How to Troubleshoot a Lexmark X1185

The Lexmark X1185 is a multifunction device that features a flatbed scanner mounted on top of an inkjet printer. Two common issues that you may encounter while operating the X1185 are paper jams and poor print quality. These problems can arise as a result of improper loading or suboptimal print settings. In many cases, you can correct the underlying issue by following a few basic troubleshooting procedures. Lexmark provides a special application, packaged with the device, to assist in part of this process.

Things You'll Need

• Tweezers, optional

Instructions

Paper Jam

1. Turn off the printer by pressing the power button, located in the lower-right corner of the device's top panel.

2. Grip the protruding end of the jammed paper and carefully pull the sheet free of the printer. If the paper is located inside the printer, lift up the scanning unit, located on the upper section of the device. Lock the scanning unit's support stand into position, then pull the jammed paper out of the interior of the printer.

3. Remove any torn pieces of paper that may be caught in the printer's rollers. If the pieces are large enough, you may be able to use your fingertips; otherwise, a pair of tweezers may prove useful. Unlock the scanning unit, if raised, by lifting it upwards slightly until the support stand releases; push the stand back and lower the scanning unit back to its original location.

4. Minimize the risk of future paper jams by limiting the amount of paper that you load in the printer's input tray. The Lexmark X1185 is designed to hold up to 100 sheets of inkjet, coated or premium paper, 25 sheets of label, iron-on transfer or photo paper, 20 transparencies or 10 sheets of card stock or envelopes.

Print Quality

1. Open the application that you intend to use to print your document. Select "Print Properties" from the "File" menu.

2. Click on the uppermost tab, labeled "Quality/Copies," and select the desired quality setting. Higher settings will generally produce better results than lower ones, but they will also cause the device to use more ink and take longer when printing. If you notice smudges on your printouts, try reducing the quality setting, as this will put less ink on the paper.

3. Open the "Lexmark Solution Center" application; this program comes packaged with the printer and is loaded onto your computer as part of the installation process. Click on the tab labeled "Maintenance."

4. Click on "Clean to fix horizontal streaks" if you notice horizontal lines on your printout, or if the printout appears too dark. Click on "Align to fix blurry edges" if your printout features rough edges or jagged, vertical lines. Wait for the printer to finish performing the maintenance process before proceeding.

5. Print out a new copy of your document and compare the results to the original. Make additonal changes to the printout quality settings, if desired

References

• "X1100 Series All-in-One User Guide"; Lexmark
• Lexmark: How to Troubleshoot a Paper Jam or Misfeed on Lexmark X1100 Series Printer