Chapter 4
Check the page-orientation setting
Make sure the media size and page orientation selected in the application match the settings in the print driver. For more information, see Print.
Check the printer location and length of USB cable
High electromagnetic fields (such as those generated by monitors, motors, fans, TVs, and other such devices) can sometimes cause slight distortions to printouts. Move the printer away from the source of the electromagnetic fields. Also, it is recommended that you use a USB cable that is less than 3 meters (9.8 feet) long to minimize the effects of these electromagnetic fields.
If the above solutions do not work, the problem might be caused by the inability of the application to interpret print settings correctly. See the release notes for known software conflicts, refer to the application's documentation, or contact the software manufacturer for specific help.
Poor print quality and unexpected printouts
This section covers the following topics:
•General tips
•Meaningless characters print
•Ink is smearing
•Ink is not filling the text or graphics completely
•Output is faded or dull colored
•Colors are printing as black and white
•Wrong colors are printing
•Printout shows bleeding colors
•Colors do not line up correctly
•Streaks or lines in printouts
General tips
Check the ink cartridges
•Check to make sure that both cartridges are installed and functioning correctly.
•Ink cartridges might need to be cleaned. See Clean the ink cartridges.
•Ink cartridges might be very low on ink. Replace any low cartridges. Try removing and reinstalling the cartridges, making sure they snap firmly into place. For more information, see Replace the ink cartridges.
•Whenever you install a new ink cartridge, you should align the ink cartridges for the best possible print quality. If the printout is grainy, has stray dots, jagged edges, or the ink is bleeding into another color, you can realign them through the Toolbox or print driver (Windows), HP Utility (Mac OS X), or the Toolbox software for PDAs (Windows Mobile). For more information, see Align the ink cartridges.
•Dropping or subjecting the ink cartridges to impact might cause temporary print quality problems. To resolve this problem, leave the ink cartridge in the printer for 2 to 24 hours.
48 Solve a problem
