Full Version: HP4550 Thin Toner Coverage
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#1]
5 Jan 2006
To: ALL
If so, have you found a remedy?
I have an image, which, in part, consists of a solid black circle, measuring about 7/8". If I didn't know my cartridges have seen very little use, I'd say I'm running out of black toner.
When I print the images 3-across, some of them get better coverage than others. Though, none I would call totally acceptable.
If I print the images, stacked vertically on the page, the toner coverage is even less acceptable.
EDITED: 5 Jan 2006 by DGL
From: John (ICTJOHN) [#2]
5 Jan 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#1] 5 Jan 2006
David,
Sorry I can't help here.......mine is doing something similar but I know the toner is veeeeeeery low.....
You might try cleaning the roller on the cartridge even tho it is a new assembly.
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#3]
5 Jan 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#1] 5 Jan 2006
David,
I know what you are talking about because I have had that issue with large, non-black, coverage areas. I will say that I did a 20-plaque order not too long ago in which the majority of the 4"x6" plate was a solid black. Maybe I was just lucky. I wish I could help.
EDITED: 5 Jan 2006 by DATAKES
From: John (JOHNRMONTG) [#4]
5 Jan 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#1] 5 Jan 2006
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#5]
5 Jan 2006
To: John (JOHNRMONTG) [#4] 6 Jan 2006
Thanks for the offer to help. It's almost 11 pm (Pacific). I'll put some files together in the morning and attach them in this thread, in case anyone else wants to have a whack at it.
I went into the calibration menu and upped the density of the black cartridge to "5" which is the max. Helped a little, but barely.
From: sunny (SUNSHINE) [#6]
6 Jan 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#5] 6 Jan 2006
Have you taken the black cartridge out and shaken it a bit? I know one time I had to do that with mine and it helped. I guess the toner had settled too much or something.
That was also what we would do when I worked in an office to get every bit of toner before replacing the cartridge :)
EDITED: 6 Jan 2006 by SUNSHINE
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#7]
6 Jan 2006
To: sunny (SUNSHINE) [#6] 6 Jan 2006
That makes sense. I'll give it a try. I mostly use ink jet dye sub, so the HP4550 sits idle a lot of the time.
That fact may lend credence to your "shake the cartridge" theory.
I'll let you know if that works.
Thanks for the suggestion.
From: sunny (SUNSHINE) [#8]
6 Jan 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#7] 6 Jan 2006
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#9]
6 Jan 2006
To: sunny (SUNSHINE) [#8] 6 Jan 2006
Rebecca,
It's encouraging to know my 52-year-old brain still works. :-)
I tried the "Shake Rattle and Roll" with no change in output. I then removed the black cartridge and wiped (with a clean, lint-free cloth) the roller, free of toner.
That helped quite a bit. Still not getting a "completely" solid print, but the toner is being layed down much more evenly. I think this will work.
While cleaning the roller, I noticed what seemed to be a "wear point" (very slight, but noticeable groove, running the circumference of the roller) in the middle section.
I'm trying to print transfers for 2" aluminum discs (three-across) and the wear point may explain why the middle image is less consistent than those flanking it.
I think, at least with dye sub toner, (in the HP4550), that a smooth deposit of toner, across the entire page is near impossible, as opposed to ink jet transfers, which don't rely on a "redepositing" of toner to a roller, with a small circumference.
EDITED: 6 Jan 2006 by DGL
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#10]
7 Jan 2006
To: ALL
http://www.iconimagingsublimation.com/cleanprinter.htm
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#11]
7 Jan 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#10] 7 Jan 2006
David,
I have always used 24-lb paper in my 4550, but still have periodic coverage issues when printing large solid areas with color. When I say large areas, I am referring to about a quarter page.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#12]
7 Jan 2006
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#11] 8 Jan 2006
David,
I've tried both 28# color copy paper and common multi-purpose copy paper. I have trouble filling a 7/8" circle with either.
EDITED: 7 Jan 2006 by DGL
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#13]
10 Jan 2006
To: ALL
Have those of you HP4550 users, who print black (only) transfers, ever heard the familiar multiple "clunks" of the cartridges falling into place, while printing only black?
Here's why I ask.
Today, since my black prints are so weak, I figured, why not try printing the same image with 100% Cyan, Magenta and Yellow, respectively?
First, was 100% Cyan. I heard the multiple clunks, which surprised me.
I thought to myself, maybe the cartridges were just rotating, so the Cyan cartridge would be in its proper position. Up until now, printing a combination of colors, to a single page, naturally, had me expecting to hear separate cartridges being accessed.
Since all colors printed for sublimation appear black, before pressing, the output was a solid, very dense black on the page.
I performed the same procedure for Magenta and Yellow, with the same "sounds" and perfect, dense output.
Here's what struck me as strange.
I then set the image up for 100% black, expecting NOT to hear the multiple clunks, but did.
The output, like the other colors, was very dense.
I thought, somehow, maybe I had straigtened out the problem.
I ran another print of the image, DIDN'T hear multiple clunks and the output reverted to the washed-out variety.
Since all the transfers look "black" I'll have to press them to see if the colors are as advertised by the 100% CMYK settings.
I'll let you know how that goes.
EDITED: 10 Jan 2006 by DGL
From: John (JOHNRMONTG) [#14]
11 Jan 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#13] 11 Jan 2006
"Very Interesting ... yet quite weird" (German accent from a little (height impaired) German soldier aka: Laugh-In 1960's era) gee, guess I am dating myself.
Anway, to stay on track.... I am intrigued by your 'findings' and will look forward to what you find out.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#15]
11 Jan 2006
To: John (JOHNRMONTG) [#14] 12 Jan 2006
Through the troubleshooting process of printing my image as colors other than black, I stumbled across a work-around to my situation, although I have no logical explanation for how or why it works.
Noticing that every time I heard multiple cartridges being accessed, I got solid prints, I tried typing a small word at the top of my page. In this case, the word "test" was given a 100% Magenta color value.
Below the magenta wording, I placed my three black logo images.
Printed the page and the black images were solid.
Pressed the images and they were black.
When I try to access the black cartridge, by itself, is when I get the weak and washed out images, which is strange, because I've done that in the past with good results.
Maybe I'm just getting low on black toner and when colors other than black are on the same page, "black" is actually being created by a combination of CMY. <shrug>
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#16]
12 Jan 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#15] 12 Jan 2006
David,
I know that I purchased my cartridges before you did. I am still running on the same cartridges. I would be surprised if you are running low, although I know it is all relative to the amount of jobs we have run through the machine. This toner seems to be endless. :-)
From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#17]
12 Jan 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#15] 12 Jan 2006
Since it is a weird problem, let's look at a weird possibility.
Are you printing in RGB black. CMYK black is not as dense.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#18]
12 Jan 2006
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#16] 12 Jan 2006
David,
I agree. I don't see how it's possible that I could be running low on toner. The last sub cartridge I had in my LaserJet 4m lasted almost 4 years, under fairly regular use.
In fact, I'm seriously considering buying another cartridge for the 4m for "monochrome" printing. The printer doesn't take as long to "warm up" and that way, I wouldn't be tapping out my black 4550 cartridge prematurely.
EDITED: 12 Jan 2006 by DGL
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#19]
12 Jan 2006
To: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#17] 12 Jan 2006
I like the control over my colors that CMYK sliders provide. I'll have to check which mode I'm printing in.
Whatever the mode, I believe it's the same I've always used, which hasn't been a problem in the past.