but take that cartridge out and shake it like a margarita.

The little plastic tape that's present on most printer cartridges? Check that it's all gone.

to clean the print heads and run a test page. You may have to run a clean cycle more than once. The cartridge may be defective after all that. If it is blotchy after cleaning the print heads, yank the cartridge and take it back to Staples.

They require manual cleaning.

has a cleaning mechanism. It's an older machine but works great.

Wear gloves! Don’t wear clothes you care about. And clean it somewhere you don’t mind getting dirty. Toner is a messy, powdery substance that gets all over everything.


This link has good instructions.

https://www.tonerbuzz.com/blog/how-to-clean-your-laser-printer-and-toner-cartridges/

Also, check your fuser and drum. That’s usually where you end up with blotches and streaks.

hubby took it out and put in the old one and it works fine. We'll go back to Staples and explain what happened. I'm sure they'll give us another, no charge.

But it IS annoying...