Poor print quality or not printing on the SendPro CX Series

Issue

The meter prints postage on an envelope or tape that is blurred, fuzzy, streaked, or cut off, or nothing prints. A test pattern might show broken lines or smears. On the SendPro CX 500, the postage might also print in the wrong location because the envelope skews as it feeds.

This article covers postage printed with red ink on envelopes or tapes. It does not cover shipping labels. If a shipping label prints poorly, see the label printer article listed under Related topics.

Cause

Poor print quality, no print, or postage in the wrong location has several possible causes:

• The ink cartridge is not a genuine Pitney Bowes ink cartridge. Third-party ink can cause poor print quality.
• Protective tape or stickers are still on a newly installed ink cartridge. 
• The ink level is low.
• The print nozzles are clogged or dirty.
• The printhead is dirty.
• On the SendPro CX 500, the side guides are positioned incorrectly, which lets the envelope skew as it feeds. 

Resolution

Try the solutions in order. If you have a SendPro CX 500 and the postage prints in the wrong location, go to solution 4.

• Solution 1: Check that the ink cartridge is genuine and has ink
• Solution 2: Clean the print nozzles and print a test pattern
• Solution 3: Clean the printhead if the test pattern is still poor
• Solution 4: Position the side guides if envelopes skew on the SendPro CX 500

Solution 1: Check that the ink cartridge is genuine and has ink

1. Check that the ink cartridge is a genuine Pitney Bowes ink cartridge. Third-party ink cartridges can cause poor print quality.
2. If you recently installed the cartridge, make sure you removed all protective tape and stickers from it. 
3. From the Home screen, tap the right arrow.
4. Tap Ink & Maintenance.
5. Check the ink level on the Envelope Printer Maintenance screen. 
    
6. If the cartridge is not genuine or the ink level is low, replace it with a genuine Pitney Bowes ink cartridge. To buy one, see: Order genuine Pitney Bowes ink

If the issue is not resolved, go to solution 2.

Solution 2: Clean the print nozzles and print a test pattern

1. From the Home screen, tap the right arrow.
2. Tap Ink & Maintenance.
3. Tap Clean Print Nozzle.
4. On the Clean Print Nozzle menu, tap Clean Print Nozzle.
5. When the screen says Ready to print, feed an envelope or tape sheet into the meter.
6. Compare the printed test pattern to the samples below. A good test pattern has solid, unbroken lines. A bad test pattern has gaps or broken lines.
    
    
7. If the test pattern is good, tap Done to return to the Envelope Printer Maintenance menu.
8. If the test pattern has broken lines, smears, or no print at all, tap Clean Print Nozzle to clean the print nozzles again, then print another test pattern.
9. If the test pattern is still poor after two cleanings, go to solution 3.

Solution 3: Clean the printhead if the test pattern is still poor

For the steps, see: Cleaning the printhead on the SendPro CX Series

If the test pattern is still poor after you clean the printhead, please chat with us for next steps.

Solution 4: Position the side guides if envelopes skew on the SendPro CX 500

If the side guides are positioned incorrectly, the envelope can move while it prints. A skewed envelope can exit the meter with no postage, print crooked or blurred postage, or cause a jam. This could deduct funds.

Hold the envelope against the back wall to avoid skewing.

For feeding steps, see: Feeding envelopes on the SendPro C Auto and SendPro CX 500

If the issue is not resolved, please chat with us for next steps.

Related topics

• Poor print quality on the PB-SP100 (1E47, 1E48, 1E51, or 1E53) label printer