LaserJet 4.

I have now got my old LaserJet 4 talking to my machine and wanted to check the next issue. I took it off a few years back because it started to fade out and smear, and a new printer cost little more than the toner cartridge. Now that it is back on the system, it is doing it again, you can hardly see the text, (faint), but the pages are marked with large dark smears, mostly towards the edges of the page, less in the centre.

I assume I need a new toner cartridge. Is that enough, or are there other things to look out for?

 

Toner likely, the fuser maybe. Improper fusing causes some streaking, does it smudge when you rub it?

 

No. The smudges, I use that word for lack of a better one, seem fixed to the paper as the type normally would be. I recall that the problem I am seeing now is the same that caused me to remove the LJ a few years back. It had been running on that toner cartridge for best part of 10 years so was probably well due for replacement.

 

I ordered a new toner cartridge, it took a while but finally arrived, (from Sweden), and I have installed it. The cartridge is an HP original, not a Chinese refil. I can now see the printed document fine, but can see smudges on the BACK of the printed page!

The general appearance is pretty much full width grey horizontal bands which become fainter going down the page for a couple of cm then repeats, ie. denser grey again fading. Looks like some toner on a roller. As the page progresses, the banding is getting fainter, by the end of the page it has gone.

It is possible some crud from the old toner cartridge has leaked onto a roller, and after a few dozen pages all will be well. Hopefully anyway.

 

Indeed, the output has returned to normal. Case closed I guess.