How to Fix Ghosting When Using a Laser Printer?

Ghosting is one of the popular printing issues in laser printers that allow your prints to look, weird, messy & unprofessional. If this problem cannot be resolved at the time, it can lead to poor-quality print that nobody likes to have. And to resolve the problem, it’s quite important to know the root cause of what exactly leads to ghosting. Because until & unless you don’t know the actual reason behind the ghosting, you won’t be able to resolve this issue. No matter what type of laser printer or toner cartridges you are using, to resolve the issue, you have to know everything related to them. 

Before we move ahead to the solutions to fix ghosting, let’s put insight into what ghosting exactly is and what causes it. 

Table Of Contents

Know Ghosting actually is & how it occurs

Solutions to Fix Ghosting

Final Remarks

Know what Ghosting actually is & how it occurs

The most popular reasons behind the ghosting issue are either due to problems in the imaging drum unit or some jam in the fuser unit. Moreover, moisture & the wrong paper type can also lead to ghosting. 

If we talk about imagining drums, then this issue occurs due to a malfunctioning of the imaging drum unit. When an imaging drum unit reaches the last point of its usable life cycle, it starts discharge incorrectly and thus, leaves behind vague traces & lines of the past printing job. That causes ghosting!!

On the other hand, if we speak about the Fuser units, then it can also lead to ghosting issues. When a fuser unit does not heat up the powder perfectly, ghost images appear while printing and give unprofessional print outs. 

One other important reason behind ghosting is “heat and pressure” in laser printing. The pre-printed paper usually causes ghosting since the printed image can be carried easily during the fusing process. If the paper type is thick, lustrous, or not ideal for laser printing, ghosting then can most likely occur. 

Last but not least another basic reason behind ghosting is Dust and detritus inside the printer.  When dirt interferes with the transfer units, imagining drums, and fuser units, then it causes ghosting…

Well, it’s all about the root cause of the ghosting. Hopefully, you understand that. Now, let’s move to the solution of how you can fix this issue. 

Solutions to Fix Ghosting

If the ghosting issue is due to the imaging drum unit, then make sure you verify to know that it has not arrived at the end of its usable life cycle. If your drum unit is different from the printer toner cartridge such as Brother toner or some other brand's toner cartridges, then your printer will show you a notification directing you to replace the drum unit. If you replace it, then you may resolve the ghosting issue properly. 

The second solution that you can implement to overcome ghosting is replacing the toner cartridge. If the imaging drum unit is designed into the printer toner cartridge, then verify to view if the toner cartridge needs to be replaced or not!  If you replace the toner cartridge, then you can terminate ghosting!!

If in case the drum unit is new & designed into a different toner cartridge, then the drum unit is most likely damaged. At this time, you can contact the manufacturer of the printer and ask them for a replacement. Buying a new drum unit can stop the ghosting. 

As you know sometimes, the paper type also causes ghosting, if you suspect it is due to it, then make sure to use the paper specially designed for laser printers. You can change the paper settings if you’re using glossy or thick paper, which is not ideal for it. 

As you know, the fuser unit also causes ghosting. If ghosting is due to it, then you are advised to take your printer to the reliable repair center to get it serviced properly and have the fuser unit replaced. Sometimes, the fuser unit is not damaged, it just gets hot. At this time, you can read the user manual and adjust the temperature. 

If moisture is the reason behind the ghosting, then you are suggested to store your toner cartridges and ink in a cool place with low humidity. It will not just help you eradicate the ghosting issue but also help your toner cartridge last a little longer. 

Many laser printers come with a cleaning cycle that makes sure the excess toner powder does not adhere to the drum units and gives its best functionality. If there is dust and jam in the cleaning cycle, then it can too cause ghosting. To fix the issue, run a cleaning cycle so you can get rid of excess toner powder. 

Well, apart from these solutions, there are many more that you can implement to fix the ghosting issues in laser printers. All you need to do is to know the root cause and then implement the solution to fix it permanently. 

Final Remarks:

Nothing is permanent! The ghosting issue and another common issue in laser printers are also not permanent. It can be resolved by implementing the best possible practices. If you are keen, then probably you have read the above-mentioned solutions thoroughly. Believe us, by implementing those solutions, you will be completely getting rid of the ghosting issues. 

If you know other solutions, apart from the above-mentioned, then do let us know! We will appreciate your efforts. However, if you want to know more about such solutions and want to know anything related to laser printers and its common issues, then don’t hesitate. Just ask us in the comment section below.

We will get back to you with the best response possible.

Hopefully, you enjoyed reading……