HP 2600n: Faded Prints and Laser Scanner Contamination

It is typical to attribute the faded or worn out printouts produced by color laser printers to a low or depleted toner supply. Now this can be easily resolved by replacing the toner cartridge or by replenishing the toner supply of the exhausted cartridge with compatible toner supplied by an HP toner refill kit. If upon ocular inspection, the cartridge still has sufficient toner and the magenta cartridge is likely causing the fading prints, then this could be a case of "laser scanner contamination."

This condition can easily be detected in the HP 2600n color laser printer because of its design alignment where toner cartridges are stacked one above the other. However, this is not a design flaw of the print engine. The magenta cartridge is positioned on the bottom part of the array and therefore has the tendency to absorb loose toner and dust the most; to contaminate the laser scanning assembly eventually.

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The print engine of the HP 2600n color laser printer comes designed not only with 4 toner cartridges but also with 4 OPC drums, 4 laser scanning assemblies; one each for the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black toner cartridges. It is only unfortunate that the design calls for the magenta cartridge at the tail end of the cartridge array.

Over time, loose toner powder and dust collects on magenta cartridge components coating the sensitive laser and rotating reflective mirrors or lenses which consequently reduces its capability to accurately emit required light pulses on the OPC drum to form the latent image.

Failure of the laser scanning assembly results in faded or worn out color prints. Maintenance of the laser scanning assembly does not form part of the HP 2600n printer's internal cleaning features. Therefore, only manual troubleshooting will do the trick. The task of cleaning the laser scanning reflective mirror and lens is a simple matter, particularly with the printer service manual around. However, the location of this component inside the printer could not be easily reached and in fact entails dismantling the printer. For the beginner, that would take a couple of hours to complete the job.

The task is therefore best left to printer technicians to do justice on the cleaning of the laser scanning assembly.

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Toner Smears and a Contaminated Transfer Belt

It becomes doubly frustrating seeing your HP 2600n color laser printer churn out printouts with a lot of toner smears. But what can be even more disconcerting are smears that stretch over the face of the printed document; as if toner leaked inside the printer. Take note that toner cartridges are designed with a lot of safeguards to prevent leakage and there is just no way for toner to leak inside the laser printer. Unless of course if a corrupted cartridge is loaded or the user simply failed to correctly seal the cartridge when conducting refills using a compatible HP toner refill kit. In instances where toner smears are excessive, the likely cause would be a worn out contaminated image transfer belt (ITB).

The HP 2600n printer uses 4 toner cartridges, 4 OPC drums and 4 laser scanner assemblies in its operation. All toner particles that create the latent image on the OPC drum are designed to cling to the ITB before it comes in contact with paper. Therefore, toner transfers permanently to paper before entering the fuser assembly. And due to the continuous snake-like movement the ITB, it is prone to fail; particularly for the HP 2600n printer that was not designed to handle high volume print jobs. If the printer is new and still under warranty, the user must inquire from the local HP repair personnel for a replacement because a new ITB is really expensive and can be a big drain financially for regular users.

However it the printer is already out of warranty, the user can perform minor troubleshooting work on the ITB to churn out several thousand pages more. For easy access to the ITB, the user should look for the large, black, plastic-looking type of sheet that normally pulls down with the front cover and try cleaning it manually with a soft cloth. If possible, manually rotate the ITB in order to clean the entire surface area (solvents should not be used due to its constituents that could damage the ITB). Thoroughly cleaning the ITB from contaminants will actually do the trick; to therefore allow the printout of more pages. But then again, this is only a temporary solution and is good only for a limited period of time, at best. When smear troubles resurface, it is time to bite the bullet and purchase a replacement ITB.

Remember, smears over the printouts is not due to an empty cartridge or the use of compatible HP toner refill kits but is actually a result of worn out and contaminated image transfer belt.

HP 2600n Color Laser Printer: Why use only specified print media?

Although laser printers can print text and images on almost any type of print media, it is still requires good judgment on the part of the user to follow the guidelines set forth by the printer manufacturer in terms of substrate use. Paper fibers react under varying conditions of temperature, humidity and handling which could result in chronic paper jams; necessitate frequent unit servicing or even trigger printer damage. These are conditions and variables that manufacturer Hewlett Packard has no control of.

Buying the specified print media is like looking for a needle over a pile of haystack, as there are hundreds of transparencies available in the market. Therefore make it a habit to perform test prints over particular print media just to make sure that the substrate conforms to the requirements specified in the user guide and with the HP LaserJet Printer Family Print Media Guide. This is necessary especially when purchasing paper in volume.

Caution is expressed by HP, particularly when using print media that do not meet printer specifications. Use of incompatible substrates can trigger serious printer operation problems and may even lead to the early replacement of printer parts and components. Be aware that printer repairs ensuing from the improper use and handling of print media is not covered by Hewlett-Packard's warranty service agreement.

Print media properties such as weight, composition, grain and moisture content are important factors that would dictate printer performance (print quality) and output yield in pages. Always remember that use of paper other than those specified could result in poor print quality, frequent paper jams and premature wear of printer components. Find a list of OEM specified print media for the HP 2600n laser printer from this link.

Setting aside print media requirements, laser printer users should also be attentive to the printer unit's toner requirements. Like paper, low quality toner will also adversely affect print quality. In the event that the HP toner cartridge dries up, a user can refill its toner supply using compatible toner packaged with a toner refill kit. Toner refill kits have been engineered to produce optimum prints and yield similar to that of the OEM toner.

HP Toolbox - Activate to clean the HP 2600n Color Laser Printer

Print troubles and print quality irregularities are seldom encountered in the first few months run of a laser printer unit. Over time, toner and paper dust will accumulate over printer components such as the OPC drum, fuser assembly and even the mechanical rollers that come in contact with paper. This consequently affects component performance and produce print quality defects (like toner smears) over printouts. The only option therefore is to clean or perform maintenance work over affected components; which is tedious since that would involve dismantling pertinent printer panels to reach the inner cavities of the laser printer.

Maintenance work must be concentrated on the fuser assembly since the component does not have an automatic toner cleaning system. As the fuser generates a lot of heat, some of the toner particles tend to adhere to the fuser rollers and stick permanently, even if the cylindrical surface is coated with Teflon (a non-stick material usually coating frying pans). Consequently, a sizeable mass of toner particles sticking to the rollers can produce toner smears over printouts. Fuser rollers therefore need to be cleaned periodically to sustain acceptable print quality; unlike OPC drums that come outfitted with a cleaning device called the doctor blade. The doctor blade is made of thin and soft polymers that collect excess toner from the drum's surface and deposits it to the waste toner chamber of the toner cartridge.

Users of the HP 2600n color laser printer are fortunate because the printer unit comes with a built-in cleaning system that can be activated right on the printer's control panel. The cleaning procedure is outlined as follows:

1. Turn on the laser printer and be sure that it is set to ready mode.
2. Open the HP Toolbox from the printer's control panel
3. When the troubleshooting tab appears, click maintenance and follow it up by pushing the cleaning page icon. The printer will then print a document with printed pattern.
4. Remove all loaded print media in tray 2 and from the optional tray 3.
5. Take out the printed media with pattern and position it face down into the paper tray 2 or the optional paper tray 3.
6. Lastly, press clean on the printer panel
   

The whole sequence should clear the fuser assembly of baked toner and paper dust, and produce smear free printouts.

Print defects are the fare of laser printers and they are numerous. But when print irregularities are due to a low toner supply or an empty OEM toner cartridge, replenish the cartridge's supply with a compatible toner refill kit and extend its print capacity for up to 3 print cycles.

Look up our previous posts on the HP 2600n laser printer.

HP 2600n - Know the Laser Printer’s Energy Operating Costs

The HP 2600n LaserJet desktop printer is probably one of the most energy efficient laser printers now in use with households and offices. While most desktop printers consume over 700 watts of energy when in full printing mode, the HP 2600n operates only at a rate of 190 watts whether producing monochrome or color prints. Moreover, the printer unit consumes only 16 watts of energy in standby mode and zero energy is utilized during sleep mode. However, the computation of actual energy consumption for the HP 2600 remains as a puzzle to geeks since energy expended is reckoned based on how the laser printer is used during a pre-set time period. Laser printer operation fluctuates from high-peak periods to periods of inactivity, which is punctuated only by the daily printing load.

The laser printer is not like the metal halide flood lamps used in sports arenas since power consumption is constant for the entire duration of the game. Say each lamp is rated at 340 watts and that around 1000 lamps are utilized to light up the arena, the lamps will consume as much as 340 kilowatts per hour and within an 8-hour period the average consumption is 2,720 kilowatts of energy. And if the venue is New York City, the cost to light up the sports arena would likely be around $400. Now let us assume that the HP 2600 laser printer will be in constant operation during an 8-hour work period so that the average consumption will be 1.52 kilowatt or roughly $0.23 for the entire day of printing, around $6.84 for the entire month and $80 at years end. Certainly the cost will be lower since the laser printer encounters brief periods of inactivity as the unit switches automatically to standby mode and eventually to sleep mode following the run of print jobs.

When it comes to energy consumption, the HP 2600n is a power miser, and the design of the replacement Q6000A black toner cartridge is also patterned after the printer’s energy saving specifications. Color printing is really expensive. The monochrome replacement cartridge for the HP 2600n is retailed at $70 and pricing is similar for the 3 other color cartridges. The monochrome cartridge comes with a yield rating of 2,500 pages at 5% page coverage while the remaining cartridges are rated at 2,000 pages.

However consumers can reduce color-printing expenditure by refilling empty toner cartridges with compatible toner. Compatible toner for the Q6000A comes packaged with the HP 2600 toner refill kit. The third party consumable is sold online for only $23 but then again, the cartridges refilled with its supply toner can deliver OEM quality prints and yield.

HP 2600n Laser Printer: When Print Defects are Caused by Low Toner Supply

The HP Laserjet 2600n laser printer is a workhorse color printer unit set in a small package. From its exterior, the outside casing is aesthetically envisioned while the control panel is so easy to operate. Moreover, running inside the unit are solid mechanical parts that run in synch and electronic devices that operate smoothly to thus make this Hewlett Packard invention well-suited to the preferences of a discriminating consumer. But like all laser printers, the HP 2600n produces its own share of flaws over printouts that are generally triggered by the condition of pertinent parts and the state of consumables.

What would be of interest to users of compatible toner are print defects caused by low toner supply. Know that the printer's supply gauge will not display information about the supply level of consumables when non-HP peripherals such as third party toner cartridges and refill toners are loaded into the printer and with empty toner cartridges respectively. So how would the user know if print defects are being caused by low toner supply when toner refill kit - replenished cartridges are used. Find below a rundown of typical print defects which can be possibly attributed to a missing cartridge, questionable toner cartridge, cartridges that are incorrectly loaded and of course the low toner supply of third party consumables.

1. If one of the color (CYMK) cartridges is producing inconsistent prints even after a new cartridge has been loaded into the printer.
2. One or more colors are not printing or inaccurately printing even when all of the cartridges loaded are new. In that case, the problem could have been caused by a sealing tape on one of the cartridges that has not been removed.
3. The presence of print marks that repeatedly appear at even intervals on the same printed side of the page.
4. The amount of background toner shading is beyond tolerable limits and is no longer acceptable.
5. A series of vertical bands or streaks appear regularly on the printed page.
6. Print results are light and faded.

The abovementioned print defects are indications of a defective toner cartridge which requires immediate replacement or could possibly be caused by a cartridge that is already low on toner supply. In instances where a refilled cartridge is loaded into the printer, a manual assessment of the responsible cartridge is necessary since the supply gauge is not available to monitor supply levels.

Bear in mind that the HP 2600n color laser printer uses 4 toner cartridges (CYMK) to print and replacing the bundled cartridges is already worth a fortune; at times even exceeding the cost of the laser printer. Big thanks to the HP 2600 toner refill kit because the bundled cost of replacement toner is cheaper by as much as 90% off the price of OEM color toner cartridges, and the user gets similar print quality and yield to the original toner.

HP 2600n Laser Printer: Resolving Print Quality Issues

Like most color laser printers, the HP 2600n is no exception as it has had its share of print quality issues. However, unlike other laser printer manufacturers, HP supplied solutions to nagging quality concerns to help its customer base. Most of these issues have ready solutions built into the laser printer unit. The user will simply have to access the printer's control panel where a few touches of a button will automatically resolve printing troubles.

Print quality issues are numerous, but lets try to take a few defects one at a time and present the solutions or steps necessary to correct those. These defects may be commonplace with printouts but can be a bit annoying when these manifest regularly. Remember that all laser printers have print defect issues, and solutions or recommendations to address such will vary from one printer to the next.

Print is light or faded. Faded prints likely result from the use of media (paper) that do not meet HP 2600n specifications. This can easily be resolved by replacing media used with paper specified by the printer. The same defect can also be caused by low toner supply involving one or more toner cartridges. Note that the supply monitor is disabled when cartridges refilled by toner refill kits are loaded into the printer. Thus, the user needs to manually inspect each cartridge and determine which is due for replenishment or replacement. However if toner supply is not the issue, the user will have to check the cartridge's roller for any sign of damage. If the roller is indeed damaged, then replacing the defective toner cartridge becomes necessary.

Toner specks over printouts. This is again due to incorrect use of media (paper) that do not meet the specifications of the HP 2600n laser printer. Or this could also ensue from a dirt ridden paper path which can be cleaned easily by accessing the HP Toolbox online help.

Dropouts. Dropouts that appear on the printout could be due to defective paper where the only remedy is to do a reprint of the page in question. Another cause for dropouts is the moisture content of paper. Print quality defects could materialize when paper surface is uneven and with moist spots as well. The ready solution is to use high-quality paper intended solely for color laser printing.

These are just a few of the several print defects users normally encounter in the course of laser printing. And since color laser printing is really expensive, users have the option of using compatible toner to cut back on printing expenses.

Configure your HP 2600n Laser Printer and avoid printing quality issues

The HP Laserjet 2600n color laser printer has been devised to be user friendly and is therefore outfitted with functionalities that guide first time users over the state of the art features of the unit. A user will simply have to browse the service manual more closely to appreciate the laser printer's capabilities and likewise be able to resolve pertinent cleaning and maintenance issues through its control panel.

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Avoiding, identifying and even correcting print defects is a standard feature of the HP 2600n color printer. Simply refer to the legibly charted, print quality issues checklist to identify the problem. Any encountered print quality defect has an accompanying solution presented on the chart and troubleshooting could be performed conveniently through the control panel - without even opening the laser printer. Below is a rundown of the common causes of print defects encountered in the use of an HP 2600n laser printer.

Type of print media used is a typical cause of most print defects; particularly when transparencies loaded do not meet printer specifications. Laser printer users should know that print quality is at its best when paper used is coated or with that smooth, glossy surface. If special print media is loaded for the printout of labels, transparencies, collaterals and letterhead, make sure that an appropriate print setting is selected on the control panel so that the desired printout quality will be generated.

Low toner supply also contributes reasonably to print quality problems. Thus, it becomes necessary to periodically monitor the Supplies Status Page of the printer to know if consumables' supply levels are already low or empty. Note however that the supplies status monitor do not operate when a refilled toner cartridge is loaded into the laser printer Therefore, the information prompt is not available for toner cartridges replenished with a toner refill kit. Nonetheless, printing continues but the user will just have to manually check if the cartridge requires a refill.

When the unit is printing incorrectly, the trouble is usually associated with software used. At this point, it's time to call HP Customer Care or perhaps search for a solution outlined in the flyer that comes with the packaging. However if printing is successful with the supplied program called the HP Toolbox, then the problem most likely lies with the printer driver. Now if the laser printer is running on a different software, then the culprit is probably the software. To correct this problem, restart both the printer and computer and try to print anew.

Most print quality problems pertinent to the HP 2600n color laser printer have remedies and the solutions can be accessed outright on the laser printer's control panel.