer, but was being driven mad my this issue - thanks for tip. All works fine again :-)  DELL can we sort a firmware fix, there is obviously an issue??

Short lived fix !! - soon went grey again and now colours also washed as well. I have found cleaning CTD and color registaration adjustment seems to have worked - link here:

<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

Hope this helps others

None of the above seems to give a "permanent" fix to the fading black print. Anyway I'm happy to print lightly in black and white for most prints as it saves on toner.

AND, if I require a darker copy, I simply go to DELL TOOLBOX... Printer Maintenance... Adjust Altitude... and set it to 3000m. Then I set it back to 0m for general printing.

Unfortunately I also have the fading down the left side of the print and nothing seems to work... except Adjust Altitude = 3000m does minimize the problem and make it "readable". It's because of this fading down the LHS that I can no longer use the "draft" mode as the print on the LHS becomes invisible !!!!

Worked for me - I printed about 130 pages of thick black 18 point text and my normally trusty 1320c is now back to its former glory.  Thanks to pyz0123 for the solution / temporary workaround.

Ok, I have been experiencing same problem all week, tried 3 different cartridges, came on here tried everything, still same.  However when a tried putting another cartridge in its holder, it was obstructed by part of the original cartridge, removed this works fantastic. :emotion-1:  Hope this helps.