HP Color LaserJet 2550 Printer series - Manual (Page 74)

Managing color options
Setting color options to Automatic typically produces the best possible print quality for color
documents. However, in some situations, you might want to print a color document in
grayscale (black and shades of gray) or to change one of the printer's color options.
● Using Windows, print in grayscale or change the color options by using settings on the
Color tab in the printer driver.
● Using a Macintosh computer, print in grayscale or change the color options by using the
Color Matching pop-up menu in the Print dialog box.
Print in Grayscale
Selecting the Print in Grayscale option from the printer driver prints a document in black
and shades of gray. This option is useful for printing color documents that will be
photocopied or faxed.
When Print in Grayscale is selected, the printer goes into monochrome mode. Printing in
this mode reduces wear on the color print cartridges.
Automatic versus Manual color adjustment
The Automatic color adjustment option optimizes the neutral gray color treatment,
halftones, and edge enhancements that are used for each element in a document. For more
information, see your printer-driver online Help.
Note Automatic is the default setting and is recommended for printing all color documents.
Use the Manual color adjustment option to adjust the neutral gray color treatment, halftones,
and edge enhancements for text, graphics, and photographs. To gain access to the Manual
color options, on the Color tab, click Manual, and then click Settings.
Manual color options
Use the Manual color adjustment to adjust the Color (or Color Map) and Halftoning options.
Note Some software programs convert text or graphics to raster images. In these cases, the
Photographs setting also controls the text and graphics.
Halftone options
Halftoning is the method by which the printer mixes the four primary colors (cyan, magenta,
yellow, and black) in varying proportions to create millions of colors. Halftone options affect
the resolution and clarity of your color output. You can independently adjust halftone settings
for text, graphics, and photos. The two halftone options are Smooth and Detail.
● The Smooth option provides better results for large, solid-filled print areas. It also
enhances photos by smoothing out fine color gradations. Choose this option when
uniform and smooth area fills are the most important attributes.
● The Detail option is useful for text and graphics that require sharp distinctions among
lines or colors, or images that contain a pattern or a high level of detail. Choose this
option when sharp edges and details are the most important attributes.
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