Step one: Check the print settings

1. In the software application you are trying to print from, click File and then click Print . The Print dialog box opens.
2. Select your product and then click Preferences . The printer Properties dialog box opens.
3. Click the Features tab.
4. Review the following options on the Features tab, and then make any necessary changes.
   • Print quality : If you are not satisfied with the quality of your printouts, increase the print quality. To print more quickly, decrease the print quality.
   • Paper type : If one of the options matches your paper type exactly, choose the matching option rather than Automatic .
   • Resizing Options : Make sure the selected option matches your paper size.

Step two: Check the paper

• Many papers have printing and non-printing sides. Load the paper with the printing side down.
• Use the correct paper type for the project. For everyday documents, plain paper works well. For documents with dense printing, such as high-contrast graphics or photographs, use HP Advanced paper for the best results.
• If these steps do not help, try a different paper. Ink might not bleed as easily on heavier paper. Paper that does not accept ink well is also prone to bleeding and smearing. HP designs its inks and papers to work together.

Step three: Run the clean print cartridges utility

1. Verify that there is plain white paper in the input tray.
2. Open the Printer Toolbox .
   1. Open HP Solution Center .
   2. Click Settings .
   3. Click Print Settings .
   4. Click Printer Toolbox . The Printer Toolbox displays.

   NOTE:

   You can also open the Printer Toolbox from the Print Properties dialog box. In the Print Properties dialog box, select Printing Preferences , click the Features tab, and then click Printer Services .

3. Click the Device Services tab.
4. Click Clean the Print Cartridges .
5. Follow the instructions that display on the screen.
6. Examine the test page that prints. If the print quality of the page is good, click Done and stop here. If the print quality is bad, proceed to the next step.

Step four: Print a self-test page

If the steps above have not resolved the issue, print and evaluate a self-test page to see if the cartridges or printer is causing the problem.

1. Turn the product on.
2. Use a pencil to press and hold down the Power button ( ).
3. While holding down the Power button ( ), open and shut the lid of the product four times. You only have to raise the lid until it touches the pencil.
4. Release the Power button ( ). The self-test prints.

Step five: Note which cartridges printed which areas of the self-test page

Identify which print cartridge printed which part of the self-test page, so that if defects are found on the page, the problem print cartridge can be detected.

Different combinations of print cartridges can be installed in the printer, and different print cartridge combinations print different self-test page patterns. Your self-test page might not look exactly like the picture below, but the right and left print cartridges will print in the same areas of the page no matter which print cartridges are installed.

Step six: Look for defects

If the product and print cartridges are working properly, the patterns (which look like grids of lines) should contain few or no missing lines and none of the colors should be missing. Also, there should be no streaks of ink on the page.

Step seven: If you saw no defects

If no defects appear on the diagnostic page, the cartridges and product are probably working correctly. Click here to continue troubleshooting (c00635950) (in English).