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.

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