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3100CN Blurred Black Print
I have a new problem with my 3100CN. While I still have the notorious 'vertical tearing' in color prints, I have, at least come to understand that the drum is causing that problem and I am aware of the 'fix.'
This issue, however, is a recent development: the last few lines of text - if those lines are in <12 point fonts - are blurred. Specifically, footnotes, references, etc., on the last 3 or 4 lines of a full page of text, will repeatably, regardless of the document, have double printed characters, one a few thousandths of an inch below the other.
The printer has had about 10,000 pages thru it.
Has anyone else seen this, and, if so, is there a 'fix' for this, too?
llynster
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April 20th, 2009 10:00
When diagnosing print quality issues, pictures speak a thousand words.
If you can, please scan or take some pictures of your defective images and post them with your reply. You can upload your images here[1].
fyi...... max image width allowed in this forum is 500 pixels.
Be sure to point out the problem area on the image.
After uploading the image, click the link to that image to open it, then right-click in the center of the image to show the URL. Copy the URL info and paste that in your reply.
[1] http://en.community.dell.com/media/g/printers/default.aspx
llynster
1.7K Posts
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April 21st, 2009 12:00
I stumbled across your image when I was looking thru my image set...... You didn't reply back that you had scanned and posted the image there :emotion-3:
This printing looks like it's all the way down at the bottom of the page, correct?
Have you always printed this far down the page?
You say this just started doing this, or was this a gradual development?
What size paper are you using?
Where are you feeding the paper from?
llynster
1.7K Posts
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April 21st, 2009 13:00
No problem...... LOL :emotion-2: I'm glad I stumbled across the image.
OK, for the image to appear like this on your finished page means that the paper either buckled or pulled taught as the paper was driven across the BTR roller. The BTR is the device that transfers the image from the belt to the surface of the paper. If the speed of the paper varies at all (due to a buckle or pull), it will compress or elongate (smear) the image. It is critical that the paper speed and belt speed are matched exactly a this point, or print distortion will occur.
I'm assuming the finished page is properly fused and the text can't be smeared with your finger?
Now, since everything that drives the paper rollers, drum, and BTR is gear driven, their speed (relative to each other) will always be constant. The only real variation may be introduced with dirty rollers..... paper slippage. But this would more than likely be seen as a gradually appearing defect. Any single event you can tie to the appearance of this defect? Paper jams? Do you ever print labels? Have any labels become missing after going thru the printer?
At this point, I think a good old fashioned thorough cleaning of as many rollers as you can access is a worthwhile thing to do. The best thing to use is a lint-free cloth (an old clean tee shirt is great) and a mild detergent and water solution. Then, go over the cleaning you just did with a water only solution. (not good to leave any soap residue in the machine; use limited amounts of water..... no dripping)
BradP618
4 Posts
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April 21st, 2009 13:00
I hadn't connected paper jams to the blurred print, but, hey - it's a 3100CN, and, envelopes are notorious, at least in my machine, for jamming. In fact, now that you mention it, this appeared at about the same time that envelopes started appearing with double printed 'to' addresses - one address appears in 'ghost text' an inch or two offset from the 'real' one, and, the 'real' one 30% - 35% too light in toner density. I have, in fact, finally, given up trying to print envelopes with the machine. The quality is far too poor to present to the USPS.
Thanks for the tip on rollers - I'll clean all that I can reach and see if that helps.
BradP618
4 Posts
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April 21st, 2009 13:00
Somewhere in cyberspace, there is a reply to you that, apparently, never got delivered...with an announcment of the addition of the image to the files.
The image I scanned was cropped to save space. The blurred text is no further down the page than any other printed text...in other words, I have neither reset nor have I ignored margin settings. The document I scanned was printed directly from an Outlook Express email message. What you didn't see, as I cropped it out of the scanned image, is that the date - printed in ... 12? point font ... appears at the lower right corner of the page, below the three blurred lines, and is perfect, with no sign of the blurring, whatsoever.
This reduction in print quality started suddenly, and, was not concurrent with any change of toner or paper. The printer is still running with the OEM drum in place.
The paper is standard 8.5x11 inch, 24 pound stock and is feeding from Tray 1.
Templecloud
2 Posts
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November 24th, 2011 07:00
Think I have the same problem.
My Dell 3100cn has just had the drum replaced and a service, but on getting it home I find it has this problem of blurred text. The first page printed in a run is fine - but from page 2 the bottom paragraph (about 2.5 inches) of any A4 page is blurred to varying degrees. Occasionally the top of the page is also badly blurred.
The drum was replaced after the printer was unused for over a year owing to awful streaking - although the drum had only done 10,000 copies.
Could a roller have dried out / become warped from long lack of use? And can you let me know which roller it is so I can tell the people who serviced it? A not very good image is below as my scanner is playing up too...
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/peripherals/m/printers/19999518.aspx
Any thoughts appreciated.
Frances