hi guys. i have a hp 2100 laserjet printer. when i print from the
normal tray, the right hand corner comes out creased with every sheet.
i now tried the manual feed tray and it comes out fine.
any ideas how i sort out the propert tray so my sheets dont fold at the
top right corner of the page.
thanks in advance for any comments guys.
Is the paper folded or creased? If creased is the crease between (about) 2 to 6
inches long and run at a slight angle down the page?
If it is an actual fold there may be an obstruction in the paper path between
the lower tray (Tray 2) and the registration assembly, the paper takes a
slightly different path than it does from the MP tray (Manual feed tray).
Feeding a piece of light card from the lower tray may clear the obstruction
otherwise cover removal and some dissasembly is required.
If creased there are several causes.
The common ones are-
Paper quality, laser printers are just as picky about paper as inkjets but for
entirely different reasons. As a generalisation the cheaper the paper the more
clay is in it, clay absorbs water from the atmosphere and whilst the paper may
not feel damp it can cause paper issues in laser printers, also it should be
stored away from concrete floors and outside walls in a dry room. If in doubt
try a known quality brand of paper. People are often very reluctant to accept
that the paper they use is an issue, the only way to persuade them is to use a
known good quality paper and prove the point. HP has a media document that
covers paper types and recommendations that is simply huge. The paper path from
the lower tray is more demanding on paper than it is from the MP tray.
Paper guides, make sure the paper guides in the tray are set exactly right for
your paper size, if they are out even a little it can cause paper feed problems.
The pick up roller in the printer body and the separation pad in the tray
itself (a brownish pad about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/3 inch wide at the front
of the tray) may be worn causing uneven feeding. Both are cheap and easy to
replace for the lower tray.
Finally, if none of those things are the cause the tray may need replacement,
this is not common but happens with some laser printers (the laserjet 4+ does
this and I have seen it on one or two occasions with the 2100), there is no fix
other than tray replacement. Even experienced printer techs find this hard to
diagnose because the tray has so few parts but I think it is something to do
with the spring system in the tray. This condition is rare and the best way to
prove it is to use a tray from another 2100 (or 2200) and see if it fixes the
problem.
Tony
