Lexmark 350d Unacceptable paper, Smoothness, Moisture content, Grain direction, Fiber content

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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