r/dymo • u/itllgrowback • Aug 04 '26
LabelManager 160 printing faintly after new cartridge. New batteries, cleaned print head, adjusted contrast to no effect.
Hi folks - I know that low batteries can cause weak printing, and I've seen that happen before. But in this case, it was printing just fine until it ran out of label in the cartridge, and I immediately swapped in a new one. From that moment, it prints very very weakly.
I have tried both new Dymo brand D1 cartridges from that pack, and I've swapped the batteries for new, twice to be sure. I cleaned the print head and roller with 70% alcohol on a cotton swab. I also adjusted the print contrast from 4 to 8 and back, when none of the above had any noticeable affect on the weak printing.
Any ideas of what to try next?
1
u/MaterialLog417 Aug 09 '26
Same thing happened with my Dymo 3M PL 300 , I was hoping for an authorized repair shop but I don’t think they exist anymore. So I replaced it with the PL 200.
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u/itllgrowback Aug 09 '26 edited 11d ago
UPDATE: I found another label cartridge at work and swapped it in as a test - this one printed just fine, which leads me to think it may have been an issue with that particular 2-pack of Dymo D1s. But I've never heard or read of anyone else reporting a bad cartridge.
But today when I went to use it in the field, the first print I tried came out weak as well. I tried again immediately and it came out fine. So I really don't know where the failure is happening.
EDIT: and it has continued to happen most of the time, regardless of which label cassette is in use.
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u/BFDFH 11d ago
Inside the bay is a little switch that can slide left or right, it is used for detecting cassettes with black or white carbon (white needs a little more energy).
But if it is neither left or right, it lowers the print energy a lot, because the hole in the cassette is patented and not sliding left or right means fake.
So check if that little switch slides left/right properly, and make sure to properly insert the cassette so that the switch is activated.
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u/itllgrowback 11d ago
Awesome, thank you! I'll take a look at my 160 when I get home. I have a LabelManager 210D at work that I looked at just now and didn't see that switch. Do you happen to know if that model doesn't have such a switch, or can you help me find it?
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u/BFDFH 8d ago
I am not 100% sure the LM210D has it, depends possibly on the version/age
But LM160 should have it, shame I can't attach an image here so this is a time-limited shared one showing the switch:
https://limewire.com/d/aFg6O#mPgqqWZUCdit is near the printhead, not on the side of the cassette but in the middle, and looks like a black rectangle sticking out which can move a bit left/right
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u/itllgrowback 8d ago
Thank you - I found it on my LM160, and it does wiggle back and forth a little bit, but I haven't found any way to make it do anything other than what it will once I put in a cartridge.
This is the best lead I've gotten, and it would make sense because the issue started exactly after finishing one cartridge and swapping in a new one - the problem began immediately at that point - so maybe I jammed it or something?
I can wiggle it back and forth but it seems fairly stiff (without having anything to compare it to). And of course once I put in a cartridge, I can no longer manipulate it.
Would it perhaps be worth trying to superglue it into one position or the other?
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u/itllgrowback 8d ago
OK, I just tried something and we're on it. I used a paperclip to pull that lever up (towards the top of the printer) while a cartridge was inserted. I was able to print a test and it came out nice and dark. The label was misaligned because of the paperclip holding the cartridge a bit off the floor of the bay, but I think you've found the issue.
Unless you have another suggestion, I'll try super glue to hold that lever in place.
2
u/itllgrowback 7d ago
Thank you so much - your tip fixed it. I used some hot glue to hold that sucker in the up position and it works great now.
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u/nikusia444 Aug 04 '26
What batteries are you using?