Printer and Paper Issue

[redsox2012]

I've been printing covers for years on an HP 2680 printer.  It's around five years old, but it's always produced good quality covers.  Around a month ago I went to print a cover, and the paper wouldn't feed into the printer properly.  When I ejected the paper I noticed a series of ink lines on the back of the paper.  From that point forward I've been having a lot of problems.  Nearly every time I try to print it seems to have trouble feeding the paper into the printer, and when it finally does, the paper doesn't move until around 20 seconds of printing have occurred.  I can hear the print heads moving back and forth, but the paper isn't moving.  By the time the paper starts moving, the first 1/4 or so of the photo is missing, and the lines appear on the back of the paper.  I restarted my computer a few times, and I was able to get a few covers to print correctly, but now none will print.  The few that did print correctly were the usual high quality.

I printed a cover on plain paper recently to test it, and it printed perfectly.  The paper fed exactly as it should, and there were no lines on the back of the paper.  The photo paper I'm trying to use is Kodak Premium Glossy.  I tried to select plain paper when using photo paper, but it still had the same problem.

So, I decided to hook up another printer I have.  It's also an HP, but it's an F340 all-in-one, and it's several years older than the other printer.  I've never used this printer for photos or covers.  When I went to print my first cover, the EXACT same thing happened.  It had trouble pulling the paper into the printer, and there were the same lines on the back of the paper.  This printer uses a separate driver than the other one.  Needless to say I'm completely baffled as to how two completely different printers have EXACTLY the same problem.

Then I went out and bought a cheap Canon printer to see how it worked.  It printed good covers with the paper I have, but it didn't have a borderless option, so any cover I printed came out too small after the printer software added a forced border.  I returned this printer because I need to have a one that can do borderless printing.

So, I bought a brand new HP 2680 printer from an Ebay seller for less than $20.  I'm dying to see what happens when I get it and hook it up.  If it does the same thing I may start breaking things in a fit of rage.  I'm already baffled at how, after hundreds of covers, I can't seem to print one anymore.

[Arseen]

Sounds like some kind of trouble of the printer crabbing the paper, like the paper is somehow too thin.
Then when the printer has printed the cover for a while the feeding roll is wet enough to catch the paper and start printing properly.

So maybe the gap between the paper rollers has become too big over time?

[sheep2001]

if it's printing fine with normal paper, but not the thicker paper - its more likely the opposite.  the feed rollers are dirty and sticking, once they get soaked with fresh ink it's loosening up.  Getting your rollers inky and leaving them like that is not a good plan.

Sounds like you need to strip it down and clean it.  Might not be a job for the faint hearted, so either leave it in for a service, or cut your losses and have a go.  If it doesn't work anyway, what have you got to lose?

[Arseen]

if it's printing fine with normal paper, but not the thicker paper - its more likely the opposite.  the feed rollers are dirty and sticking, once they get soaked with fresh ink it's loosening up.  Getting your rollers inky and leaving them like that is not a good plan.

Sounds like you need to strip it down and clean it.  Might not be a job for the faint hearted, so either leave it in for a service, or cut your losses and have a go.  If it doesn't work anyway, what have you got to lose?

Oh, yeah, read wrong way around.
Read that problem was with normal paper and photo paper went thru fine.

[redsox2012]

I can understand about the rollers covered with ink, but it doesn't make sense to me how my other printer does exactly the same thing, despite having never printed photos on it.  The rollers on that one should be almost like new as all I ever use that printer for is scanning.  I'm really curious to see what happens when I get my new printer - it's supposed to come tomorrow.  If it does the same thing I'll know that there must be a compatibility problem with my paper (which would be awfully strange).

By the way, the photo paper I'm using is glossy 66 lb, 8.5 mil.

[sheep2001]

I take it the paper is nice and smooth?  Not sticky in any way?

If you are concerned it's e paper, wouldn't it be cheaper to buy another team of photo paper.  Maybe a different brand, or slightly lighter weight?

[redsox2012]

Well, the new printer seems to work well.  It's printing like the other one used to.