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HP Deskjet 3050A (J611) and 3050 (J610) All-in-One Printer Series - Troubleshooting Print Quality Issues
Issue
The quality of the printout or printed image is not as expected.
|
NOTE:
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Microsoft designed the Windows 8 interface for use with touchscreen monitors. In some areas of this document, the instructions direct you to "click" an element on the screen. In Windows 8, users with touchscreens can also "tap" those elements to perform the task. |
Try the following solutions in the order presented to resolve the issue. When one of the solutions resolves the issue, there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
|
NOTE:
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Some of the following solutions require the full HP software. If you did not install the full software when you installed your product,
click here to go to the software and drivers page
, and then download and install the full feature software. |
Solution one: Use genuine HP cartridges
|
NOTE:
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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: Do not leave photo paper in the input tray
If photo paper is left in the tray for too long, a reaction between the paper rollers and the photo paper might occur. This can result in lines or marks on the printed photo.
Recommendation
: Do not leave photo paper in the tray for more than 5 to 30 minutes. Only leave photo paper in the tray when printing. Store the photo paper in a resealable bag when not in use.
Solution three: Check the paper
Use the following guidelines to make sure that the paper you are using is appropriate for the print job. If it is not, reload the product with an appropriate paper type.
|
NOTE:
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See the specifications for your product for specific paper types that the product supports. |
Load the paper print side up in the input tray. Many papers have printing and nonprinting sides.
Do not use wrinkled or curled paper. Load only clean, wrinkle-free paper into the product.
Use the correct paper type for your project. For everyday documents, plain paper works well. For documents with dense printing, such as high contrast graphics or photographs, use HP Advanced Photo Paper for the best results.
Try using a different paper. Paper that does not accept ink well is also prone to print defects. HP designs ink and paper to work together.
|
NOTE:
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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 the printout
|
Figure 1: Horizontal streaks in printout
Illustration of horizontal streaks |
Figure 2: Vertical streaks in printout
Illustration of vertical streaks |
| Continue with the following troubleshooting steps if your printout contains horizontal streaks or other print quality issues besides 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. |
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
Follow these steps to check the print settings to make sure that they are appropriate for your print job.
In the software program you are trying to print from, click File
, and then click Print
. The Print
dialog box opens.
Select your product, and then click 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 you have loaded in the product.
From the Paper Size
drop-down, select the option that matches your paper size. For example, if you have legal paper loaded in your product, select Legal 8.5x14in
.
Click the Advanced
tab. The Advanced Options
dialog box opens.
Under Document Options
, make sure that Print in Grayscale
is set to Off
, unless you are printing in Grayscale intentionally.
Click OK
, and then click OK
again to apply the settings.
Click OK
from the Print
dialog box to start the print job.
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 ink levels and replace low or empty cartridges
Follow these steps to check the ink levels on your product, and then replace low or empty cartridges according to the results.
|
NOTE:
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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. |
Open the HP product software:
Windows XP: Click Start
( 
), click All Programs
, click HP
, click the folder for your HP product, and then click the icon for your HP product ( 
). Windows Vista or Windows 7: Click the Windows icon ( 
), click All Programs
, click HP
, click the folder for your HP product, and then click the icon for your HP product (
). Windows 8:
Right-click or tap and hold the lower left corner of the screen, and then click or tap Search
from the menu.
Click or tap Apps
( 
) if it is not already selected. Type HP
in the search box.
Click or tap your printer ( 
).
|
NOTE:
|
You can also open the HP product software from your computer desktop: double-click the icon for your HP product (
).
|
The product software opens in a new window.
In the product software, double-click Estimated Ink Levels
( 
). The HP Toolbox opens.
Click the Estimated Ink Levels
tab. A graphic displays that represents the estimated ink levels for your product.
Figure 3: The estimated ink levels graphic
Graphic: Estimated ink levels
Solution six: Print and evaluate an diagnostic report and troubleshoot defects
Follow these steps to print, and then evaluate, a diagnostic report.
Step one: Print a diagnostic report
Make sure that you have plain white, U.S. letter or A4 size paper loaded in the tray.
Open the HP product software:
Windows XP: Click Start
(
), click All Programs
, click HP
, click the folder for your HP product, and then click the icon for your HP product (
). Windows Vista or Windows 7: Click the Windows icon (
), click All Programs
, click HP
, click the folder for your HP product, and then click the icon for your HP product (
). Windows 8:
Right-click or tap and hold the lower left corner of the screen, and then click or tap Search
from the menu.
Click or tap Apps
(
) if it is not already selected. Type HP
in the search box.
Click or tap your printer (
).
|
NOTE:
|
You can also open the HP product software from your computer desktop: double-click the icon for your HP product (
).
|
The product software opens in a new window.
In the product software, double-click Printer Actions
( 
). Double-click Maintenance Tasks
( 
). The HP Toolbox opens. Click the Device Services
tab, and then click Print Diagnostic Information
. The diagnostic report prints. .
Figure 4: Example diagnostic report
Graphic: Diagnostic report
Step two: Determine which cartridges printed which areas of the diagnostic report
Different cartridges print different areas of the diagnostic report. Use the following guidelines to determine which cartridge printed which areas.
The black cartridge prints the black areas of the report, such as the black bars and black text.
The color cartridge prints the color areas of the report, such as the cyan (blue), magenta, and yellow color bars.
Figure 5: Which cartridges print which areas of the diagnostic report
1 - Printed by the color cartridge
2 - Printed by the black cartridge
Illustration of the different parts of the diagnostic report Make a note of which cartridges printed which areas of the diagnostic report, and then continue to the next step to check the report for defects.
Step three: Check the diagnostic report for defects
In general, if the product and its cartridges are working correctly, all the color bars should be present, unstreaked, and uniform in color. The black text on the page should not show ink streaks.
Use the following table for examples of defects that can exist on the diagnostic report. The following examples are not inclusive, but they tend to represent the most common issues.
If you see no defects on the diagnostic report
, the print mechanism and ink supplies work correctly. If printouts are still unsatisfactory, try these general print quality guidelines, and then do not continue the troubleshooting steps in the remainder of this document.
Make sure that the image you are printing has enough resolution. Images that have been enlarged too much might appear fuzzy or blurry.
If the problem is confined to a band near the edge of a printout, use the software you installed with the product, or another software program to rotate the image 180°. The problem might not appear on the other end of the printout.
If you see one or more of these defects on the diagnostic report
, continue to the next steps.
Step four: Clean the cartridges using an automated tool
Follow these steps to run an automated tool to clean the cartridges if you found defects on the diagnostic report.
Open the HP product software:
Windows XP: Click Start
(
), click All Programs
, click HP
, click the folder for your HP product, and then click the icon for your HP product (
). Windows Vista or Windows 7: Click the Windows icon (
), click All Programs
, click HP
, click the folder for your HP product, and then click the icon for your HP product (
). Windows 8:
Right-click or tap and hold the lower left corner of the screen, and then click or tap Search
from the menu.
Click or tap Apps
(
) if it is not already selected. Type HP
in the search box.
Click or tap your printer (
).
|
NOTE:
|
You can also open the HP product software from your computer desktop: double-click the icon for your HP product (
).
|
The product software opens in a new window.
In the product software, double-click Printer Actions
(
). Double-click Maintenance Tasks
(
). The HP Toolbox opens. Click the Device Services
tab.
Click Clean Ink Cartridges
, and then follow the on-screen instructions to clean the cartridges.
After running the tool, click Print
to print a test page. If the print quality is still unacceptable, follow the on-screen instructions to run a Second-level clean
.
Step five: Align the printer
Open the HP product software:
Windows XP: Click Start
(
), click All Programs
, click HP
, click the folder for your HP product, and then click the icon for your HP product (
). Windows Vista or Windows 7: Click the Windows icon (
), click All Programs
, click HP
, click the folder for your HP product, and then click the icon for your HP product (
). Windows 8:
Right-click or tap and hold the lower left corner of the screen, and then click or tap Search
from the menu.
Click or tap Apps
(
) if it is not already selected. Type HP
in the search box.
Click or tap your printer (
).
|
NOTE:
|
You can also open the HP product software from your computer desktop: double-click the icon for your HP product (
).
|
The product software opens in a new window.
In the product software, double-click Printer Actions
(
). Double-click Maintenance Tasks
(
). The HP Toolbox opens. Click the Device Services
tab.
Click Align Ink Cartridges
, and then follow the on-screen instructions to print the alignment page.
Lift the scanner lid.
Place the alignment page with the printed-side down on the right front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass for help loading the alignment page.
Figure 6: Place the alignment page on the scanner glass
Graphic: Place the alignment page on the scanner glass Close the scanner lid.
Press the button next to OK
on the control panel display ( 
) The product scans the alignment page. When the Alignment successful
message displays on the control panel screen, press the button next to OK on the control panel display (
) to complete the alignment.
Step six: Clean the area around the ink nozzles
You need to complete these steps only if you noticed track marks or smears in the text on the diagnostic report as described earlier in this document.
Important:
Do not perform these steps unless your diagnostic report specifically shows smeared text or track marks. If your report does not show this defect, continue to the next solution. |
Gather the following materials:
Dry foam-rubber swabs, lint-free cloth, or any soft material that will not come apart
or leave fibers (coffee filters work well)
Clean sheets of paper
Distilled, filtered, or bottled water (tap water might contain contaminants that can
damage the print cartridges)
| CAUTION:
|
Do not use platen cleaners or alcohol to clean the area. These can damage the cartridge or the product. |
Press the Power button ( 
) to turn on the product, if it is not already on. Open the cartridge access door. The carriage moves to the center of the product. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before continuing.
Figure 7: Open the cartridge access door
Graphic: Open the cartridge access door Lightly press down on the cartridge to release it, and then pull the cartridge out to remove it from its slot.
Figure 8: Remove the cartridge
Graphic: Remove the cartridge | CAUTION:
|
Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections. |
Figure 9: Do not touch the contacts or nozzles
Graphic: Do not touch the contacts or nozzles Place the cartridge on a piece of paper with the ink nozzles facing up.
Lightly moisten a clean, foam-rubber swab with distilled water.
Clean the face and edges around
the ink nozzle with the swab.
| CAUTION:
|
Do not clean the ink nozzle plate. |
Figure 10: Clean the area around the ink nozzle
1 - Nozzle plate - DO NOT CLEAN
2 - Area surrounding ink nozzle - Do clean
3 - Cartridge contacts - Do not clean
Illustration of the ink nozzle and cartridge contacts Let the cartridge sit for 10 minutes to allow the cleaned area to dry, or use a new swab to dry it.
Hold the cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the product, and then insert the cartridge into its slot. Make sure that the icon on the cartridge matches the icon on the slot.
The tri-color cartridge ( 
) goes in the slot on the left The black cartridge ( 
) goes in the slot on the right
Figure 11: Insert the cartridge into its slot
Graphic: Insert the cartridge into its slot Push the cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
Figure 12: Snap the cartridge into place
Graphic: Snap the cartridge into place Repeat these steps to clean the area surrounding the ink nozzle on the other cartridge.
Close the cartridge access door.
Figure 13: Close the cartridge access door
Graphic: Close the cartridge access door 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 seven: Replace the problem cartridge
Follow these steps to replace the problem cartridge if you saw defects on the diagnostic report and the preceding steps did not resolve the issue, even if the cartridge is not low on ink. The problem cartridge is the one that printed the defects on the diagnostic report as described earlier in this document.
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.
With the product on, remove the old cartridge.
Remove the new cartridge from its packaging.
Remove the pink pull tab from the new cartridge.
| CAUTION:
|
Do not touch the copper-colored electrical contacts or the ink nozzles on the cartridge. Doing so can cause bad electrical connections, clogged ink nozzles, or poor print quality. |
Hold the cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the product, and then slide the cartridge into its color coded slot until it snaps into place. Make sure that the icon on the cartridge matches the icon on the slot.
Follow the steps in 'Solution five, Step five: Align the printer' of this document to align 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 eight: Service the All-in-One
|
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. |
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
. |
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