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Okimate Printer


dr. kwack

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I recently acquired an Okimate color printer. Very cool, as I got the software it was packaged with. It's hard to believe what this old style printer was capable of!

 

However... The print quality is kinda low. It's very light. I have set the switch to "darker" and get nothing. I got brand new ribbons which helped a bit, and I cleaned the print head as per the manuals instructrions (and it was dirty).

 

The print quality is still on the light side. I found a place that sells new print heads for a low price but wanted to be sure there wasn't something else I could do.

 

Any suggestions?

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I had one of those long ago. Is the darker, lighter control a sliding type switch. If so, maybe it needs contacts cleaned. IIRC, it seems almost like it was a sliding variable resistor type of thing. Maybe try pushing down on it a little when printing and see if it makes a difference. Or maybe I am totally off base. I still have one here somewhere, I could pull the printhead out if you wanted to try it and assuming I can find it.

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I owned one way back - needs smooth paper. It was the first affordable color printer and could produce some stunning results - howver as a poor kid in school the color ribbons could kill you - It would use 3x ribbon to make the 3 color pass no matter if the color was required! Black print was dark but it was slow.

 

I have some print cartidges available if you want to cover shipping - Id have to dig up to see which ones I still have in original packaging.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Lots of good suggestions and info here. Thanks everyone. Here's what I have done...

 

I put in a different print head (thanks to kenfused). :D

 

I also got some new ribbons on eBay (although I'm still waiting for black ones to show up).

 

Both of these things helped. I'm gonna try to clean the light/dark switch and if someone could advise on how/where to get smoother paper (I'm using traditional 80's style computer paper right now), the problems may be solved.

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  • 1 month later...

I suggest major paper stores such as Xpedex(Arvey). They have many, many types of paper. You can usually get 1 up samples and test them.

 

Rick D.

 

 

 

Lots of good suggestions and info here. Thanks everyone. Here's what I have done...

 

I put in a different print head (thanks to kenfused). :D

 

I also got some new ribbons on eBay (although I'm still waiting for black ones to show up).

 

Both of these things helped. I'm gonna try to clean the light/dark switch and if someone could advise on how/where to get smoother paper (I'm using traditional 80's style computer paper right now), the problems may be solved.

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  • 3 months later...

I used to love my Okimate. It was the first color printer I owned, and there was nothing quite as cool as seeing those nice, glossy bright colors. Though I recall that banding was always an issue unless you loaded the paper just right.

 

I eventually moved on to a Deskjet 500 when I moved to my Amiga. I think I still have the Okimate around somewhere.

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I always wanted that printer as a kid. Now I guess I could afford one, but don't really have a use for it! :D

 

Same here, that was one of my most desired items of my 8bit wishlist back in the day. I guess typing up all those homework assignments on a trusty but frumpy 1025 will do that to you :)

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