Question : Problem: HL LJ 2300 smears company logo on left side of form

we print invoices from a word template that pulls in data from an sql server, these in turn get fed into a sorter/mailer that folds & envelopes them, by reading the barcode on the left hand side under the company logo.

the problem is that when printing the background of the logo, you'll see white smudging (looks like static to me) instead of black ink.  now this happens whether using a new or old print cartridge, however the barcode can only be read from the mailer when printing from a new cartridge.  once the cartidge gets down to say having 3000 est pgs the mailer no longer can read the barcode.

printing the supply status only relates to current cartridge data, printing the config sheet gave me the total pages printed over the life of the prtr = 245,000+.  being over 200 g's, we ordered the maintenence kit.  i replaced the fuser unit in the back, the transfer roller under the ink cartridge, & all tray + guide rollers as per the instructions.  BUT it still happens!

i did try hp website, but it was relating the issue to the driver settings on the pc, which have never been changed and were reset to default values as well as resetting the default values on the printer itself.

anyone have this problem before that knows the root cause & how to fix?

Answer : Problem: HL LJ 2300 smears company logo on left side of form

>>if the imaging drum is inside the cartridge then why would the problem still occur when using a new cartridge?

We're not concerned with the drum itself; we're concerned about what happens to the drum.  This is why I asked you to do the half test to see if the problem was being caused by something besides the toner cart.  The imaging drum is like a blank slate that you write to - it doesn't do any image formation on its own.

I had to ask if you were using genuine HP carts because it's pointless to continue troubleshooting if you are not.

>>where does the laser actually reside in one of these printers, is it possible the laser assembly is the problem?

The laser scanner is usually at the top of the printer because it has to sit right up against the toner cart.  When you install a toner cart, it pushes the laser/scanner shutter up so that the laser can get to the drum.  (It has a shutter on it in the unlikely event that you decide to work on the printer while power is applied and somehow the beam bounces off your bling and hits your eyes.  Even with the shutter on, you should never wear jewelry while servicing a laser printer.)  The laser hits the imaging drum in the toner cart which gets your image on the drum, where it's then transferred onto the paper through an electrostatic transfer process.

If the defect is on the drum after doing the half-test, then you can look at the laser scanner and/or the high voltage power supply.  The HVPS supplies the large amounts of voltage needed for the transfer process.

There are two parts to the laser printing process, at least in HP printers - everything up to and including the transfer process, and everything after.

>>If so can it be taken apart, cleaned &/or fixed?

It can be taken apart but I don't recommend doing this as you might get dirt/dust inside of it, which will ruin the scanning mirror - the sound of the scanning mirror spinning at ungodly speeds is that spooling-up sound you hear when the printer starts printing.  You can, however, clean the mirror which sits behind the shutter.  It is unlikely that this is the problem unless you use this printer in a dirty environment but it's worth a shot.  If this part fails, which is indicated by a laser/scanner failure error, it's very easy to replace; usually a few screws and a couple ribbon cables/harnesses.  But in your case it obviously hasn't failed completely.

>>i wish the manual on these printers included total maintenance instructions on how to take them apart.

If they did, I would be out of a job :-)

I hope we are getting somewhere with this problem and I'm not just confusing you more.  I would definitely try to do the half-test and check the drum for the image defect.  It might be easier to see on the drum if you can reproduce the part of the image that has the defect and make it fit all over one single sheet of paper, then send it to the printer.  Again, to check the drum, stop the printing process as soon as the leading edge of the paper gets to the transfer roller.  When you pull out the toner cartridge and look underneath the shutter, you'll see your latent image with the electrostatically attracted toner stuck to it.  The drum is usually a pale turquoise or shiny green color.