HP 400 - Manual (Page 91)

5-28 Problem Resolution
Solving Color Print Quality Problems
Black printing is fading 1. Run the print cartridge cleaning routine to clear the nozzles. See “Using the Print Cartridge
Cleaning Routine” in this chapter.
2. If the print quality does not improve, replace the print cartridge.
Characters, dots or lines
are incomplete or missing
from printouts; or dark
horizontal lines appear in
gray areas Missing dots may be caused by problems with any of the following:
• print cartridge
• printer hardware
• connection between the printer and the print cartridge.
See “Printouts Missing Rows of Dots” in this chapter for solutions.
If you are printing from a Windows application:
• Select Presentation mode in the Printer Setup dialog box.
• Print the page again using manual feed.
Black output appears
greenish The HP DeskJet 400 printer, when using a color print cartridge, produce composite black from
the color print cartridge by mixing colors. If this composite black appears greenish or
otherwise unsatisfactory, try to arrange the document so that each page is either
only color or
only black; you can then change to a black cartridge before printing a black only page.
Table 5-12. Solving Color Print Quality Problems
Color Print Quality Issue Possible Cause
Printout is faint. Colors
appear washed out. 1. Make sure that Letter Quality mode is selected (the Draft light should be off ).
2. Adjust the intensity setting in your software to increase the amount of ink thrown onto the
page. See your software manual.
Ink is smearing See the Ink is smearing solutions in table 5-11, Solving Black Print Quality Problems.
Colors are missing or
hues change on printouts 1. Run the print cartridge cleaning routine to clear the nozzles. See “Using the Print Cartridge
Cleaning Routine” in this chapter.
2. If the print quality does not improve, the print cartridge may be running out of one color of
ink. Replace the print cartridge.
Print density is
inconsistent 1. The print cartridge nozzles may be clogged. Run the print cartridge cleaning routine to clear
the nozzles. See “Using the Print Cartridge Cleaning Routine” in this chapter.
2. Make sure that you insert media print side up in the printer. Check the packaging for an
indication of the print side. If you are using plain paper, try turning the paper over and
printing on the other side.
3. Make sure that the media meets the specifications in chapter 1.
4. If printing transparencies, verify that the media is HP Premium.
5. Some paper that meets specifications in chapter 1 will not produce satisfactory results. Try
a different brand of paper.
Table 5-11. Solving Black Print Quality Problems (Continued)
Black Print Quality Issue Possible Cause and Solution