Sony UP-898: vertical stripe on every print
What happened
The video printer produced a vertical stripe running through the printed image on every frame, with no error codes shown.
What was checked
- Cleaned the thermal head with alcohol through the opened access cover.
- Ran the cleaning sheet from the printer's own kit.
- Inspected the heating elements under a microscope for wear or scratches.
- Checked and cleaned the gear on the drive motor.
Cause
The engineers found the stripe came from the thermal head itself: either burnt-on residue on the elements, or elements worn and scratched — in their experience often the result of cheap off-brand paper. Cleaning only helps in the contamination case; element wear is permanent.
What was done
Cleaning the head with alcohol/solvent resolved the case where residue was the cause. If the elements are worn, the head must be replaced — reported in the case, a new head with fitting can cost about as much as a used printer, so both options are worth pricing before ordering. The engineers also recommend cleaning the drive motor gear (in this case with a needle and solvent), since contamination there makes the gear chew the toothed belt.
Safety
Isolate the printer from the mains and let the thermal head cool before any cleaning — solvents are flammable — and after any head work verify image quality with a test print before returning the unit to clinical use.
Lesson: Before ordering a thermal head, clean it and inspect the elements under magnification — and remember that paper quality and a clean drive gear are what keep the head alive.
Covered in the course: Medical Imagers and Film Printers — Level 2: Fault-Finding →
Written from an anonymised case shared by service engineers. It is not a manufacturer instruction and grants no authorisation. Independent note; names are trademarks of their owners.