How to Troubleshoot a Printer Ink is Faded?

  • By: John
  • Date: April 4, 2023
  • Time to read: 5 min.

Are you frustrated with faded printing? You worked hard on some official reports, and when the time came to get the desired result, your printer disappointed you. Let’s get down to the business we often face during the ownership of the printers.   

Well, there are several solutions to this frustration. This article will give you a valuable guide to answer all the questions about how to troubleshoot a printer ink faded?

It is so depressing for you after a lot of hard work when you get faded printed pages. So many reasons can be behind it, like printer paper quality or ink problems. So, what to do next even after you change a new ink cartridge? Instead of being disturbed, you should understand the reason behind this to improve the print quality. You can easily take a few quick steps before going for professional help.  

1. How to Clean the cartridge drum:  

Are you frequently noticing blotches on your printouts? Perhaps it is time to replace or clean your printer drum. From an economic point of view, it’s better to clean it by yourself. Cartridge drums are highly sensitive as they play a key role in transferring the image on the paper, so be careful while cleaning them. Cleaning the print head or cartridge drum could fix the issue. Moreover, before cleaning, you should need a few supplies to ensemble before starting the procedure. You must have essential supplies like:  

  • Cotton swabs  
  • Tweezers  
  • Soft fibred cloth  
  • Paper towels  
  • Rubbing alcohol/ alcohol swabs  

Now you can examine your printer without any hassle. But be careful and don’t forget to check the connection and remove the cord from the switchboard. Remove papers from the paper tray. And follow these instructions:  

  • To avoid any damage, examine/read the printer’s manual.  
  • Check if there is any ink blockage.  
  • In case of blockage, wipe with a wet cloth and dry immediately.  
  • In case of toner scatters, wash it with cold water.  
  • Gently wipe the whole surface with a soft cloth.  
  • Reinstall the cartridge.  
  • Run a test print and see the things get better or not.  
  •   

2. Refill ink cartridges:  

Printing is an essential task in every business. When you doubt refilling ink cartridges or need to buy a new one, this article will help you decide better. Do you know it is better to refill ink cartridges that are cheaper than buying a new one? It’s pretty economical to refill the ink cartridge to avoid faded printing.

If the cleaning print head doesn’t work, then it’s time to replace your printer cartridge. Mostly they have a shelf life of two years. They have a shorter life expectancy if they are placing idle in your printer. Your Ink cartridges dry more quickly rather than toner cartridges. It is suggested that printing at least every couple of weeks can help to boost the ink cartridges’ life.  

You can refill your ink cartridge approximately more than six times. It depends on the quality and usage. Printing supplies are essential to run the printer efficiently. Always prefer quality and compatible printing supplies to run your profession smoothly. Generally, if you buy cartridges in bulk, it is an excellent way to save money. It cuts your purchasing cost, and saves your time and capital for the next replacement.  

Before refilling the ink cartridge to avoid faded printing, you must  

  • Check the ink level on the printer display  
  • Run a print quality report  
  • Prime the cartridge  

3. Changes to printer settings:/ how to fix/manage print settings/printing driver issue:  

Do you understand there are a lot of causes behind faded prints? All printers have different print properties and capabilities. To resolve faded printing adjust the printer density in the printer settings. You could set options back to default if they appeared changed. After that, do a test run to get your desired result. If the problem is solved, you are ready to use it. If the quality of the printed paper is not as expected, then before printing again, check   

  • The printer’s speed  
  • Use regular print mode  

You can’t always blame hardware for poor printing. Printing software acts as an interpreter between your device and printer. Like all other software printing drivers can also go outdated. And sometimes, they lose compatibility with your device after the upgrade. If you face a problem with basic commands, a printing driver/software update may fix faded printing. If the problem persists, then maybe you have the wrong driver. And you get rid of faded printing by installing some up-to-date printing software from the printer manufacturer’s website for a better-desired result.  

4. Reinsert the cartridge:  

ANOTHER REASON FOR faded printing is the jammed and displaced cartridge. Every so often, ink cartridges stop working even if they have ink inside. If it happens, it means the print head is not connected to the page. As a result, a faded print appears. You can speedily solve this issue by doing the following:  

  • Switch off the printer  
  • Access and remove the print cartridge from the printer.  
  • Reinsert the cartridge  
  • Turn the power on  

If the test print goes well, it means the issue is resolved, and you can carry on your work. If the situation is vice versa, you need an expert to deal with the problem.  

5. Restart the Cartridge sensor:  

Printers have ink cartridges that have a built-in chip in them. The function of this chip is to monitor the ink level inward of the cartridge. However, they are not so accurate. Restarting the cartridge sensor is a piece of cake for professionals. But it is very challenging for self-taught people. If ink/toner cartridges are not installed properly, it may cause your printer to be unlocked even if you are an old printer user. It may prevent your printer from properly function.  

It is a mini green circuit board approximately a quarter of the size of the postage stamp. It is to be found on the front of the printer cartridge.  

 The ink cartridge sensor serves a couple of functions like  

  • Printing color.  
  • Certify the working of the cartridge.

An easy way to reset the ink cartridge is to use a paper clip to eject ports on your printer cartridge sensor. This strong wire reset the chip on your ink cartridge to get rid of faded printing.

It is better to change your ink cartridge whenever you get low ink warnings. Moreover, I suggest you buy a USB-powered model for your ink cartridge as they are convenient to use.  

  Cautions:  

  • Always unplug the printer before replacing or cleaning the inner components.  
  • Avoid your fingers to stick any moving section.  
  • Always wait to cool down the internal parts before touch.  

Conclusion:  

To conclude, it is not as tough to troubleshoot the printer by yourself. It saves your money and precious time. In comparison, it takes time to find a professional for repairs. But you should take some precautions and handle the printer carefully to avoid any severe damage. Faded printing causes frustration when you are just a print away to get your fruit. This article will help you to get rid of this problem. 

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