My printer is adding marks to my prints.

Are pages from your printer marked by defects?

First things first: try a different toner cartridge or different ink. There are other things that can cause print defects, certainly, but it’s most common for the problems to lie here.  In the case of inkjet printers, the ink cartridges or packs can get messy or develop partial blockage that can effect print quality and result in a variety of defects. In HP laser printer, the toner cartridge contains not only the toner but also parts of the imaging hardware; as such, it represents a single channel to multiple possible failure points. If you contact IT for help on a print effect, the first thing we will ask you is if you have tried this step. If you have not, we will ask you to before we do any further trouble-shooting. It’s commonly the right solution!

If that doesn’t work, be ready to describe the defect in detail when you contact IT:

• Is it ghosting, speckles, splatter, streaks, or lines?
• Is it consistent?
• Does it repeat at regular intervals?

The description of the defect will lead directly to a diagnosis of its cause and the more detailed you can be, the more quickly we can start on our way to a solution for you.