A user has reported that their office printer has developed a recurring problem. Whenever they print documents, there are noticeable lines down the middle of the printed pages. The printer is a relatively new laser model, and the user has already checked for paper jams and found none. As a technician, what is the most likely cause of this issue that you should first investigate?
A straight, continuous vertical line on every page usually indicates that the photosensitive imaging drum has been scratched or otherwise damaged. Each rotation of the drum picks up toner on the scratch, transferring it as a dark line to the paper. Replacing the drum (or the combined toner/drum cartridge) is therefore the first corrective step.
Dirty or out-of-place corona/charge wires can also produce vertical streaks, so cleaning them is a sensible next step if a new drum does not eliminate the defect. Printer calibration affects color/alignment, and the paper type would not create a single repeatable line.
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What is an imaging drum in a laser printer?
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Why wouldn’t calibration or paper type cause a vertical line in laser printing?