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Prestige L2 & XL2

Prestige L2 & XL2 - Troubleshooting Guide: Resolving Vertical or Horizontal Lines on Films and Prints

Written out step by step, with the video alongside.

  • 1 step
  • 28 instructions
  • 1 video
  • Updated 2026-04-20

Prestige L2 User manualPrestige XL2 Installation & setup guideThe full manual, beyond first setup. · All manuals

Troubleshooting Vertical and Horizontal Lines on Printed Media

SECTION (00:00:00)

Written steps1

Before you start

SECTION (00:00:14) Identify Horizontal Lines SECTION (00:00:32) Clean Head Strike Sensors (Front Side) SECTION (00:01:02) Clean Head Strike Sensors (Opposite Side) SECTION (00:01:35) Clean Under the Printer Carriage SECTION (00:02:23) Horizontal Line Resolution SECTION (00:02:30) Identify Vertical Lines SECTION (00:02:49) Check Media Contact with Ink Bay SECTION (00:03:15) Clean the Tension Rod SECTION (00:03:38) Model Applicability SECTION (00:04:06) Inspect Media Roll for Defects SECTION (00:04:34) Media Documentation SECTION (00:05:02)

What you need

  • Lines on prints can appear either horizontal or vertical
  1. Prepare a cleaning swab or lint-free cloth
  2. Wet the swab with 99% isopropyl alcohol
  3. Clean ink residue from the front and back of the head strike sensor
  4. Turn the printer off
  5. Open the front lid
  6. Rotate and hold the knob counterclockwise
  7. Move the printer carriage to the center of the bed
  8. Clean the head strike sensor on the opposite side
  9. Remove two top screws and two bottom screws
  10. Remove the capping station cover
  11. Turn the printer back on
  12. Wait for printer status to show idle
  13. Press the left arrow key once to disengage the capping station
  14. Clean around the print head using a clean swab
  15. Press the enter key to cap the print head
  16. Go to the back of the printer
  17. Inspect whether the media roll is contacting the ink bay
  18. Lower the feed reel by rotating both feet counterclockwise
  19. Feed the media forward to disengage it from the tension rod
  20. Use a lint-free cloth with 99% isopropyl alcohol
  21. Clean the tension rod thoroughly
  22. Remove the media from the pinch rollers
  23. Pull the media out of the printer
  24. Use a flashlight to inspect the media surface
  25. Identify where the lines begin forming
  26. Remove the media from the feed reel
  27. Take a photo of the label inside the media core
  28. Provide the batch number photo to your technician
  • Identifying the direction of the lines determines the cause
  • Horizontal lines relate to carriage movement
  • Vertical lines relate to media feeding
  • Horizontal lines form as the print carriage moves left and right
  • Lines may appear as faint streaks or head strike marks
  • Ink streaks near prints can indicate head strike issues
  • Hold the sensor to prevent bending during cleaning
  • Do not touch the print head face
  • Clean up to the outer edges
  • Clean both front and back sides through access openings
  • Proper sensor and print head area cleaning should eliminate horizontal lines
  • Vertical lines form as the media feeds forward
  • Lines indicate something contacting the media during feeding
  • Common sources include pinch rollers, tension rods, or feed reel height
  • Contact can cause vertical streaks
  • Clean left to right
  • Clean front and back
  • The cleaning process applies to multiple printer models
  • The demonstration applies across different Prestige series printers
  • Lines before entering the printer indicate a bad media roll
  • Horizontal and vertical line issues should now be resolved
  • If issues persist, contact DTF Station technical support

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