HP laser jet 4 plus printing checks with Data faction program, not registered correct

[tonerjockey]

Hi Guys, Happy Friday.


i got this customer that had a worn and jammed fuser. i replaced the maintenance kit and it was fine.


then several weeks later, they tell me "it Never did that before you changed that fuser"

they are using an old windows operation system, as well as an ancient check printing program called Data faction.

the problem is, the checks are printing with the image shifted up an 1/8th of an inch, so the check is printing the bank routing number where the border line is preprinted form the company that prints the blanks that have an outline for the check.

when i print a test print, it appears to be registered correctly, and no smears.

also, there is no variation from the first print and subsequent pages, no double sheet feeding. they are using the 3rd tray accessory, and the check blanks are legal size.


i see on the self test print, several things that seem like it might adjust registration, since i don't see any registration clutch solenoids in the parts guide, only tray 1 and 2 feed solenoids.


the settings for "Form = 46 lines", and "Pitch = 10.00" i changed some to see if there was any change of image placement, but had no effect that i could see.


i suspect that with a check program, it must have way to calibrate or dial in, where the check image is placed depending on a printer company actual border placement.
like in MS office, i can adjust the border and line spacing to fit my requirements.


does anyone have any idea or experience with this issue that might have a suggestion??


if not i suppose i may go and buy another fuser to rule it out and tell them sorry.



thank you very much, Jim

[blackcat4866]

Sounds like BS to me. I can't imagine any fuser changing the image registration, as long as it's the correct fuser.

Laserjet 4+, eh? Probably a museum. I'm surprised that any kind of print driver will still communicate with it. That's more likely where your issue is: wrong print driver, or wrong driver for that OS. =^..^=

[tonerjockey]

Hey blackcat, how have you been?

yes, i run into this machine where cheap businesses don't want to pop for a current operating system and program.


and then risking their database and customer base to unsupported operating systems.


the 4 plus i think was the last line that would work with windows XP, but i didn't even ask what they were using. maybe 2000!!

anyway, i think if for conversation sake, if the fuser roller diameter was slightly to big around, then it would be in effect pulling the paper thru the unit a little faster, and that could change the exact placement. but it wouldn't fit in the bushings.

if the gear was incorrect, would it couple with the drive swing gear?

if the 4 plus and 5 were swapped, i seem to remember that the plug/ jack was different so it wouldn't work.

but i don't remember that it had a different roller or gear, just a main drive speed increase??
and i looked real close to the self test page, and i don't see any smears or blurs.



if it was the other way around, the roller diameter to small, them the image would still be correctly in place, but there would be a buckle in the paper, and if big enough, that might cause a smear as the paper buckled and rubbed something prior to fusing.


either way, i have never seen a fuser pre fixing film, cause this issue.


this reman fuser is from Depot.


have a great weekend Brother.

[tonerjockey]

blackcat, sorry, i didn't thank you for the input.


i think you may be correct.

and i do appreciate it.
Jim

[blackcat4866]

Hey blackcat, how have you been?

I'm good, thanks.

... anyway, i think if for conversation sake, if the fuser roller diameter was slightly to big around, then it would be in effect pulling the paper thru the unit a little faster, and that could change the exact placement. but it wouldn't fit in the bushings.

if the gear was incorrect, would it couple with the drive swing gear?

if the 4 plus and 5 were swapped, i seem to remember that the plug/ jack was different so it wouldn't work.

All true. Maybe slower, but never faster paper passage.

... but i don't remember that it had a different roller or gear, just a main drive speed increase??
and i looked real close to the self test page, and i don't see any smears or blurs.

And you would see line blurs crossfeed, where the fuser was pulling the unfused paper faster than the latent image on the drum.

... if it was the other way around, the roller diameter to small, them the image would still be correctly in place, but there would be a buckle in the paper, and if big enough, that might cause a smear as the paper buckled and rubbed something prior to fusing.

Also true. If I were to make an educated guess, I'd say that this is a proprietary software that sends PostScript print data directly to the printer without the need for a driver (or only as a pass through). It's probably been like this for a decade or so, and they thought that they'd get you to solve this additional issue for free. There probably isn't an easy way to nudge the image up or down to align the data on the lines.

I'll be interested in what you discover.

[tonerjockey]

ok, ill keep you posted if there are any updates.


i told them, famous last words, "it never did that before", and that the fuser has absolutely nothing to do with the image placement.


their reply, "well, i don't know anything about the machine workings, just that it wasn't like that before you changed that part for a jam..."


customers comments like this, always remind me of Jim Intravia and his "how to get better service on your machines, with 20 phrases.


from 1996 in his newsletter. classic.

[AlanHK]

the 4 plus i think was the last line that would work with windows XP, but i didn't even ask what they were using. maybe 2000!!.

I'm using XP with a LJ 2420. And I sometimes run a DOS program from 1987 that can print to it.
Most, perhaps all, laserjets run PCL and usually PostScript, even if they also have a newer print language. As long as you can send data to the printer, you can print with any software or OS made in the last 30 years.
(Might need some trickery if it uses USB.)
Most business software that generates its own printing code to print directly uses PCL, as a lowest common denominator.
So you can update to a recent or current laserjet and retain software compatibility.

The misalignment could be the printer being reset to a different paper size.
Normally the print file will override all that, but it may assume a default.
Ask them for a copy of the check printing software, unless it's copy protected.
Or even if it is, it may have some readable config files.

[tonerjockey]

OK, thank you AlanHK.

i am not sure when i will get back there, as i told the customer to try looking for the settings.
when ever i went there or called, the person that knew about the program, wasnt there.


so, i kinda wrote them off.


happy Friday.