Dymo 450 manual Performing a Printer Self-Test, Clearing Label Jams, Correcting Poor Print Quality

Getting Help

Performing a Printer Self-Test

If you experience problems with broken characters or other print quality issues, perform a printer self-test. The self-test verifies that all elements of the print head and printing mechanism are in working condition.

To perform a self-test

1With a roll of labels in the printer, press and hold the form-feed button on the front of the printer for five to ten seconds.

The printer begins printing vertical lines along the width of the printer. The test pattern automatically changes every 3/4 inch (19 mm).

2Once the self-test begins, release the form-feed button.

3To stop the self-test, press and release the form-feed button.

Correcting Poor Print Quality

Poor print quality is most frequently caused by one of the following:

•An old roll of labels

•Labels made by a manufacturer other than DYMO

•Labels where the thermal coating has been compromised

•A dirty print head

First, make sure you are using DYMO-branded labels. Do not use third-party labels because the thermal coating on other labels has a different sensitivity than DYMO-branded labels. Also, the perforated holes between the labels made by other manufacturers are frequently not detectable by LabelWriter printers.

If the print quality becomes faint, small dots of white appear scattered through the printed characters, or light and dark patches of printing appear, you are probably using a faulty roll of labels. Try using a different roll from a fresh box. If the second roll prints correctly, the problem is with the first roll of labels.

Another possibility is that the LabelWriter print head needs cleaning. Every LabelWriter printer comes with a cleaning card. See "Caring for Your Printer" on page 17 for information about the LabelWriter cleaning card.

Labels Do Not Feed Correctly

If your labels do not feed correctly, check the following:

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