White Line on Cards from a Bodno A-Series Printer: Clean It or Replace the Printhead?

Fix a problem·Updated Oct 9, 2026·2 min read

Bodno A-Series Help · Print quality

A10A20A30A40 Pro

A fine white line through the same spot on every card is one of the few print problems that is not a setting. Before you replace anything, make sure it is the kind of line a printhead makes.

The short version

Clean the printhead and print the test chart. Try a fresh section of ribbon and check the drive gear. If the line is still in the same place, the printhead needs replacing. Send us the serial number first so we can check your coverage.

First, which white line do you have?

A thin line in the exact same place on every card, running the long wayThe printhead. This guide.
A white strip along one short edgePrint position, not the printhead. Adjust L or T a step at a time.
A large white block or blank patchA printhead connection. Contact us.
Fine light lines only in solid dark areasSettings or design. See print quality fixes.

Step 1: clean the printhead

Power off and let the printer cool for a few minutes. Wipe the printhead with the swab from the BB001 cleaning kit in one direction only, three to five light passes. Never scrub back and forth. Let it dry, then run the cleaning card. Print the test chart:

Where:Printing Preferences › Tool › Position Calibrate › Print Test Chart

Step 2: rule out the ribbon

A creased or stretched section of ribbon can leave a line on a few cards in a row. Advance to a fresh section or try a new roll. While the cartridge is out, check the drive gear for worn teeth; one of our customers' lines came from a worn gear, not the printhead.

Step 3: still there? It is the printhead

A line that survives cleaning and a fresh ribbon, in the same spot on the test chart, means one heating element on the printhead has failed. Nothing in the settings will bring it back.

Before you buy, send us the serial number. We will check your coverage first, and walk you through the swap on a video call if you would like.

After the swap: register the new printhead

Enter the serial number printed on the new printhead in the driver, then apply. Skip this and the printer may heat the new printhead wrongly, which shows up as poor prints or torn ribbons.

Where:Printing Preferences › Tool › Renew print head
After a printhead swap

If the printer shows an error after a new printhead goes in, or worked for a while and then started showing one, the printhead cable is not fully seated. Stop printing and contact us with a photo of both ends of the cable.

Keep the new printhead healthy

  • Run a cleaning card at every color ribbon change.
  • Use clean, flat PVC cards. Grit and rough edges scratch the printhead.
  • Never use coated inkjet cards.

Parts for this fix

Bodno BB001 Cleaning Kit for A-Series $39.99 Add to cart
A-Series Ribbon Drive Gear $29.99 Add to cart
A-Series Replacement Printhead (300 dpi: A10, A20, A30) $599.00 Add to cart

Write to us with these and we can answer the same day

Most cases go back and forth an extra time only because we have to ask for these. Put them in your first message:

  1. The serial number from the label on the back of the printer
  2. Your model: A10, A20, A30 or A40 Pro
  3. A screenshot of the printer information screen in the driver (it shows the firmware and driver version)
  4. A photo of the test chart showing the line
  5. When the line started, and whether the printhead has been replaced before
Call (732) 987-5300Email support@bodno.comSupport request form

Written by Bodno Tech Support from real A-Series support cases. Last reviewed October 2026.

Still stuck?

Tell our support team your printer model and what you see on the screen, and we'll help you get printing.

support@bodno.com·(732) 987-5300
Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 7 PM ET

Products in this guide

Questions about this

01 Can a white line be cleaned away?
Sometimes. Dust or residue on the printhead can block a strip. Clean it first; if the line is still there on the test chart afterward, the printhead needs replacing.
02 Is the printhead covered?
Send us the serial number and a photo of the card. We will check your coverage and tell you right away.
03 Which printhead fits my printer?
The A10, A20 and A30 use the 300 dpi printhead. The A40 Pro uses its own higher-resolution printhead, so contact us for that one.
04 I replaced the printhead and now get an error.
The printhead cable is not fully seated. Contact us before printing again.