hardMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a color laser…
A technician is troubleshooting a color laser printer that prints documents with a yellow tint on all pages. The yellow toner cartridge is full, and the other colors are at normal levels. Which component is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
220-1201 often tests whether candidates distinguish mechanical cartridge faults (stuck shutter, damaged drum) from software/calibration issues — a uniform tint with a full cartridge points to hardware, not a driver or calibration setting.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The yellow toner cartridge's shutter is stuck open.
A yellow tint on every page with a full yellow cartridge points to excess yellow toner being deposited, which happens when the yellow cartridge's shutter (the mechanical door that should close when the cartridge is not actively imaging) is stuck open. This lets yellow toner continuously transfer to the drum/paper, tinting all output. A full cartridge rules out depletion, and the symptom is uniform rather than calibration-related.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The fuser assembly is overheating.
Why it's wrong here
An overheating fuser assembly would primarily manifest as issues related to toner adhesion and paper handling. Excessive heat can cause toner to melt too aggressively, leading to smearing, a glossy or "cooked" appearance on the page, or even paper jams as the paper sticks to the fuser rollers. It would not, however, introduce a uniform yellow tint across all printed pages, as the fuser's role is to bond existing toner, not to apply new color.
- ✓
The yellow toner cartridge's shutter is stuck open.
Why this is correct
If the yellow toner cartridge's shutter is stuck in the open position, it allows a continuous and uncontrolled flow of yellow toner onto the imaging drum. This constant deposition means that yellow toner will be picked up and transferred to the paper during every print cycle, regardless of the intended color composition. The result is a pervasive and uniform yellow tint across the entire page, as yellow is inadvertently added to all printed content.
- ✗
The printer's color calibration is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect color calibration typically results in inaccurate color reproduction, where specific colors appear shifted, muted, or overly vibrant compared to their intended output. This might manifest as blues looking purplish or reds appearing orange, or even banding in gradients. However, miscalibration adjusts the proportions of CMYK toners; it would not cause a single, uniform yellow overlay across the entire page, as that indicates an excess of one specific toner rather than an imbalance of all.
- ✗
The printer driver is set to grayscale.
Why it's wrong here
Setting the printer driver to grayscale mode instructs the printer to convert all color information into shades of black, using only the black toner cartridge. This setting explicitly prevents the use of any color toners (cyan, magenta, yellow) during the printing process. Therefore, if the printer driver were set to grayscale, the output would be entirely in black and white, making it impossible for a yellow tint to appear on the pages.
Go deeper
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Key term
Laser printer
A laser printer is a high-speed, high-volume output device that uses a laser beam and toner to produce precise text and graphics on paper.
Key term
Toner cartridge
An electrophotographic printer component that holds a fine, dry plastic powder (toner) and supplies it to the imaging drum to produce text and images on paper.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.