A user reports that printed receipts have black smudges over the entire image. The text is still present but is very dark and sometimes illegible. Which of the following are the MOST likely cause and solution for the printer issue?
A.
The ribbon is jammed and is rubbing on the paper. Clear the bad ribbon and feed it through properly.
B.
The printhead is too hot. Adjust the temperature down and retry printing.
C.
The printer is loaded with the wrong type of paper. Replace the receipt paper with carbon paper.
D.
The blue ink cartridge was loaded with black ink. Put in the correct ink and clean the printhead.
Receipts are printed via a thermal printer. Thermal printers work by heating a paper in specified areas in order to create an image. The specific component that does this is a thermal printhead.
Since the image appears to have black smudges and is too dark, we know the thermal printhead is too hot since the capability of precise heating has diminished
A is the correct
The black smudges over the entire image on a printed receipt are most likely caused by a jammed ribbon that is rubbing on the paper. The solution is to clear the bad ribbon and feed it through the printer properly.
Ribbon jams can be caused by various issues, such as incorrect installation or a damaged ribbon. References: CompTIA A+ Certification Exam Objectives - 220-1001: 4.5 Given a scenario, troubleshoot common printer problems.
I vote for A
Overheating can cause issues in some thermal printers, leading to excessive ink or toner transfer, but it usually results in more focused or distorted prints rather than broad smudging.
ITs B! We are dealing with a "thermal" printer which uses heat to print receipts. In thermal printers, adjusting the printhead temperature can help resolve issues related to smudging and print quality. So in this case, option B is the best choice
So there is an assumption that it cant be a because receipts are printed via thermal printers. receipts can be printed on impact printers too. Also the heating element would be consistently streaking i feel if that was the problem.
Selected Answer: A
The MOST likely cause and solution for the printer issue described would be:
A. The ribbon is jammed and is rubbing on the paper. Clear the bad ribbon and feed it through properly.
Explanation:
In this scenario, the presence of black smudges over the entire image and the text being very dark and sometimes illegible suggests that the ribbon, which is responsible for transferring ink onto the paper, is causing the issue. If the ribbon is jammed or not feeding properly, it can create smudges and uneven ink distribution on the paper, resulting in the described problem.
Option B (Excessive heat typically does not result in dark smudges over the entire image)
Option C (Unlikely to be the cause unless the wrong type of paper is incompatible with the printer's printing mechanism)
Option D (Not relevant to this scenario since the issue is related to the ribbon, not the ink cartridge or printhead)
Not A because a ribbon is indicative of an impact printer, not a thermal printer.
Not C because carbon paper is used in impact printers, not thermal.
Not D because the color of the ink used should not have any effect on text being smudgy, dark, or illegible.
That leaves us with B as the correct answer because of the above process of elimination, plus the question indicates we are printing receipts, which we can pretty safely assume to mean we are using a thermal printer.
I think the confusion comes from the fact the A+ introduces thermal printers as the main type of printer to print receipts. There are thermal and impact printers though, which makes me think the OP is correct in his explanation that A is the correct answer.
I could be wrong but I vote for A being the correct answer. I think if it were a thermal printer that used direct thermal printing (with a printhead), it would not be unevenly smudged where only some letters are illegible and others are legible. So based on the description in the question, I believe it is caused by a misfed ribbon in a thermal printer that uses thermal transfer printing. It is possible to not feed the ribbon properly, this is mentioned in Mike Meyers All-In-One A+ certification guide.
The most likely cause for the reported printer issue is that the ribbon is jammed and is rubbing on the paper (option A). The black smudges over the entire image and dark, illegible text could be the result of the ink on the ribbon being transferred to the paper unevenly or rubbing against the paper, causing smudging.
The best solution for this issue would be to clear the bad ribbon and feed it through properly. The technician should inspect the printer ribbon and check for any signs of damage or debris that could cause the jam. They should then carefully remove any obstructions and ensure that the ribbon is properly aligned and tensioned. Once this is done, the technician should feed the ribbon through the printer again, making sure it is loaded correctly and without any tangles.
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