HP J3650, J3680 Poor quality printouts, Meaningless characters print, Check the paper quality

Chapter 8

•Colors do not line up properly

•Lines or dots are missing from text or graphics

Poor quality printouts

Check the print cartridges

Make sure the correct print cartridges are installed and the print cartridges are not low on ink. For more information, see Manage the device and Supported print cartridges.

Check the paper quality

The paper might be too moist or too rough. Make sure the media meets HP specifications, and try to print again. For more information, see Select print media.

Check the type of media loaded in the device

Make sure the device supports the type of media you have loaded. For more information, see Understand specifications for supported media.

Check the device location and length of USB cable

High electromagnetic fields (such as those generated by USB cables) can sometimes cause slight distortions to printouts. Move the device 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.

Meaningless characters print

If an interruption occurs to a job that is printing, the device might not recognize the rest of the job.

Cancel the print job and wait for the device to return to the ready state. If the device does not return to the ready state, cancel all jobs and wait again. When the device is ready, resend the job. If prompted by the computer to retry the job, click Cancel.

Check the cable connections

If the device and computer are connected with a USB cable, the problem may be due to a poor cable connection.

Make sure the cable connections at both ends are secure. If the problem persists, turn off the device, disconnect the cable from the device, turn on the device without connecting the cable, and delete any remaining jobs from the print spooler. When the Power light is on and not flashing, reconnect the cable.

Check the document file

The document file may be damaged. If you can print other documents from the same application, try printing a backup copy of your document, if available.

120 Maintain and troubleshoot