If your printer is printing streaked lines across the page, here are some possible solutions that may help to fix the issue.
1. Check for a clogged printhead: One of the most common causes of streaked lines in printers is a clogged printhead. To check for a clogged printhead, first power off the printer, then open its ink cartridge door. Inside the printer, you should see either a single or multiple ink cartridges with a small piece of sponge at the end. This sponge is the printhead, and if it’s clogged, it will cause streaks in your prints. To unclog the printhead, dip a cotton swab in warm water and gently rub the sponge until any dried ink is removed. Let the head dry before shutting the cartridge door and powering the printer on.
2. Clean the printer rollers: If the problem persists after cleaning the printhead, check the printer’s rollers. All printers have small rubber rollers which help the paper feed through. These rollers can become covered with dust or dirt, making it difficult for the paper to move smoothly. To clean the rollers, turn off the printer and unplug it from the wall outlet. Then, take a damp cloth and wipe down each roller. Once the rollers have been cleaned, plug the printer back in and try to print again.
3. Replace the ink cartridge: If the streaks are still present after cleaning the printhead and rollers, you may need to replace the ink cartridge. In general, when a cartridge has run out of ink, it can cause the printer to produce streaks. To replace an old cartridge, open the ink compartment on your printer and take out the old cartridge. Carefully install the replacement cartridge, making sure that it is properly seated. Also, make sure that the new cartridge has been filled with fresh, high-quality ink. Once everything is in place, close the cartridge compartment and try to print again.
4. Adjust the print settings: Some printers allow users to adjust the print settings. If your streaks haven’t gone away after the above steps, try adjusting the print settings to improve the quality of your prints. This can be done through the printer’s control panel or in the print settings of the application you’re using. Try using a higher quality setting such as a photo or draft mode, as this can help reduce the amount of streaking.
5. Test another printer or media: If all else fails, try testing the printer with another type of media. Different media types (e.g. paper, cardstock, labels, envelopes, etc.) can produce different results when printed. Also, compare prints between different printers – if another printer works better, yours might need servicing or repairs.
If you’ve tried all of the above solutions to no avail, it’s likely that your printer is in need of repair or servicing. Contact a qualified printer technician to assess the problem and offer any needed repairs. By doing this, you can ensure that your printer works correctly and avoid any further streaky prints in the future.