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Some of you may have experienced ghosting on your laser printer. Ghosting usually occurs when a large black pattern is followed by a lighter gray pattern. Below is an easy method of understanding where the problem lies. There are two main causes for ghost images:

1. Developer starvation – this is caused by printing an image that uses so much toner that there is not enough time for the developer to pick up new toner and charge it sufficiently for the next image. This is called light ghosting and is usually an indication that there’s a problem with the drum or imaging unit or that they are near the end of their useful life. Ideally, old residue from previous pages is scraped off the drum before it’s recharged for a new page. It may be that the printer isn’t properly removing residual toner. The way to fix that is to replace the drum or imaging unit. In some printers the toner and drum assembly are the same thing. In other printers the two are separate. Check printer documentation for specific replacement instructions.

To determine if the developer is the cause of light ghosting, check if the circumference of the drum corresponds to the distance between the repeated images. Measuring this distance determines whether the drum or the toner is the cause of the ghosting.

2. If the distance between the repeated images is not the same as the circumference of the drum and the ghosting is a slightly darker grey, it is likely that the toner cartridge is the reason for the ghosting and needs replacing. This is referred to as dark ghosting.