HP Deskjet 1280 Printer series - Manual (Page 39)

ENWW 5-8
Colors are different than they should be
When colors are completely wrong (for example, when green prints as blue or yellow), the
color cartridge might have run out of one or more colors of ink.
To check the ink levels of your print cartridges in Windows, go to the Toolbox (if you have
installed it on your system). To open the Toolbox, click Start, point to Programs,
HP Deskjet 1280, and then click HP Deskjet 1280 Toolbox.
After printing a test page, clean the print cartridges if necessary. See “Cleaning the print
cartridges” for instructions.
Colors are gray or are the correct color but the wrong shade:
• If colors are printing in shades of gray, the Print in Grayscale check box is probably
selected in the printer driver. For color printing, uncheck the Print in Grayscale check
box on the Color tab.
• If the hue or tone of color is shifted, the wrong setting might be selected in the
printer driver. Select the Color tab and make sure the color sliders are centered.
Check the paper type.
Colored paper might cause the mismatch in the printout. Try printing on plain white paper.
Slow printing
To enhance the performance of your printer, check the following:
Use an IEEE-1284 parallel cable to enable bidirectional communication.
Check your system configuration:
• See “Printer specifications” for minimum system requirements.
• There might be insufficient hard disk space in your system
For printing on 11-by-17 inch paper, it is recommended that you have at least 50 MB of
additional free hard disk space in your system. If you are printing graphics-intensive or
photographic image files, make sure you have enough (more than 50 MB) additional
hard disk space.
• There might be insufficient virtual memory in your system
Increase the size of your system’s virtual memory.
Check your port and cable settings (Windows 98/Me only):
• If you are using a parallel connection, try switching to a USB connection. For more
information, see “Connecting the printer.”
• The port setting configuration in your system is not set to ECP
See the manual that comes with your computer for information on how to change your
port setting or contact your computer manufacturer.
A print cartridge might be low on ink.
Check the printer LEDs to make sure they are not on (see
“Printer lights blink” and “Print
cartridge problem” for more information). Replace any low or empty print cartridges, then
try to print again. See “Replacing the print cartridges” for instructions.