Faint Print? 5 Things That Could Be Causing Your Printer Problem

Faint Print – 5 Steps

Article updated 19/05/2017

Is your printer printing too light even though it has ink / toner?

Faint print or is one of the most common printer issues and at one time or another we’ve all sent something to the printer, only to be left frustrated and irritated when something like this faded prints example comes out at the end…

Naturally, for many of us, the first reaction will probably be to assume that our ink/toner levels are low, and of course sometimes your instinct could be absolutely correct, you might need new ink/toner! But there could be something else that’s throwing a proverbial spanner into the workings of your printer and causing this faint prints.

If your printer has ink but prints faded, or your Epson, Canon, Oki or Brother printer is printing too light, we’re going to help you to find out why and help you to fix it.

So before you get out your office scream box, stick with us and read on because we’re going to help you to stick it to your printer….How do you like them apples you printer jerk??

If you’re short for time, get your faint print cheat sheet here otherwise keep on reading…

The 5 most common causes of light or faded prints:

1. Low ink and toner levels

As mentioned above, your cartridges could simply be empty or running low, so give them a check.

If you have a laser printer, it’s also worth giving your toner cartridge a shake. This redistributes the toner powder around the cartridge, giving you quite a few more pages before you need to replace it. Just grab the cartridge with both hands and gently shake it from side to side, and up and down, for about 10 seconds. Then pop it back into your printer and try printing.

Just remember, if you get asked to “shake it,” don’t do either of these:

2. Toner sticking to your fuser roller

In your laser printer, the fuser is the part that heats the toner powder, helping it to stick to the paper to create a print. (Find out more about how laser printers work).

Occasionally, toner can stick to a fuser’s upper roller. This could well be your problem if you can see a ghosted image of your printer somewhere else on the page.

Image courtesy of Lexmark

Try removing your fuser unit and check to see if the upper roller has toner stuck to it. If it does, then it’s probably worth replacing it with a new one which you should be able to buy online and get one delivered pretty quickly.

3. A low ink/toner density setting

Some printers allow you to change the density settings of your ink and toner. Unbeknownst to you, your default setting could be low, causing you to get those faint prints.

If your printer does have ink/toner density settings, you should be able to find them once you’ve clicked on your printer in ‘Devices & Printers.’ If it looks like you’re printing at a low density, increase it slightly and then try printing.

Image courtesy of HP

4. Problems with your transfer roller (laser printer)

Your transfer roller uses its electrical charge to get the toner from your cartridge’s drum unit onto the page.

Sometimes, it may be incorrectly positioned in your printer, causing those light prints. Carefully remove it using the hooks it comes with and try inserting it again. When properly inserted, it should look nice and flat. (If you’re having trouble removing it, don’t break out the tools or try and rip it out! Ask a technician for assistance).

Alternatively, it could have something on its surface that’s having a detrimental effect on its electrical charge and, thus, its ability to transfer toner properly onto your page, causing a faint print. Try not to touch the surface with your hands as this could make it even worse! Either wipe the surface with a dry cloth or use a can of compressed air to blow it clean.

5. Your printer might be located in an area of low humidity

We covered this a while ago, but the humidity in your office can actually affect the performance of your printer.

If your printer is in a room that’s got a low humidity level, ink can have a pretty tough job being able to set and dry properly on the page, causing prints that look faint and light.

The best place for your printer to be is somewhere that’s neither too humid or not humid enough! And remember that humidity levels will differ depending on the time of year.

6. Your printer paper is located in an area of high humidity

Another reason for faint prints caused by high humidity in your office is that the paper you are printing on can get damp or absorb water in the air around it causing the paper to slightly ripple and become uneven. Then when you try to print, the ink or toner is distributed unevenly across the page and you get poor quality faded print outs. A good tip is to move any spare paper into a dry non-humid area where you know it can be kept in tip top condition.

Hopefully your prints should now be as crisp as a new bank note!

If you’re still having problems with faint prints, leave a comment below or tweet us @TonerGiant – we’d be delighted to help!

Article updated to add more helpful information and a cheat sheet on 16/02/2017

About Stuart Deavall

Stu is the Digital Marketing Manager at TonerGiant.co.uk and is a big fan of gadgets, technology, and being creative!