ImageWriter 15-Inch: How To Improve Blurry Printing



I have an ImageWriter 15-inch (wide carriage). When printing in "Best"
mode the letters appear blurry.

When the printer puts down the second strike from the other direction
during printing it is slightly off, giving the job a blurry look. (I have
tried printing the same things with a narrow-carriage ImageWriter I and the
print is much sharper.)

I've tried adjusting the carrier wire, replacing the logic board, drive
transistor set, carrier motor, carrier wire, and print head, but none of
these things helped.

Does the mechanical assembly just wear out after a time, producing a little
"slop" that could cause this problem? Is there an adjustment for
horizontal linearity? Is there a way to get unidirectional printing in the
"BEST" mode?

Printers, like all mechanical devices, eventually exhibit symptoms of
fatigue and general wear and tear. There is a point in every printer's life
cycle where the cost to repair exceeds the cost of replacement.

Here's what you can do to help your ImageWriter 15-inch:

1) Perform the VR1 adjustment. This adjusts for optimum vertical
alignment. This is more of a fine tuning adjustment but should be
performed first.

2) Clean the Carriage Rails thoroughly. This means buff the rails
and make sure they are clean all the way around. A quick wipe will not
do the trick.

3) Check the carrier wire (Apple Part #970-0818 ) that attaches to
the Carrier Assembly. Where the cable mounts to the carrier assembly,
a small rubber bushing is used to isolate the Carriage assembly from
the cable. As the printer ages, this rubber bushing may deteriorate.
If that seems to be the case, order another bushing and see if that
solves the problem.

Unidirectional printing in Best mode is not an available option.


Published Date: Feb 18, 2012