Genicom 3600 manual Testing the Printer

Testing and Adjusting 3

This chapter contains procedures for testing the printer’s performance as a quality check during preventive maintenance, as a functional check when troubleshooting, and as part of the repair process after replacing a printer component. This chapter also contains procedures for making adjustments and alignments that ensure the printer is operating normally.

Testing the Printer

If you are on site for preventive maintenance or are following up a corrective action and the printer is working, start conducting quality checks from the Test and Service mode. If you are on site for corrective maintenance, determine if the problem lies with setup and process or the printer itself. Use the Test and Service mode to determine if the printer can print. If it can, perform the communications test.

The quality and efficiency of producing labels reveals if a printer is operating correctly. In addition to analyzing labels to evaluate printer performance, the 3600 printer Test and Service mode allows you to conduct printer tests that include printing test labels (illustrated in this section) with a fixed look so you can compare them to an expected standard. The test labels can be used for checking printhead alignment, printhead bias, dots out of specification, label tracking, and ribbon wrinkling. Test and Service mode functions can be run at the printer or from a host terminal through the use of commands.

If you find a printer lacking in performance after running your tests, check and make the adjustments and alignments necessary to return the printer to normal service. If you cannot get a printer working properly with an adjustment or alignment, troubleshoot for a component failure.

Note: Making the alignments out of order can introduce, not solve printing problems. Review the section about printer alignments before making any changes.

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