Symptoms of a Bad Transfer Roller on a LaserJet

By Bonnie Conrad

The transfer roller is an important part of your LaserJet printer.
i dun cat - printer image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com

Laser printers can be an excellent choice for both home and office use, and these printers can provide superior print quality at an affordable price. Even so, it is important for printer owners to be on the lookout for signs of trouble, including declining print quality, marks on the paper and frequent jamming. By identifying these problems, early printer owners can make sure their units continue to provide excellent service at an affordable price per page.

Marks on the Paper

When the transfer roller begins to fail, one of the first signs of trouble will be black streaks on the paper. If you notice black marks on the sides of your printouts, chances are your LaserJet printer has a transfer roller that has begun to wear out. These black marks look like tire treads, so if you see that type of pattern it is important to order a replacement transfer roller and install it as soon as possible.

Print That Rubs Off Easily

When the ink rubs off of the finished printouts, that is often a sign of a bad fuser cartridge, but poor ink adhesion can also be a sign of a bad transfer roller. If you have already checked the fuser cartridge and found it to be OK, it is a good idea to look at the transfer roller as a possible source of the problem.

Frequent Jamming

As the transfer roller continues to fail, it will no longer be able to pull the paper through the printer path as it should. If you have noticed frequent jamming, the transfer roller could be to blame. Printer owners should definitely consider the transfer roller as a possible cause if the jamming problem is accompanied by other symptoms like the print rubbing off of the page or black streaks suddenly appearing on the printed page.

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