Ghost printing happens when an image or text is repeated more than once on a printed page. This is often caused by an issue with your drum unit, which is the electrically charged cylinder that transfers toner powder on to the paper. Or, it could be an issue with the fuser, which is responsible for heating the toner powder onto page. There are a few troubleshooting techniques worth trying that should fix this:
- Check your printer’s environment – Keep your printer in a dry room as humidity can cause toner powder to clump, affecting your print quality.
- Make sure you are using the right paper – Inkjet and laser printers work best with specific types of paper. If the paper is too thick, glossy or not designed for laser printing, the toner powder may not be able to adhere to the page correctly.
- Adjust the paper setting – If you are using a specific type of paper, like laser printer paper, make sure that the paper setting matches the paper type. Usually a quick paper setting adjustment will clear up a ghosting issue right away.
- Run a cleaning – Most printers have a cleaning function built into the machine. Run this a couple of times to attempt to clear up the printing issue.
- Inspect the drum – Sometimes excess toner powder can stick to the drum. To clean it, gently wipe down the entire surface of the drum with a lint-free cloth. Then, slide the corona wire back and forth a few times.
- If the drum unit does not appear to be the issue, you can try cleaning the fuser or you may even need to replace the fuser all together. Cleaning and replacement instructions for fusers vary across printer models, so you will need to consult your specific printer manual for step-by-step instructions. Often times the cleaning process can be as simple as wiping down the fuser with a lint free cloth.