Unwanted streaks or spots of Toner are appearing on printed pages

Overview

Unwanted spots or streaks of toner are appearing on the front of the page or on both front and back sides of the page.

Try another toner cartridge

In most cases, the cause of this issue will be the toner cartridge.

Step	Action
1	Power off the printer and remove the toner cartridge. The toner cartridge can be accessed by opening the upper front cover of the printer.
2	Install another toner cartridge into the printer using one of the following methods: Try another brand-new toner cartridge, if you have one available. If this is a newly installed toner cartridge, reinstall the cartridge you removed when you installed the new one. Install a working toner cartridge from another Lexmark printer of the same model.
3	Power the printer back on.
4	Try printing again. Print 20 to 30 pages to give the spots/streaks a chance to clear up. If a different toner cartridge corrects the issue, the printer is fine and the problem is with the first cartridge. If you have narrowed the problem to the toner cartridge, please carry out the following checks on the cartridge: Confirm that you are using an original Lexmark brand toner cartridge. If a third-party cartridge is causing this issue, please contact the point of purchase to have the cartridge replaced. Confirm that the toner cartridge has not been refilled or reworked in any way. Refilling the toner cartridge can cause damage to the cartridge, which can cause print quality issues of this kind. If the cartridge has been refilled or reworked, contact the place where the cartridge was refilled to have it replaced. If this is an original Lexmark toner cartridge, inspect the toner cartridge for any damage or defects. If you notice any damage to the cartridge or loose parts on it, please contact Lexmark Technical Support. Your toner cartridge may be eligible for replacement, depending on how old or used it is. Note: If the toner cartridge does not appear to be damaged but is relatively new or unused, it may still be eligible for replacement. Please contact the point of purchase first as they may have a replacement policy. If the cartridge was purchased directly from Lexmark, please contact Lexmark using the phone number or address you used to order the cartridge.
5	If the issue occurs on more than one toner cartridge, continue with the suggestions below.

If you are printing on both sides of the page

If you are printing on both sides of the page (i.e. duplexing), try printing on only one side of the page. See if the streaks/spots appear on the printed side of the page or on the back side of the page.

If the streaks/spots are appearing on the printed (front) side of the page, continue with the suggestions below.

Measure the distance of the vertical line from the left edge of the paper

If the vertical line started in a faint gray hue and over time became darker, check whether its distance from the left edge of the paper is constant in every printed page. Measure the distance and verify if the vertical line is 72mm (2.8 inches) away from the left edge of the paper.

If the vertical line runs from top to bottom of the page and is 72mm (2.8 inches) away from the left edge of the paper, the fuser roller may have been damaged. Contact Lexmark Technical Support and seek service for the printer.

If the vertical line is in different parts of the printed page and appears at random, continue with the suggestions below.

Check the charge roll assembly

Step	Action
1	Power off the printer and remove the toner cartridge.
2	Look into the upper area of the printer where the cartridge was sitting. Located near the top of the printer you will see a twin set of small gray rollers. This is the charge roller assembly. It is highlighted in yellow in the image below. For larger version of this image, click here.
3	Remove any paper or other debris you find stuck on the rollers.
4	If the roller surface appears dirty, take a clean dry cloth and clean off any toner on the surface of these rollers. Do your best to make sure all of the roller surface is clean. Note: Try not to touch the charge rollers with your bare hands. The surface is susceptible to contamination, and a permanent mark could remain on the rollers
5	Inspect the charge rollers for any damage. If any part of it is damaged, the charge roll assembly will need to be replaced. For more information on arranging repair service, please contact Lexmark Technical Support or an authorized service center.
6	If the charge rollers appear fine or if you have tried cleaning them, try printing again. If the spots/streaks do not clear up after printing 10 to 20 pages, continue with the suggestions below.

Check the transfer roller

Step	Action
1	Power off the printer and remove the cartridge.
2	Look into the bottom of the printer, below where the cartridge was sitting. You will see a black, spongy roller located under the toner cartridge in the bottom of the printer. This is the transfer roller. It is highlighted in yellow in the image below. For a larger version of this image, click here.
3	Make sure the transfer roller is not contaminated or damaged. If it is, it will need to be replaced. For more information on arranging repair service, please contact Lexmark Technical Support or an authorized service center.

Step

Action

Power off the printer and remove the cartridge.

Look into the bottom of the printer, below where the cartridge was sitting. You will see a black, spongy roller located under the toner cartridge in the bottom of the printer. This is the transfer roller. It is highlighted in yellow in the image below.

For a larger version of this image, click here.

Make sure the transfer roller is not contaminated or damaged. If it is, it will need to be replaced.

For more information on arranging repair service, please contact Lexmark Technical Support or an authorized service center.

Check the type of paper

Before arranging service on the printer, confirm that you are printing on plain white copy paper. If not, try printing on plain copy paper before seeking service to the printer. Please try this even if the print media you are using worked in the past to eliminate the print media as part of the cause of the problem. Specialty papers (like letterhead stock, textured paper, label stock, and card stock) can lead to print quality issues such as this.

LEGACY ID: SO4024

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