Printer not printing clearly

[rickhaye]

Hello, I have the Futurelogic Gen 2 printer installed on my machine. Whenever it prints out tickets there are spots in the barcode that doesn't come out good. My BV sometimes doesn't accept those tickets. I have followed the instructions on how to clean it, it got better but still hit and miss on the clarity. I did find that the rubber roller that presses on the print head is not smooth. The roller has deformities on it and it is not smooth compared to the others.

I want to take it out so I can give it a more thorough cleaning but not sure how it comes out. If that doesn't solve the issue, maybe get a replacement for it if they don't cost much. I've attached pictures to show the printer I have.

[Stayouttadabunker]

These GEN2 thermal printer rollers are getting somewhat dry rotted by now, but the problem may lie elsewhere and "cleaning it" is probably not going to cut it.
There are IC components on the circuit board inside that are very old now and starting to go out of the specifications that they were originally designed for.
The IC components I'm referring to, are the ones that control the voltages that are shooting out in the printer head to "write" or throw thousandths of a milliseconds of heat onto the thermal paper, to give you a "print".
These IC components get weakened over time and don't "shoot" out enough voltage to heat the thermal paper.
The end result becomes empty spots and unheated thermal paper producing grainy, unfinished fonts or, spots in the barcode.
When you start seeing that, the printhead's controller circuit board, that lies under the paper deck, is pretty much way past it's lifetime.
Guess what year these GEN2 printers came out? haha There might be a date on a label on yours.

Anyways, with the power OFF, try disconnecting and reconnecting the printer harness a few times.
There are a few harnesses connected to GEN2 printer....for example, the one behind the printer from the backplane and the curly black one on the top left-hand side of the printer.
Sometimes the contact pins are dirty inside the connector housings.
This may not work but like I said, it's probably more of an old IC component on the circuit board inside like a capacitor or something that's gone bad.

Sometimes you can find a good deal on other, old used GEN2's....some warehouses have boxes of 'em collecting dust.
Call around or put up a WTB ad in the Classifieds section of NLG.
Maybe someone will have one for sale for ya.

[Sunrise Side]

Take a sharp edge tool and lift the GEN 2 decal. It is an adhesive back thick plastic. There are 2 screws under the decal. Remove or loosen the screws. Then open the top/head of the printer. You can clean the rubber roller with a damp cloth and a mild soap solution. If that does not get the build up off the roller, try some GOO GONE. You may have to scrub it with the cloth vigorously or use a credit card to scrap off the buildup. If you notice a flat spot in the roller that will cause printing issues. If you find the flat spot is causing the issue, you may try paint stripper with a Q-tip on the flat spot to rejuvenate it. Paint stripper will make the rubber swell slightly

[Tilt]

 

I have some old printers (pre GEN 2) and them old IC's are still shooting heat like the devil.  I'd clean the roller like Sunrise Side suggested.

[Sunrise Side]

Another possible issue , the ticket paper, if it is old or of low quality, it will not print properly.

[rickhaye]

Thank you for all the tips. I've checked the connections all good. I will try what Sunrise suggested and open up the top portion and examine/clean the top roller. I will update all when finished.

[Sunrise Side]

Here is the difference in printing of high quality ticket paper that casino uses and the cheap aftermarket ticket paper.

[rickhaye]

Here is the difference in printing of high quality ticket paper that casino uses and the cheap aftermarket ticket paper.

I've attached a photo of a printed ticket. This one is one of the better looking ones. Where can I buy the high quality paper from?

[rickhunter]

This guy is selling a box of 50 ticket packs of 200 for $90.  That's less than $2 a pack for casino paper.  I have done business with this user and have had no issues.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275037953861?hash=item40098a1f45:g:~DUAAOSwzS5hnEIe

[rickhaye]

This guy is selling a box of 50 ticket packs of 200 for $90.  That's less than $2 a pack for casino paper.  I have done business with this user and have had no issues.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275037953861?hash=item40098a1f45:g:~DUAAOSwzS5hnEIe

That's a pretty good deal but a little bit too much for my testing needs at the moment.

[Sunrise Side]

You have a flat spot in your roller.

[rickhaye]

You have a flat spot in your roller.

Actually the roller has a lot of accumulated gunk on it so it isn't smooth at all. The surface is very uneven compared to the others. I tried scraping it as best I could but some residue still remain. Alcohol wipes helped a little bit. I bought some GOO GONE and will try that next.

[rickhaye]

You have a flat spot in your roller.

Cleaned it again, same results. Now I fully understand what you mean by "flat spot" in the roller. The pattern where it becomes smudged repeats itself... I guess I need a replacement roller. Probably easier to get a replacement printer altogether. Any ideas where to source one out?

[Stayouttadabunker]

IF you were a Contributing member, you would be able to post in the Classifieds section of NLG.
A member/vendor could spot your "Want-To-Buy" ad might have one for sale for you.

[rickhaye]

It's ok, I'm not a contributing member but I did make a small donation to the site. I'll just keep a look out on Ebay for a good deal. Thank you to all that helped me out. I learned a lot and appreciate all the efforts made.

[rickhaye]

Got a replacement printer and printing is really good now. The only issue is that the green arrow on the bezel is blinking slowly. The error message shows "low paper" but the tray is full. Any ideas what I need to check?

[rickhunter]

There's a low paper sensor on the printer, it is an optic circuit that is covered when the paper covers it.  If there's no tape or gunk covering it, then the led is probably blown.  You can locate the sensor easily, it should be a dark rectangular shape on the right side of the paper tray on most printers.

[rickhaye]

There's a low paper sensor on the printer, it is an optic circuit that is covered when the paper covers it.  If there's no tape or gunk covering it, then the led is probably blown.  You can locate the sensor easily, it should be a dark rectangular shape on the right side of the paper tray on most printers.

Can you easily replace the led if it's bad?

[rickhunter]

Frankly, I've never tried to, but taking these things apart is a pain.

[rickhaye]

is there a way to just clear/acknowledge the low paper error so the lights on the top candle stop flashing?