Printing on Transparencies


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Tutorial Home >Hardware >Peripherals >Printers >Troubleshooting Laser Printers >Printing on Transparencies

  Step 1:  Using Transparencies

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Use caution when printing to transparencies. If you are not using transparencies specifically for laser printers your can do serious damage to your printer. If you use a transparency not created for a laser printer, the transparency could melt onto the internals of your printer when it passes over the fuser on the exit. If you notice that the transparencies are wrinkled, or slightly melted upon exit, do yourself a hug favor and use a different transparency!
  Step 2:  Positioning the Transparency

If you have transparencies calibrated for a laser printer, you may notice that there is a rough and a smooth side of the sheet. The rough, grainy side is the side where the image is printed. Your transparencies may have a white strip of removable tape. This is called the gripper edge, where the printer grips the sheet and pulls it into the printer. This edge must touch the grips of the printer first, otherwise the wheels won't be able to pick up the sheet because it's too slick for the printer to grip.
  Step 3:  Using the Manual Feed

If the transparencies will not print through your tray, attempt to print using the manual feed. Open the manual feed, position the transparencies into feeder, adjust the paper guides, and print your document again. If you're uncertain which way the transparencies should be placed into the feeder, feed a blank sheet of paper into the printer first. Draw a small arrow on the sheet to help you gauge how the transparency should be positioned when you print to it.
  Step 4:  Clean the Rollers

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If the transparency still refuses to print, you may try to clean the rollers the pull the sheets into the printer. Power down the printer and disconnect the power cord. Use a small amount of isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab to clean the rollers. Allow time for the alcohol to evaporate and try to print again.