Thanks for the helpful link, jggimi.
Looking at the quality problems shown in that pdf, I'm not sure that 3. Backgrounding is the best description of the problem. Now that can be hard to tell based just on the image I gave! But the backgrounding example they show is kind of irregular blotches all over, whereas the problem has a more regular pattern. But let's not rule it out yet.
What I think matches better to the problem is 7. Dark, Fuzzy Vertical Streak(s). This is definitely the way the problem started, with one streak at the left edge (really beyond the printing area), then new vertical streaks began to form to the right (while the left ones got darker), and so on. Now the problem is on steroids of course, but you can still see that the left of the page is worse, and that there is a vertical component to the streaking. (There also is a horizontal aspect to how dark it is.)
Now if we come back to Backgrounding, one stated cause is incorrect print density. This one seems unlikely to me, that wouldn't worsen in a gradual continuous manner would it? Also, I've never changed the print density intentionally in, well, a decade maybe. The other possible cause is cartridge malfunction.
For Fuzzy Streaks, causes are again cartridge malfunction, or damaged/stained fuser. The latter particularly sounds like something that could get worse with time as stain builds up.
But in either case it could be the cartridge too.
I'll have to try to investigate this more and look in the printer again. Find out the costs involved. These are some good leads to get me started, thanks again.
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