Printer problem. Print is fuzzy.

[[H]eckel]

I bought a cheap Lexmark X1185 multi-function printer a year or so back and it worked fine with the factory print cartridges, but I replaced the cartridges with some cheaper ones that were refilled by a place called ink restore. The cartridges were guaranteed, so I could take them back if I wanted to, but I'd like to know what is going on with them. Maybe it is something I can fix.

The problem is that when I print anything, especially text, it is really fuzzy and sometimes not readable. What would cause the text to be fuzzy? I have done the cleaning and alignment and it helped a little, but its still not sharp at all.

Do the print heads on the cartridges just get old? Is that what determines how sharp the print is?

This printer printed some great photographs when I first bought it. Now I can't even print a black and white letter.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[SarverSystems]

All ink is not created equal.

Most ink is engineered for a specific printer. Ink has additive in it that make it work better with certain print heads. For example, Canon ink has "coolants" added that keep the print head cool. If the print heads heat up, the ink dries in the heads, and it clogs up.

So, that being said, take your example printout, your cartridges, and your receipt back to where you bought them from, Demand a refund, and spend your money on real Lexmark print carts.

NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy refill kits, refilled carts, or generic carts. Don't even buy refurbed carts. Trust me, you will regret it sooner or later.

If ink costs are little too unbearable (which I don't blame you one bit) then save up and buy a color laser printer. Toner is super cheap compared to ink carts. There are some laser printers that print photos almost as good as a top of the line inkjet phot printer.

 

[[H]eckel]

Thanks for the info. I was skeptical about the refurbs, but with the guarantee I figured it was worth a shot. I don't see how places like that could even be in business with these kind of results.