Why Is My New Printhead Producing Vertical White Lines? Troubleshooting Guide

Question:

Hi! Please tell me I am not the only one who cannot figure it out. I just installed a new printhead, but my prints have vertical white lines. However, my nozzle check shows no gaps. Can you tell me what’s the matter? Is the printhead defective?

Answer:

Understanding the Issue:

The nozzle check shows none of the ink tubes as missing lines, yet the white vertical lines appear in your prints based on what you described. So that implies the issue is not with the printhead itself. Here’s why:

The printhead moves left and right when in operation, so if the printhead nozzles were faulty, there would most likely be horizontal banding instead of vertical white lines.

The white lines appear to begin and end outside the area that the printhead prints in, which suggests the problem occurs before the ink reaches the page.

Possible Causes and Fixes:

Based on these observations, the most probable cause is the page feed itself, particularly the paper feed rollers (PF rollers).

Make Sure No Obstructions or Ink Residue:

This may cause white streaks, possibly caused by the white ink or another contaminant that landed on the back of the rollers and scratched the film's surface.

Check the rollers for any ink stuck on them, dust or debris, which could be causing improper ink transfer.

If you notice residue, wipe the rollers with a lint-free cloth slightly moistened with isopropyl alcohol (70 percent or higher).

Examine the Paper Feed Path:

If any foreign matter (such as a torn piece of paper) impedes the road, it could affect the ink application.

Shine a flashlight down the feed path to see if anything looks amiss and to clear any debris.

Change Paper Options and Media Type:

Ensure you’re using the correct paper based on your printer’s settings. If you do not set such papers with glossy coatings in the printer driver, there can be feed problems.

Use a different batch of paper to eliminate a defect in the media itself.

Clean the Paper Feed Rollers:

Many printers have a built-in option to clean the rollers under their maintenance settings. ActuaRunning this function helps dislodge any residual ink or dust buildup.

If your printer doesn’t have this option, manually rotating its rollers while gently wiping them does the trick.

Try a Different Printing Mode:

Test printing in another quality mode (e.g., “High Quality” or “Draft”) to determine if the problem continues.

If better-quality settings eliminate the streaks, this might signal a feed speed problem, as the rollers aren’t gripping the paper, so it's oversetting.

Final Thoughts:

Your nozzle check shows no missing lines, meaning your printhead functions correctly. Vertical white lines are a sign of a paper feed problem rather than a printhead one. Cleaning and inspecting the page feed mechanism should help fix the issue.

Printer problems can be extensive, and dealing with them is often complicated because the nature of the issues is more of a hands-on one. So we cannot help with remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or printer repairs. We have an in-person evaluation and repair service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service) for a wide variety of printer brands, but please keep in mind that this service is on a first-come, first-served basis due to supply and demand. So we can have your printer drop it off in a few weeks. This service is designed to either fix a complete printer or individual components on the device, with guidance on what we can do to assist in the process. That said, we know that our rates are not free. Therefore, we suggest that you utilize online research for self-help. The best place to start is perhaps looking on YouTube or simply going to the home page of our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies) and searching for specific videos under the search icon to the right of "About" in the menu bar. Every day, dozens and dozens of people come to me and ask me about videos related to the topics. After making videos for the last nine years, it’s hard to remember them all. So YouTube's search function would be the quickest way to find that information. YouTube may also recommend similar videos that other channels should be able to help you with.

Thank you once again for contacting us, and I hope this helps! Good luck with your troubleshooting.