Are Your Inkjet Codes Fading, Smearing, or Misprinting?

Mid America Packaging: Tech Tips & Equipment Troubleshooting – Inkjet Codes Fading, Smearing, or Misprinting?

February 5, 2026

A Troubleshooting Guide for Production Floors Experiencing Inkjet Printer Inconsistencies

On a good day, no one thinks about the inkjet printer.

Codes are crisp. Dates are readable. Barcodes scan. Production moves.

On a bad day, operators start wiping smudged cartons, QA starts pulling product, and someone is standing in front of the printer asking, “Why is this happening today?”

Faded, smeared, or inconsistent inkjet codes are rarely caused by a single issue. They are almost always the result of small changes in substrate, environment, setup, or maintenance that go unnoticed until the codes start failing.

This guide is built for operators and production teams who need to diagnose the problem right now and get the line back to printing clean, readable codes.

What You’re Seeing on the Line

If codes are not performing properly, they usually fall into one of these visible symptoms:

• Codes look light or faded
• Ink smears when touched
• Characters are distorted, incomplete, or blurry
• Barcodes won’t scan
• Print position is inconsistent
• Barcodes are printed inconsistently

If Your Codes Look Faded or Too Light

Most common causes → Immediate actions

• Ink is not bonding to the substrate → Confirm the ink type matches the material (corrugate, film, coated board, glossy case)
• Printhead is too far from the product → Adjust printhead distance (thermal inkjet typically prints best at ~1/16″–1/8″ & continuous inkjet performance varies by model but is often 1/4″–1/2″.)
• Ink temperature or viscosity out of spec → Verify printer temperature and ink condition
• Substrate surface has changed (new supplier, coating, recycled content) → Test a different ink formulated for that surface
• Nozzle plate partially clogged → Perform proper printhead cleaning cycle

If Your Ink Smears When Touched

Most common causes → Immediate actions

• Ink drying time too slow for line speed → Switch to faster-dry ink formulation
• Excess ink being applied → Reduce print density setting
• Wrong ink for the substrate → Verify ink being used is designed for your substrate
• Humidity is high in the plant → Increase airflow or change to quicker-set ink
• Products handled before ink cures → Adjust print location earlier on conveyor for more dry time
• Condensation on product → Allow product to acclimate or switch to ink designed for damp surfaces

If Your Characters Are Blurry, Distorted, or “Shadowed”

Most common causes → Immediate actions

• Conveyor vibration → Stabilize mounting bracket and printhead
• Printhead distance inconsistent → Re-align bracket and locking hardware
• Airflow hitting the print area → Redirect fans or compressed air
• Print resolution does not match throw distance → Increase DPI or move head closer
• Encoder or speed input mismatch → Verify line speed signal to printer

If Your Barcodes Won’t Scan

Most common causes → Immediate actions

• Incorrect barcode contrast (PCS too low) → Increase darkness/ink density or change ink color for substrate
• Ink spread on corrugate → Reduce ink density
• Print resolution set too low → Increase DPI setting
• Substrate absorbing ink unevenly → Try ink for porous materials
• Printhead dirty → Clean nozzle plate carefully
• Barcode size too small for substrate → Increase barcode height/width

If Your Print Position Moves or Is Inconsistent

Most common causes → Immediate actions

• Product skewing or rotating on conveyor → Add guide rails or stabilize product path
• Product sensor misaligned → Reposition photo eye
• Conveyor speed fluctuating → Check encoder or line control signal
• Loose mounting hardware → Tighten and secure bracket
• Delay settings incorrect → Adjust print delay timing in printer settings

Why This Happens “All of a Sudden”

Most teams assume the printer is failing, but inkjet issues often start when something around the printer changes:

• New corrugate supplier
• Seasonal humidity shifts
• Line speed adjustments
• Mounting bracket bumped during cleaning
• Ink swapped without checking compatibility
• Printhead not cleaned on schedule

The printer is doing exactly what it’s told. The environment around it changed.

When It’s Time to Change the Setup — Not Just the Settings

If you’re constantly adjusting density, cleaning heads, or fighting dry time, the issue may not be the printer at all. You may need advice from experts to diagnose which part of the system is causing issues and what the best solution for your production environment is.

Need Help Getting Inkjet Codes Right — Today?

At Mid-America Packaging, we work with teams running inkjet systems every day in real production environments.

When codes start fading, smearing, or misprinting, the fix is usually fast—when you know what to look for.

If your team is fighting print quality issues, we can help diagnose the cause and recommend the right adjustment, ink, or setup so you can get back to running clean, readable codes without slowing the line.

Contact your MAP representative today!

To speak with someone immediately, call: (314) 652-4583

For more information or questions, email us at: info@map-pack.com

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