Question Samsung CLP-680 Laser Printer - Colours Misaligned

[steamship]

Not sure when this issue first surfaced as about 90% of things I print are B&W. Anything printed in colour has the colours offset to each other by around 5-6mm. I'm running Windows 10 and it doesn't matter what application I print from (Word, Excel or even Paint). Also tried an older Windows 7 laptop.

The printer is using genuine Samsung toner cartridges and I'm using the very latest drivers downloaded from the HP site (who now support Samsung printers). I've gone through all the menus on the printer and all the options within the printer driver software and can't find any options to do any sort of alignment.

Have tried various suggestions I've seen for other laser printers like removing cartridges, powering on, wait for error message, power off, insert cartridges, power on and test, but no success.

 

[kerberos_20]

try this:

turn off printer, remove toners, switch on with toners missing untill it stops whirring and sits at an error on screen. Turn it off and reinsert all toner carts, turn on printer, wait for it to do all the things it wants to do untill it says ready, turn it off and back on again, wait for it to come back up to ready. Go into the menu, go to colour, go to auto reg and then run the auto reg. then try a test print.

The rationale behind this is to force a cart alignment and calibration (twice to be on the safe side,) then to force a colour registration.

 

[steamship]

try this:

That's the exact same instructions that I referenced in my original post, and unfortunately doesn't work. In fact, I had those instructions printed out and they've been sitting on the printer since I initially tried it.

Looking at the demo page printed (the butterfly image), the 'Color Expression' logo in the corner of the page (three offset boxes, one green, one red and one blue), it looks like it is only the yellow cartridge that is offset. I don't remember seeing an option for individual cartridges, so will go have another look through the menus.

What I didn't mention in my original post is that the printer has printed less than 3,000 pages and the toner cartridges are at 49% for the black and 69% for the colours (only printed 254 pages in colour).

 

[hgertz]

That's the exact same instructions that I referenced in my original post, and unfortunately doesn't work. In fact, I had those instructions printed out and they've been sitting on the printer since I initially tried it.

Looking at the demo page printed (the butterfly image), the 'Color Expression' logo in the corner of the page (three offset boxes, one green, one red and one blue), it looks like it is only the yellow cartridge that is offset. I don't remember seeing an option for individual cartridges, so will go have another look through the menus.

What I didn't mention in my original post is that the printer has printed less than 3,000 pages and the toner cartridges are at 49% for the black and 69% for the colours (only printed 254 pages in colour).

Hi guys and good morning from Germany. I have exactly the same problem. Samsung printer from 2015...almost unused. B/W is perfect. Color is making trouble...shifted by a few millimeters and also broad stripes. Would love to hear if you were able to fix this issue. Have fun.

 

[steamship]

Since my last post I've managed to download a copy of the service manual for the printer, which also tells me how to access the Tech Menu. I've been through in and printed out the ACR (Auto Colour Registration) report, and that shows an odd value of 6 against the yellow Y-axis offset in comparison to the other colours (and black) in the high 90s or 100. Unfortunately I can't find anything in the Tech Menu that allows me to adjust these values.

I also got a response in another forum suggesting it was an issue with the ITB (Intermediate transfer belt). Since I had the service manual I was able to remove and inspect the ITB and it's constructed in such a way that if it was at fault, then the issue would be with all the colours and not just the yellow. There is an option in the Tech Menu to reset all the NVM (Non-Volatile Memory) values that I was thinking of trying, but not sure exactly what it changes. My other option is to try and find an older version(s) of the firmware and try that, the trouble with that is it may not allow an older firmware to be installed.

It's absolutely crazy that the printer has done less than 3,000 pages and is faulty, yet according to the service manual, most of the parts have a lifespan on 100,000 pages. It can't be the printer driver because I'm printing the test page from the printer itself, which leads me to think it's the firmware.

 

[hgertz]

Since my last post I've managed to download a copy of the service manual for the printer, which also tells me how to access the Tech Menu. I've been through in and printed out the ACR (Auto Colour Registration) report, and that shows an odd value of 6 against the yellow Y-axis offset in comparison to the other colours (and black) in the high 90s or 100. Unfortunately I can't find anything in the Tech Menu that allows me to adjust these values.

I also got a response in another forum suggesting it was an issue with the ITB (Intermediate transfer belt). Since I had the service manual I was able to remove and inspect the ITB and it's constructed in such a way that if it was at fault, then the issue would be with all the colours and not just the yellow. There is an option in the Tech Menu to reset all the NVM (Non-Volatile Memory) values that I was thinking of trying, but not sure exactly what it changes. My other option is to try and find an older version(s) of the firmware and try that, the trouble with that is it may not allow an older firmware to be installed.

It's absolutely crazy that the printer has done less than 3,000 pages and is faulty, yet according to the service manual, most of the parts have a lifespan on 100,000 pages. It can't be the printer driver because I'm printing the test page from the printer itself, which leads me to think it's the firmware.

As i have the same issues with my printer i read your comments with great interest. I shall look into the Tech Menue again. Also the thing with the transfer unit sound interesting---let me see if i can go deeper here and take a look.

 

[steamship]

"There is an option in the Tech Menu to reset all the NVM (Non-Volatile Memory) values that I was thinking of trying, but not sure exactly what it changes."

Well, this didn't go anywhere. Despite being listed in the manual, it doesn't appear in the printers actual Tech Menu. Final option I have left is to try and find (and install) an older firmware version.