Question 335 - 220-1101 discussion

A printer drum is a component of a laser printer that transfers the toner to the paper. It is a cylindrical metal or plastic piece that is coated with a photosensitive material. The drum is charged by a laser beam, which creates an electrostatic image of the document to be printed. The toner then sticks to the charged areas of the drum, and the drum rolls over the paper, transferring the toner to the paper and creating the printout1.

If the printer drum is damaged, worn out, or dirty, it may not be able to transfer the toner properly, resulting in blank pages. According to some web search results23, some signs that a printer drum needs to be replaced are:

• Faint, light, faded, or blank printed pages

• Streaks, spots, or lines on the printed pages

• Error messages indicating a drum problem

To fix this issue, the technician may need to clean or replace the printer drum. Some web search results12 provide instructions on how to perform a manual drum cleaning or replacement.

Printer ink is not a likely cause of the issue, since the user has already tried installing different toners and the issue persists. Toner is the powder used by laser printers, while ink is the liquid used by inkjet printers. They are not interchangeable4.

Environmental temperature is not a likely cause of the issue, since most printers can operate in a wide range of temperatures. However, extreme temperatures may affect the quality and performance of some printers. For example, high temperatures may cause ink to dry out or toner to clump, while low temperatures may cause ink to freeze or toner to become brittle.

Corrupted printer drivers are not a likely cause of the issue, since they would affect the communication between the printer and the computer, not the printing process itself. Corrupted printer drivers may cause errors, delays, or incorrect outputs, but not blank pages.