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HP Officejet 6500 All-in-One Printer Series (E709) - Fixing Ink Streaks, Faded Prints, and Other Common Print Quality Problems
The quality of a printed document or photo is not as expected. The procedures in this document should help with streaked or faded printouts, color or black ink not printing, documents with blurred or fuzzy text, ink streaks or smears, and many other print quality problems.
Solution one: Use genuine HP cartridges
|
NOTE:
|
The following instructions assume that you are using genuine HP cartridges. |
HP recommends that you use genuine HP cartridges. HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP cartridges, or refilled HP cartridges. If you are not using genuine HP cartridges, the following solutions might not resolve your print quality issue.
Contextual Wrapper
Click this link,
HP Home & Home Office Store
(US only), and then click Ink Toner & Paper
to purchase cartridges or check cartridge compatibility for your printer. If you are located outside of the US, follow these steps to purchase cartridges using HP SureSupply.
-
Scroll to the bottom of the page and make sure that the country or region location is correct.
Which cartridges you use depends on your country or region. Follow these steps to purchase cartridges or check cartridge compatibility for your printer using HP SureSupply.
-
Scroll to the bottom of the page and make sure that the country or region location is correct.
Solution two: Allow automatic servicing to complete
Many print quality problems with black ink, such as poor black text or issues that occur with a newly installed black cartridge, clear up with the printer's automatic servicing routine. There is nothing you need to do. The print quality should start improving in a few hours.
|
NOTE:
|
Cleaning the printhead uses more ink than the automatic printer servicing. |
If these steps resolved the issue
, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
If the issue persists
, continue to the next solution.
Solution three: Check the paper
The quality and type of paper can affect the print job. Use the following guidelines to make sure that the paper is appropriate. If it is not, load an appropriate paper type.
Load the paper print side down in the input tray.
Many papers have printing and nonprinting sides, like photo paper and other special media. Usually, the smoother side is the "print side," and sometimes the non-print side has a logo of the paper manufacturer on it.
Do not use wrinkled or curled paper.
Load only clean, wrinkle-free paper into the product.
Figure 1: Do not use wrinkled paper
Image: Do not use wrinkled paper Use the correct paper type for your project.
For everyday text documents, plain paper with ColorLok technology works well. Paper with ColorLok technology is industry-standard paper that works well with HP ink.
Figure 2: Plain paper with ColorLok technology is recommended for text printing
For documents with dense printing, such as high contrast graphics or photographs, use HP Advanced Photo Paper for the best results.
Some media may not absorb ink as well as others. If your prints smear easily, make sure you are using a recommended paper.
Store photo paper in its original packaging inside a resealable plastic bag.
Store the paper on a flat surface in a cool, dry place. Load 10-20 sheets of photo paper only when you are ready to print, and then put the unused paper back in the packaging.
Try using a different paper.
This will determine if the problem is related to the paper.
|
NOTE:
|
Inappropriate paper usually causes vertical streaks in printouts (or if the problem occurs on a copy, dirty scanner glass usually causes the issue). Do not replace cartridges to fix vertical streaks. |
| Examples of horizontal streaks and vertical streaks in printout
|
Figure 3: Horizontal streaks in printout
Image: Horizontal streaks. |
Figure 4: Vertical streaks in printout
Image: Vertical streaks. |
| Continue with the following troubleshooting steps if your printout contains horizontal streaks, or print quality issues other than vertical streaks. |
Do not
replace cartridges for vertical streaks in a printout. Instead, check the paper as described earlier in this document, or search for a document that covers this issue. Streaks in copies can often be fixed by cleaning the scanner glass. |
After trying the preceding guidelines, try printing again.
If these steps resolved the issue
, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
If the issue persists
, continue to the next solution.
Solution four: Check the print settings
Check the print settings to make sure that they are appropriate for your print job.
Click the plus sign (
) next to your operating system for more information.
Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7
Follow these steps to check the print settings for your print job.
In the program you are trying to print from, click File
, and then click Print
. The Print
dialog box opens.
Select your printer, and then click Properties
or Printer Properties
. The printer Properties
dialog box opens.
Click the Paper/Quality
tab.
From the Media
drop-down, select the paper type that matches the paper loaded and the desired print quality.
Click OK
to apply the settings, and then click Print
.
Windows 8
Follow these steps to check the print settings for your print job.
In the program you are trying to print from, click File
, and then click Print
. The Print
window opens.
Click or tap the button that open the Properties
dialog box. Depending on the software program, the button might be Properties
, Options
, Printer setup
, Printer
, or Preferences
.
Select the print settings for the current print job, and then click or tap OK
.
Mac OS X v10.6, v10.7, and v10.8
Follow these steps to check the print settings for your print job.
Open a document, click File
, and then click Print
.
Select the Paper Type/Quality
or Media & Quality
menu.
Review the following options, and then make any necessary changes:
Paper type
: If one of the options matches your paper type exactly, select that option.
Quality
: If you are dissatisfied with the quality of your printouts, increase the print quality. To print more quickly, decrease the print quality.
|
NOTE:
|
To save these settings for future print jobs, choose Save
in the Presets
menu, and then name the new preset. If multiple printers are installed, open System Preferences
, and then click Print & Fax
or Print & Scan
(depending on your Mac OS X version). Set the Default Printer
to Last Printer Used
. |
If these steps resolved the issue
, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
If the issue persists
, continue to the next solution.
Solution five: Check estimated ink levels, and then replace any low or empty cartridges
Low ink can contribute to poor print quality. Follow these steps to check the ink levels, and then replace any low or empty cartridges according to the results.
Step one: Check estimated ink levels
|
NOTE:
|
Ink level warnings and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only. When an indicator shows low-ink levels, consider having a replacement cartridge available to avoid possible printing delays. You do not need to replace cartridges until print quality becomes unacceptable. |
Check the estimated ink levels from the Home screen on the printer control panel.
Look at the estimated ink levels on the Home screen of the printer control panel. The control panel displays the ink levels as "bucket" icons above each color marker.
Figure 5: Estimated ink level indicators on the printer control panel
Image: Estimated ink level indicators on the printer control panel. Identify any low or empty cartridges:
An exclamation mark (!
) in the bucket indicates a low or empty cartridge of the color marker below the bucket.
A cartridge that is not low or empty shows you its estimated ink level in the bucket above its corresponding color marker: Magenta, cyan, yellow, and black.
If none of the cartridges are low on ink
, you do not need to replace them yet. Skip to the next solution in this document.
If any of the cartridges are low on ink
, continue to the next step to replace them.
Step two: Replace any depleted cartridges
Watch a video or use the following steps to replace a depleted cartridge.
Video of cartridge replacement
The following video demonstrates how to replace a cartridge.
Press the Power button to turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
Open the cartridge access door. The carriage moves to the center of the printer. Wait until the carriage stops moving before proceeding.
Figure 6: Open the cartridge access door
Image: Open the cartridge access door. Press in the tab on the front of the cartridge, and then pull it out and up to remove it from its slot.
Figure 7: Remove the cartridge from its slot
Image: Remove the cartridge from its slot. | CAUTION:
|
Do not lift the gray latch next to the carriage to install the cartridges. Doing so can result in incorrectly seated cartridges and printing problems. The latch must remain down to correctly install the cartridges. |
On the new cartridge, pull the orange pull-tab straight back to remove the plastic wrap.
Figure 8: Remove the plastic wrap
Image: Remove the plastic wrap. Twist the orange cap counterclockwise to snap it off the cartridge.
Figure 9: Remove the orange cap
Image: Remove the orange cap. With the cartridge contacts facing the printhead, slide the cartridge into the correct slot. The color-coded icons on the cartridge and in the printhead indicate the correct slot.
Figure 10: Insert the cartridge
Image: Insert the cartridge. Press down on the cartridge until it clicks firmly into place.
Figure 11: Press the cartridge into place
Image: Press the cartridge into place. Repeat these steps for each cartridge that you want to replace.
Close the cartridge access door. The carriage moves to the right side of the printer.
If these steps resolved the issue
, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
If the issue persists
, continue to the next solution.
Solution six: Print and evaluate a Print Quality Diagnostic Report
Follow these steps to print a test page, and then evaluate the results.
Step one: Print a Print Quality Diagnostic Page
Follow these steps to print a test page.
On the product control panel, press the Setup
button ( 
) until Print Report
displays, and then press OK
. Press the Right Arrow button ( 
) to select Print Quality Report
, and then press OK
. The report prints. Figure 12: Example print quality report
Step two: Check the test page for defects
Review the diagnostic areas of the print quality report to check for defects. Defects on the report can help you identify the print quality issue and then troubleshoot it.
Figure 13: Diagnostic areas of the print quality report
1 - Sample text
2 - Alignment patterns
3 - Color bars
Image: Diagnostic areas on test page. In general, if the printer and its cartridges work correctly, all the color bars are present, unstreaked, and uniform in color across the width of the page. The black text on the page does not show ink streaks.
Use the following table for examples of defects that can exist on the print quality diagnostic report. The following examples are not all inclusive, but tend to represent the most common issues.
| Examples of defects on the print quality diagnostic report
|
|---|
| Defect
|
Example
|
| Large font text is ragged on one end
(possible cartridge or printhead problem) |
Image: Ragged large text. |
| Irregularly streaked or faded color bars
(possible cartridge or printhead problem) |
Image: Streaked or faded color bars. |
| Ragged color bars
(possible cartridge or printhead problem) |
Image: Ragged color bars. |
| The color bars are streaked with another color
(possible cartridge or printhead problem) |
Image: Streaked color bars. |
| The color blocks have regular white streaks
(possible cartridge or printhead problem) |
Image: White streaks in the color bars. |
| Completely missing (black) color
(possible cartridge or printhead problem) |
Image: Missing color (black). |
| Page is blank or nearly blank
(possible cartridge or printhead problem) |
Image: Nearly blank page. |
| Jagged alignment patterns
(possible alignment problem) |
Image: Jagged alignment patterns. |
If you see one or more defects on the print quality diagnostic report
, continue to the next steps.
If there are no defects on the print quality diagnostic report
, it indicates that the print mechanism and ink supplies work correctly. Therefore, you do not need to continue the troubleshooting steps in the remainder of this document. However, if printouts are still unsatisfactory, try the following general procedures to improve print quality:
Make sure that the image you are printing has sufficient resolution. Enlarged images might appear fuzzy or blurry.
If the issue is confined to a band near the edge of a printout, use the software you installed with the printer or another software program to rotate the image 180 degrees. The problem might not display on the other end of the printout.
Avoid leaving unprotected cartridges out of the printer for an extended period of time.
Always use the Power button to turn off the printer. This protects the cartridges from drying out.
Step three: Make sure that the cartridge vents are not clogged
Follow these steps to make sure the ink cartridges are sufficiently vented.
If the product is not already on, press the Power button ( 
) to turn it on.
Open the ink cartridge door.
Figure 14: Open the ink cartridge door
The carriage moves to the center of the product. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before continuing.
Press the tab on the front of one of the ink cartridges to release it, and then remove it from its slot.
Figure 15: Remove the ink cartridge
| CAUTION:
|
Do not lift the gray latch next to the carriage to remove the ink cartridge. Doing so can result in incorrectly seated ink cartridges and printing problems. |
Examine the vent area above the HP logo on the top of the ink cartridge.
Figure 16: Vent area on the ink cartridge
If the ink cartridge still has the orange pull-tab attached, pull to remove it.
Figure 17: Remove the orange pull-tab
If the cartridge has a clogged vent, try cleaning the vent with a pin.
Figure 18: Correctly vented ink cartridge
|
Figure 19: Vent clogged with adhesive
|
Repeat these steps to inspect the vents on each of the ink cartridges.
After inspecting the ink cartridges to make sure they are vented correctly, reinstall each cartridge.
Step four: Make sure that the cartridges are securely latched
Follow these steps to make sure the cartridges are securely latched in their slots on the printhead.
If the product is not already on, press the Power button (
) to turn it on.
If it is not already open, open the cartridge access door.
Figure 20: Open the cartridge access door
The carriage moves to the center of the product. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before continuing.
Make sure each cartridge is installed in the correct slot. Match the shape of the icon and color of the ink cartridge with the slot that has
the same shaped icon and color.
Figure 21: All cartridges installed with corresponding icon and color shown
Make sure each ink cartridge is firmly in place in its slot. Run your finger along the top of the cartridges to feel for any that are protruding, and then press down firmly until the cartridge snaps into place.
If these steps resolved the issue
, there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
If the issue persists
, see the next step.
Step five: Use an automated tool to clean the printhead
Follow these steps to clean the printhead.
|
NOTE:
|
If the printhead is badly clogged, you might need to clean the printhead several times to restore normal print quality. |
Load letter, A4, or legal size, unused, plain white paper into the input tray.
Press the Setup button (
). Press the Down Arrow button ( 
) to highlight Tools
, and then press OK
. Press the Down Arrow button (
) to highlight Clean Printhead
, and then press OK
. The printer cleans the printhead, and a test page prints once the printer is done cleaning the printhead. |
NOTE:
|
Mechanical noises during the cleaning process are normal. |
Examine the test sheet for print quality. Consider repeating the cleaning if there is improvement. Sometimes the printer requires several cleanings.
Recycle or discard the test sheet.
When the cleaning process completes, press any button on the control panel to return to the Tools
menu.
Align the printer again.
Tip
|
To avoid issues that require cleaning the printhead, always turn the printer off using the Power button (
) on the printer itself. Make sure that you replace any missing cartridges as soon as possible to avoid print quality issues and possible extra ink usage or damage to the ink system. Never turn off the product when cartridges are missing. |
If these steps resolved the issue
, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
If the issue persists
, continue to the next solution.
Step six: Use an automated tool to align the printer
If there were defects on the print quality diagnostic report, follow these steps to align the printhead.
Load letter, A4, or legal unused, plain white paper into the main tray.
On the product control panel, press the Setup
button (
) repeatedly until Tools
displays, and then press OK
. Press the Right Arrow button (
) to select Align Printer
, and then press OK
. The product aligns the printer and prints an alignment sheet. Figure 22: Example alignment sheet
|
NOTE:
|
Mechanical noises during alignment are normal. |
Press the Back button ( 
) to return to the main screen, and then recycle or discard the alignment sheet.
Solution seven: Replace the printhead
If you have completed all of the troubleshooting steps and are still experiencing a problem, replace the printhead.
| CAUTION:
|
Wait until you have a new printhead assembly available before removing the cartridges. HP recommends that you do not leave the cartridges outside the printer longer than 30 minutes. This could damage both the printer and the cartridges. |
Order printhead - Contextual Wrapper
If HP replaces your printhead assembly under warranty, you will receive a new printhead assembly, cleaning materials, and a full set of new cartridges.
If your printhead assembly is no longer under warranty, you can purchase a new one online.
-
Under Find your part(s)
, type CN643A
in the Search by part number
text box.
Follow the online instructions to order the printhead assembly.
If HP replaces your printhead assembly under warranty, you will receive a new printhead assembly, cleaning materials, and a full set of new cartridges.
If your printhead assembly is no longer under warranty, you can purchase a new one online.
-
A Buy HP
page displays. Look for the HP Parts store on this page. The location of the HP Parts store varies depending on your region. Click HP Parts store
.
Under Find your part(s)
, type CN643A
in the Search by part number
text box. Follow the online instructions to order the printhead assembly.
If HP replaces your printhead assembly under warranty, you will receive a new printhead assembly, cleaning materials, and a full set of new cartridges. If your printhead assembly is no longer under warranty, call the HP Customer Care Center for assistance.
Solution eight: Service the printer
Follow these steps only if the preceding troubleshooting sections instructed you to do so.
|
NOTE:
|
Keep a print sample that shows the problem. If the ink cartridges, printhead, or printer is replaced under warranty, the support agent will request the print sample. If the printer is returned to HP, the print sample must be returned with the printer. Place the sample in the output tray when you package your printer for shipping. |
Important:
To check if your ink supplies can be replaced under warranty, go to
hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies
, select your country, and look for ‘ink supplies warranty’.
Service the Product - Contextual Wrapper
There might be a problem with the product hardware or a component may not be functioning correctly. The next step is to service the product.
If you have completed all the preceding steps and are still experiencing a problem, service the product.
Determine if your product is in warranty or out of warranty. If you need help determining your product’s warranty status, go to
HP’s Warranty Check Tool
. If your product is in warranty
, contact HP.
If your product is out of warranty
, fees might apply for contacting HP.
If you have completed all the preceding steps and are still experiencing a problem, service the product.
Determine if your product is in warranty or out of warranty. If you need help determining your product’s warranty status, go to
HP’s Warranty Check Tool
. |
|
Printable version
