Symptom: Ghosting lines overlaying typed text:

This is assuredly not a type slug cleaning issue and the secret is that the loops in the letters like "a", "e", "o", etc. are clear. The lines are caused by the paper not being held to the platen, so when the slug hits, you're getting ink from the other part of the slug transferring to the paper. The remedy is to tuck the paper underneath the paper bale and rollers.

If one still sees issues after this then check your manual to ensure that the ribbon is properly threaded followed by a check that the ribbon vibrator isn't bent too far away from the typing point and too close to the platen and causing the ribbon to rub against the paper.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1oblfvo/service_booklet_2/

See also Google Drive document with details.

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1926-mercedes-4.19461.typewriter via Kevin Stallaert

RE: poor type quality on the "!" via u/TheGuyAtThePlace265 at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1no1whe/poor_definition_on/

Lots of things can cause this in rough order, check:

Clean the slugs

Ribbon can have an effect. Silk is generally crisper than nylon which is crisper than cotton.

The paper can have an effect depending on the thickness and general grain.

Typing technique can play a part. Often you'll see issues including ghosting and other problems, particularly if you bottom out a key while typing.

Are you using a backing sheet?

Is your platen rock hard or has it been re-covered?

Is your ring and cylinder adjustment properly done?

The most frequently abused slugs are often the ones at the the ends of the segment and 1/! definitely qualifies. Sometimes a small bit of forming can clear things up.

https://typewriterdatabase.com/img/g17557_111429_1643735948.jpg

If the "Hanks Effect" was really so prominent, then we should see the commensurate rise in price of 5 Series Smith Coronas and particularly the Clipper and the Silent which he's also mentioned several times. In fact, he's said these would be the typewriter he'd keep if he had to get rid of all others. Given this fact, it has to be, in part, a variety of other factors which inflates the prices.

Personally I think that it's a combination of the fact that they were manufactured at the peak of typewriter use and manufacturing and before companies began using more plastic and cheaper manufacturing methods, but were also done in a later timeperiod when exterior design and color were on the rise as a differentiator in the marketplace. Quality, form, and function become part of a trifecta which drive desire and collectability.

It can be useful to take some mineral spirits, naphtha, or paint thinner and a tooth brush (or, even better, a brass bristle brush) to your typeface every now and then to clean the ink, dirt, paper, bits of ribbon, dust, etc. out of it. Doing it after changing ribbon is always a good idea. If you're really hard pressed, nail polish remover (acetone) or rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball along with a small pin tip for the loops of letters like 'a', 'o', 'p', 'g', etc. can be used.

How well (or not) your typewriter works from a print perspective can also change with the type of paper you're using, what your ribbon is made out of (usually nylon, silk, or cotton), how much ink it's got in it and how old/worn it may be. A good backing sheet behind your typing paper can also be helpful.

reply to u/kirrachristine at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1dtuksy/one_letter_weirdly_thicksmudged/ RE: one letter weirdly thick/smudged