Question

Difficulty: MediumPrinter and Multifunction Device Issues

Match each observed printer defect or operational symptom on the left to its most probable underlying hardware cause on the right.

  • A laser printer produces faint, evenly spaced repeated images of previously printed text down the length of each page.A worn wiper blade or defective primary charge roller failing to properly clean or discharge the photosensitive drum.
  • A thermal receipt printer feeds paper normally during a transaction but outputs completely blank receipts.Thermal paper installed backwards with the heat-sensitive chemical coating facing away from the thermal heating element.
  • An inkjet printer outputs documents with missing horizontal lines and distorted colors despite full ink cartridges.Dried ink causing partial blockages in the printhead micro-nozzles, requiring a head cleaning utility cycle.
  • An impact dot-matrix printer produces clear print on the left margin, but text progressively fades toward the right margin.An uneven platen gap distance between the printhead carriage and the paper roller across the print path.

Answer

Laser ghosting matches worn wiper blade / drum charge issue; blank thermal receipts match paper installed backwards; inkjet missing lines match clogged printhead nozzles; dot-matrix horizontal fading matches uneven platen gap distance.
Each printer technology exhibits distinct failure signatures: laser ghosting indicates drum clearing issues; blank thermal receipts point to reversed media installation; horizontal streaks on inkjet point to clogged nozzles; and progressive fading on dot-matrix pages indicates uneven platen spacing.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze repeating ghosting on laser printouts.
Link repeating faint artifacts to photosensitive drum clearing failure (wiper blade / primary charge roller).
Repeated text matching the circumference of the drum means previous charge or toner wasn't fully cleared.
2
Analyze blank output on thermal receipt printers.
Link total lack of print marks to paper orientation.
Thermal paper requires direct contact between the chemically coated side and the thermal printhead.
3
Analyze missing horizontal lines on inkjet output.
Link line dropouts to printhead nozzle obstruction.
Dried ink blocks nozzle openings, preventing liquid ink droplets from reaching paper evenly.
4
Analyze left-to-right print density degradation on impact printers.
Link gradient fading to mechanical platen gap misalignment.
Impact print pins rely on consistent physical proximity to the ribbon and platen across the entire width of the carriage rod.

Key Concept

Identifying symptom-to-component mappings across laser, thermal, inkjet, and impact printer technologies.
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