Print quality is poor | HP D1500 guide

Chapter 11

Print quality is poor

If you are having problems with print quality, try the solutions in this section and observe the following guidelines:

•Replace refilled or empty cartridges.

•Check the device settings to make sure that the print mode and paper selection is correct for the paper and the task.

For more information, see Select a paper type.

•Print and evaluate a self-test.

For more information, see Print a test page.

If the self-test shows a defect, try the following:

•Clean the print cartridges automatically. For more information, see Automatically clean print cartridges.

•If there are ink streaks in your prints, clean the electrical contacts. For more information, see Manually clean print cartridges.

•Replace the print cartridge. For more information, see Replace print cartridges.

•If the self-test does not show a problem, investigate other causes, such as the image file or software program.

For additional print cartridge troubleshooting, visit the HP Web site at www.hp.com/ support.

This section contains the following topics:

•Wrong, inaccurate, or bleeding colors

•Ink is not filling the text or graphics completely

•The printout has a horizontal band of distortion near the bottom of a borderless print

•Printouts have horizontal streaks or lines

•Printouts are faded or have dull colors

•Printouts seem blurry or fuzzy

•Printouts have vertical streaks

•Printouts are slanted or skewed

•Ink streaks on the back of the paper

•Paper is not picked up from the input tray

•The text edges are jagged

Troubleshooting

86 Troubleshooting

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HP D1500 manual Print quality is poor

Contents

HP Deskjet D1500 series Windows Help HP Deskjet D1500 Printer series Hewlett-Packard Company notices AccessibilityAcknowledgements Visual Contents Printer software Maintenance Troubleshooting Technical information HP support Section Welcome HP inkjet supplies recycling program Special features Printer at a glance Get started Paper tray Power button and light To unfold the paper tray Unfold the paper tray Replace print cartridges Print cartridgesUse the paper tray Ink-backup mode To remove plastic tape from a print cartridge Ink-backup mode outputExit ink-backup mode USB Connect the printer Print borderless photos Print photos Orientation Portrait or Landscape Print Print photos with a border Small photos HP Real Life Technologies photo fix To change the HP Real Life Technologies settingExif Print To print Exif Print-enhanced photos Store and handle photo paper Save money and ink when printing photosStorage Handling Print e-mail Print other documents Print documents Print letters Click the Printing Shortcuts tab Print envelopes Print postcards Print index cards and other small media Print labels Print brochures Print transparencies Print Quality Best Print greeting cardsTwo-sided printing Manual Greeting cards Print Quality Normal Print booklets Left Edge Booklet Right Edge Booklet Paper Type Plain paper Orientation Portrait or Landscape Print posters Print iron-on transfers Click Printer Features, and then set Mirror Image to On Printing shortcuts Printing tipsPrint a test Delete printing shortcuts Create printing shortcutsUse printing shortcuts To create a printing shortcut Fast/Economical printing Set the page orderTo set the page order Click Document Options, and then click Layout Options Print in grayscale Print multiple pages on a single sheet of paperTo print multiple pages on a single sheet of paper To print in grayscale Print preview Two-sided printingGeneral Everyday printing Select a paper type Set a custom paper sizeChange the print speed or quality To define a custom paper size Maximum dpi Print resolution Bound two-sided documents Resize a documentTo resize a document for a different paper size To print a two-sided document with a book binding To print a Web Print a WebFlip Pages Up Preserve Layout Presentation printing Printer software Make the HP Deskjet the default printerSet default print settings To open the Printer Properties dialog box To change the default print settingsPrinter Properties dialog box Whats This? help Download printer software updates Install print cartridges MaintenancePrint cartridges Selection numbers Printing with one print cartridge Installation instructionsTo install a print cartridge Slide the print cartridge out of the carriage To align print cartridges Align the print cartridges View estimated ink levels Automatically clean print cartridges Maintain the printer body Manually clean print cartridgesRemove ink from your skin and clothing To remove smudges, stains, or dried ink from the exterior Maintain print cartridges To prepare to cleanTo manually clean print cartridge contacts To open the printer Toolbox Printer Toolbox To order print cartridges from your desktop Shop for ink supplies Error messages TroubleshootingPrint cartridge error messages Incorrect print cartridge or print cartridge missing Print cartridge carriage is stuck Print cartridge problem messagePrint cartridge is in the wrong slot Non-HP print cartridges Original HP ink depleted Solution 2 Contact HP customer supportPreviously used genuine HP cartridge Low on ink Printing in ink-backup mode To set the paper size in Microsoft Word Paper Mismatch or Paper Size message There was an error writing to USB port Installation problemsInstallation program stops Out of paper Unknown Device message displays Solution To resolve the problem Printer name does not appear Power light is on or flashingTo reinstall the printer software If no error message appears If an error message appearsPrinter does not print What the flashing light means Unable to print Solution 1 Make sure the printer is turned onSolution 2 Print a test Solution 4 Check the printer cable connection Solution 3 Clear the print queueTo clear the print queue To disconnect and reconnect the USB cable To verify the print driver Solution 5 Verify the printer driver configurationTo verify that the product is set as the default printer Solution 7 Clear the print queue manually Solution 6 Check if the printer is paused or offlineTo check if the printer is paused or offline To clear the print queue manually To stop and restart the print spooler Solution 8 Restart the print spoolerTo verify the software application To print from Notepad If the printer still does not print Print cartridge problemsDocument prints slowly To verify and install the correct print cartridges Resolving print cartridge error messagesSolution 1 Remove and reinstall the print cartridges Solution 3 Print in ink-backup mode Solution 2 Clean the print cartridge contacts Solution 2 Clear any paper jams Solution 1 Turn the power off and onPrint cartridge carriage is stalled To turn off the printer Solution 4 Verify the power source Solution 3 Move the printer carriageTo verify the power source To move the printer carriage Solution 5 Remove and reinstall the print cartridges Paper problemsPaper jam To clear a paper jam Printer does not feed paper Solution 2 Check the rear door of the printer Solution 1 Make sure the paper tray is not emptySolution 3 Check the paper To check the paper in the paper tray Paper type To set the paper size Solution 5 Clean the rollers Solution 4 Use the HP Paper Feed Cleaning Kit Printer prints on multiple sheets at once To clean the rollersSolution 6 Contact HP support for service Photos do not print correctly Problems with borderless documentsCheck the paper tray Check the printer properties Image is printed at an angle Borderless printing guidelines Photo has an unwanted border Streaks appear in a light portion of a photoFading occurs on the edges of a photo For small photo paper with a tear-off tab For small photo paper Print quality is poor Wrong, inaccurate, or bleeding colors Solution 1 HP recommends using genuine HP print cartridgesSolution 2 Check the paper loaded in the input tray Solution 4 Check to see if the product is in ink-backup mode Solution 3 Check the paper type Ink is not filling the text or graphics completely Solution 5 Check the print settingsSolution 6 Clean the print cartridges Solution 4 Clean the print cartridges Solution 2 Check the print settings Solution 3 Rotate the image Solution 1 Check the paper typeSolution 2 Check the print quality setting Printouts have horizontal streaks or lines Solution 1 Make sure the paper is loaded correctlySolution 4 Clean the print cartridge nozzles Solution 1 Check the print settings Solution 5 Clean the print cartridgesSolution 2 Check the paper type Printouts are faded or have dull colors Printouts seem blurry or fuzzy Solution 3 Clean the print cartridges Printouts have vertical streaks Solution 2 Check the resolution of the imagePrintouts are slanted or skewed Ink streaks on the back of the paper Document is misprinted Paper is not picked up from the input tray SolutionText and images are misaligned Text edges are jagged Document does not reflect the new print settings If you continue to have problemsDocument is printed off-center or at an angle Envelope is printed at an angle HP support Ink cartridge warranty information After the phone support period Phone support period Placing a call Technical information Printer specifications Paper use Material safety data sheetsPlastics Recycling program Environmental product stewardship program 103 Appendix B FCC statement LED indicator statement Technical information HP Deskjet D1500 Printer series declaration of conformity Index Index 109 USB