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Why Is Your Office Copier Leaving Streaks On Everything?

An office copy machine is one of those pieces of equipment that makes civilized office workflow a possibility. Even though these days the majority of the documents you produce within your office may be digital, there will always be situations when you need copies of a physical document you can hold in your hands. When you go to make copies and every last one of them comes out streaked and blotted, it can be beyond frustrating. Thankfully, streaky printouts from a copier usually have only a handful of causes that are fairly easy to tack down. Here is a look at a few reasons why you could be getting streaks when you make copies using your copier. 

You have a malfunctioning drum unit inside the copier. 

The drum unit is responsible for rolling the ink onto the paper much like a stamp. The drum gets jammed, caked with ink, and can even get misaligned, which can cause you to see streaks on your printed papers every time you try to make copies. Because the drum is one of the primary operating components of the copier, problems with this component can warrant a call to a professional repair technician for help. 

You are using the wrong type of paper in the copier. 

Many of the more modern copy machines are capable of printing copies onto anything from basic copy paper to heavy cardstock paper. However, you have to make sure you are using paper that the copier is built to handle. If you use the wrong type of paper, it can cause the paper to momentarily stick when rolling under the drum, and this will cause streaks. Likewise, if the paper has small creases or wrinkles before being run through the copier's feeder tray, it can cause similar issues with streaks. 

Your toner cartridge needs to be cleaned or replaced. 

The toner cartridge is a touch little component inside of the copier that is responsible for producing the imagery on your paper. If there is a problem with the toner cartridge, one of the first signs is streaky or blotted results with your copies. Sometimes, a toner cartridge will dry out because it is not being used enough, but most often the streaks will be caused by a faulty toner cartridge that needs to be replaced. It is pretty rare for a toner cartridge that is low to leave streaks; streaks tend to be signs of a bigger issue. 

Contact a service, like MFD Business Solutions, for more help.


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