Lexmark 350d manual Unacceptable paper, Smoothness

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Understanding print media guidelines

Smoothness

The degree of smoothness of paper directly affects print quality. If the paper is too rough, the toner does not fuse to the paper properly, resulting in poor print quality. If the paper is too smooth, it can cause paper feeding or print quality issues. Smoothness needs to be between 100 and 300 Sheffield points; however, smoothness between 150 and 250 Sheffield points produces the best print quality. If you are using paper with a Sheffield point greater than 350 points, change Paper Type to Rough Cotton. For more information, see “Paper Menu” in the Menus and Messages guide on the Software and Documentation CD.

Moisture content

The amount of moisture in the paper affects both print quality and the ability of the printer to feed the paper properly. Leave the paper in its original wrapper until it is time to use it. This limits the exposure of the paper to moisture changes that can degrade its performance.

Condition paper while it is still in the original wrapper. To condition it, store it in the same environment as the printer for 24 to 48 hours before printing to let the paper stabilize in the new conditions. Extend the time several days if the storage or transportation environment is very different from the printer environment. Thick paper may also require a longer conditioning period because of the mass of material.

Grain direction

Grain refers to the alignment of the paper fibers in a sheet of paper. Grain is either grain long, running the length of the paper, or grain short, running the width of the paper.

For 60 to 90 g/m2 (16 to 24 lb bond) paper, grain long fibers are recommended.

Fiber content

Most high-quality xerographic paper is made from 100% chemically pulped wood. This content provides the paper with a high degree of stability resulting in fewer paper feeding problems and better print quality. Paper containing fibers such as cotton possesses characteristics that can result in degraded paper handling.

Recycled paper

Lexmark supportsUS executive order 13101 which strongly encourages the use of recycled papers in government agencies. Ask for warranty information and performance claims from your paper supplier, and/or test small quantities before buying large amounts. A list of suppliers and approved papers used by the US Government Printing Office can be found at http://www.gpo.gov/qualitycontrol/cpypaper.htm.

Unacceptable paper

The following papers are not recommended for use with the printer:

•Chemically treated papers used to make copies without carbon paper, also known as carbonless papers, carbonless copy paper (CCP), or no carbon required (NCR) paper

•Preprinted papers with chemicals that may contaminate the printer

•Preprinted papers that can be affected by the temperature in the printer fuser

•Preprinted papers that require a registration (the precise print location on the page) greater than ±0.09 in., such as optical character recognition (OCR) forms

In some cases, you can adjust registration with your program to successfully print on these forms.

•Coated papers (erasable bond), synthetic papers, thermal papers

•Rough-edged, rough or heavily textured surface papers or curled paper s

•Recycled paper having a weight less than 60 g/m2 (16 lb)

•Multiple-part forms or documents

Selecting print media

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Contents E350d and E352dn EditionJune Contents Contents Learning about the printer Printer overviewLearning about the printer PostScript Menu Understanding the control panel Button or control panel item FunctionStatus Indicates Understanding print media guidelines What types of print media can be loaded?Paper characteristics Selecting print mediaPaper Understanding print media guidelinesUnacceptable paper SmoothnessUnderstanding print media guidelines Selecting paper Selecting preprinted forms and letterheadTransparencies Understanding print media guidelines Printing on letterheadSelecting transparencies Envelopes LabelsStoring print media Card stockAvoiding jams Printing Loading the 250-sheet trayPrinting Printing Extending the tray for legal-size or folio-size paper Printing Attaching the dust cover Loading the manual feeder Linking trays Sending a job to printCanceling a print job Canceling a job from the printer control panelCanceling a job from a computer running Windows Canceling a job from the taskbarPrinting the menu settings Canceling a job from a Macintosh computerCanceling a job from a Macintosh computer running Mac OS Printing a network setup Printing a font sample listInstalling options Accessing the system boardInstalling options Installing options Adding a memory card Adding a flash memory card Installing an optional 250-sheet drawer or 550-sheet drawer Recognizing installed options Click File à Properties Click the Install Options tabMaintaining the printer Storing suppliesConserving supplies Ordering suppliesMaintaining the printer Part number DescriptionAverage cartridge yield Ordering a toner cartridge Changing a toner cartridgeMaintaining the printer Photoconductor kit end-of-life Ordering a photoconductor kitChanging a photoconductor kit Maintaining the printer Maintenance kit Recycling Lexmark productsMachine voltage Part numbersClearing jams Identifying jamsUnderstanding jam messages MessageClearing a jam Clearing jamsClearing jams Clearing jams Clearing jams Clearing a jam in the manual feeder Clearing jams Troubleshooting Online customer support Calling for serviceChecking an unresponsive printer Lexmark Status Messenger UtilitySolving printing problems TroubleshootingSymptom SolutionTurning on Reduced Curl mode Solving option problems OptionAction Solving service message issues Solving paper feed problemsProblem Symptom Cause SolutionSolving print quality problems Entire page is white Streaks appear on Printing is too dark Problem Action Menu selection PurposeValues Driver optionCleaning the printhead lens Close the front door Turn the printer on Administrative support Disabling control panel menusEnabling control panel menus Restoring factory default settings Selecting printer operating modeSetting security using the Embedded Web Server EWS Administrative supportSetting the system password Using the secure Embedded Web ServerLocking the control panel menus Conventions Electronic emission notices Industry Canada compliance statementEuropean Community EC directives conformity Noise emission levels Product energy consumptionStatement of Limited Warranty for Lexmark E350d and E352dn Laser noticeLimited warranty service Additional rights Index NumericsIndex
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