Print problem (openoffice/win7/epson?)

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Can anyone help me try to troubleshoot an odd problem that I am experiencing with printing?

I am trying to print from a Windows7 OS, using OpenOffice.org (I have tried both the default openoffice file type, and converted to the Word file type and both are printing with the same problem).

The file I am trying to print is a 2 page letter. I printed it earlier this afternoon, proof-read, made some changes to the doc on my computer, saved the file and tried to print. The printer seemed to pick up the document fine and printed some of it, but left out other parts.

The "Dear....." is not printed at the top of the document (at first I thought maybe I had a paper alignment/feeder problem but).

After trying to fix the paper alignment/feeding, I looked again at what had been printed and saw that other random "whole lines" of text have simply not printed (there is a blank line where they would have been if they had printed; the blank lines are pristine without so much as a spot or smudge of ink).

The text that has printed is well formed (there is no distortion to the text, no "banding", smudging or spotting of ink, or other indicators that there might be any kind of mechanical fault with the print nozzles).

I have never encountered a problem remotely like this (I have had issues with paper feeders, with communicating between computer and printer and with print nozzels, but never anything where perfect print, minus whole lines of random text has been produced).

Possible reasons for the problem:
I note that I received an update from my "friends" at micro$oft today, but I cannot recall if I printed the first (successful) copy of the document before or after the time the update appears to have occurred. Is there some way I can check the time of an earlier print job?

Epson do not have drivers that specifically support my current OS, however the printer worked fine with from this computer before (including earlier today); the only problem I have had previously was that the OS had set a default printer which happened to not exist, so it appeared my jobs were going to the printer and then I would get a communication error.....eventually I discovered the default setting and the problem was easily resolved from there. Is it likely to be a driver issue even though the same document (with a couple of minor text changes) printed fine earlier today?

Intended course of action/troubleshooting pathway
I can access another computer that I can transfer the data to, but I would like to avoid unnecessary printing if anyone recognizes this problem or believes they can narrow done the likely cause, or suggest a more efficient troubleshooting pathway (one that minimizes the need to print). If i do not get any answers or find a solution myself before then, I will borrow my step-son's computer tomorrow and try to print the file from that. If the problem persists then I intend to try to print another document to see if there is something particular to the two files concerned (the original file type doc and the converted file top doc).

Any other advice, help, or information about this kind of problem would be very useful to me and very much appreciated if anyone is able and willing to help.

try downloading the newest Epson drivers for vista, and reinstalling them, those drivers should work just fine. If that does not fix the problem then I would try the printer with another computer to make sure that it is not a problem with the printer

Thanks roadracer.

I tried printing from another computer first (before I saw your post) and it printed the missing lines but with marked horizontal banding. I suspect it might be a driver issue as it seems unlikely a print nozzel problem would persistenly effect the exact same lines of text print after print.

I am currently downloading the latest driver (which claims to be for Windows 7 as well as Vista; last time I checked a couple of weeks ago there were no windows 7 drivers at all, so it looks like they may have gotten around to supporting windows 7 on this particular printer model).....hopefully this will resolve the issue.

Thanks for your input.

UPDATE
Downloaded drivers to windows 7 PC, it too (just like the xp computer) will now print the missing lines but distorted by horizontal banding. I tried a different file that had text on every line (no paragraph breaks). The problem effects the first line, and every fourth line thereafter. Any ideas anyone?

If you are printing from a different computer are you using the same printer? Printing different files using another printer do you still get the banding? Have you tried to do test print for that printer? Have you tried printing text from another application?

I am using the same printer (I only have that works....er....sort of works....)
I tried another unrelated file (I have two copies of the document that I first had trouble with, the original is in the openoffice.org default file format and when it would not print properly I saved it as an MS word document). When neither of the two different file formats of the document would print, I printed a document that had "test" typed on every line. The first line and every fourth line thereafter show the banding.

I tried a test print before I downloaded the driver for Windows 7; I am not entirely sure what the test print should look like, but I am confident that the result I got is not what should have come out.

The application I used to print from Windows 7 is OpenOffice, but on the other computer I printed from a removable USB drive.

It could be a hardware issue with the inkjet, if it is messing up at regular intervals. The fact that the same issue occurs printing from multiple computers means it is probably not a driver problem.

It probably isn't but there is still a chance. Going though the printer setup procedure and test print may help with trouble shooting. It is always worth doing as an elimination exercise. Unfortunately you have to pay office jet prices to get a printer that can test itself to the same level it was cleared at the factory.

Hardware issues still need to investigated, there is a big difference between a physical obstruction, memory corruption, print head and chip malfunction, printer circuit boards, servo motors, etc.

Cheaper printers will use cartages that contain the print head and circuit.

My hunch is this problem that is occurring at a late stage in the process. Pannd said this problem occurs consistently in the same place, so if she changes the font size or line height of the text would it occur on the same line or would it occur at the same distance apart?

RIPs or raster image processors interpret the information sent to the printer which can be textual, vector, etc as a raster then enters that into memory to be sent to the print head, for setting the dots (converted to halftone). Plotters work differently, laser printers have the advantages of plotters and dot printers.

Ok, I tested the scanner (it is a multifunction scanner/printer) because a friend wants to come over a borrow it. The scanner seems to work fine (scanned image and saved to file). I tested the printer again (on the same original document that I was having trouble with) and the copy came out perfectly fine.

Does this mean that it is probably a(n intermitant) hardware problem? I have not made any changes or adjustments since I tried to print last night and had problems. It just printed fine today. The only difference is that instead of printing from within an application or from a removable USB drive, I printed from file (I went into the document file library, used right click and selected print).

I do not want to waste ink testing various ways of printing, so next time I need to print I will try from within an application and if that does not work out, I will see if printing from the file library works out instead.

I probably should try another test print using the printer's troubleshooting facilities, but I have already used up a lot of ink trying to print a single 2 page document.

Thanks to everyone for their help an ideas.

I'd go with the 'regular interval', that's usually an indication of a hardware problem. (HP, at least, used to have a 'repetitive defect' ruler that would indicate what actual component was the likely problem. The fact that they're horizontal is usually another indication of hardware. If the spaces in the banding are uniform, that pretty much clinches it.

Another possibility is the age of your print cartridges. They really don't last more than about 18 months or so. The chemistry starts to settle out. Especially if you haven't done printing in a while, the results (at least at first) could be a problem.

Sometimes there's a 'generic' driver analogous to your model. Epson tech support would probably be a good place to try (maybe a web site, it seems like phone calls are now being charged for...@#$%...

The printer (and hence the catridges) is less than two months old. At least if it is a hardware problem, it will be under warranty.

Thanks for your input.

printing exclusively in black and white, or in color. be mindful of your advanced settings

also the printer will append some code after the printed area, in advanced setting be wary about any script the printer uses. remve it from the printer. I use an Epson 3800cx

yup...if it's only text, try draft mode and see if anything changes (if it has a draft mode, that is)

I will explore the advanced settings if something else goes wrong again, although I am unsure what I might do with them.

I have not noticed a draft mode, but I have not had the printer long and barely use it, so I am largely ignorant about its software applications.

A couple of days ago I printed the second page of the same document that I had had problems with, and again it printed fine with no problems at no. Text clear, no horizontal banding. Works fine...