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HP F4280 User Guide - Page 95

Print quality troubleshooting - ink cartridges

UPC - 883585581313

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Troubleshooting Print quality troubleshooting If you are having problems with print quality, try the solutions in this section and observe the following guidelines. To troubleshoot print quality issues 1. Check the print cartridges. HP recommends that you use genuine HP print cartridges. Genuine HP print cartridges are designed and tested with HP printers to help you easily produce great results, time after time. NOTE: HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP supplies. Printer service or repairs required as a result of using a non-HP supply will not be covered under warranty. If you believe you purchased genuine HP ink cartridges, go to: www.hp.com/go/anticounterfeit For more information, see "Replace the print cartridges" on page 64. 2. Check the ink levels. If you have installed a refilled or remanufactured print cartridge, or a cartridge that has been used in another printer, the ink level indicator will be inaccurate or unavailable. The ink levels provided are an estimate. When print cartridges are truly low on ink, printouts will be faded or streaked. As long as print quality is acceptable, there is no reason to replace print cartridges. Low ink warnings are provided for planning purposes only. For more information, see "Check the estimated ink levels" on page 63. 3. Make sure you turn off the product by pressing the On button. CAUTION: Do not turn off the product by turning off a power strip or unplugging the power cord from it. If you improperly turn off the product, the print carriage does not return to the correct position and the print cartridges can dry out. 4. To achieve the best print quality, HP recommends using HP papers that are specifically designed for the type of project you are printing along with genuine HP ink. HP papers and HP ink are specifically designed to work well together to provide high-quality output. 5. Check the product settings to make sure that the print mode and paper selection is correct for the paper and the task. For more information, see "Set the paper type for printing" on page 33 and "Choose papers for printing and copying" on page 21. 6. If the cartridges are genuine HP and the product is not in backup mode, print a selftest report to determine if the product and ink supplies are operating correctly. This will use one sheet of plain paper and a very small amount of ink. For more information, see "Print a self-test report" on page 61. Print quality troubleshooting 93

Section	Page
Contents	3
HP Deskjet F4200 All-in-One Series Help	9
HP All-in-One overview	11
The HP All-in-One at a glance	11
Control panel buttons	12
Status light overview	14
Use the HP Photosmart software	15
Find more information	17
How do I?	19
Connection information	21
Supported connection types	21
Use printer sharing	21
Load originals and load paper	23
Load originals	23
Choose papers for printing and copying	23
Recommended papers for printing and copying	24
Recommended papers for printing only	25
Papers to avoid	25
Load paper	26
Load full-size paper	26
Load photo paper	28
Load index cards	29
Load envelopes	30
Load other types of paper	31
Print from your computer	33
Print from a software application	33
Make the HP All-in-One the default printer	34
Change the print settings for the current job	34
Set the paper size	34
Set the paper type for printing	35
View the print resolution	35
Change the print speed or quality	36
Change the page orientation	36
Scale the document size	37
Change the saturation, brightness, or color tone	37
Preview your print job	37
Change the default print settings	38
Printing shortcuts	38
Create printing shortcuts	39
Delete printing shortcuts	39
Perform special print jobs	40
Print a borderless image	40
Print a photo on plain paper	41
Print a photo on photo paper	42
Print using Maximum dpi	43
Print on both sides of the page	44
Print a multiple-page document as a booklet	45
Print multiple pages on a single sheet	47
Print a multiple-page document in reverse order	48
Reverse an image for iron-on transfers	49
Print on transparencies	50
Print a group of addresses on labels or envelopes	50
Print a poster	51
Print a Web page	51
Stop a print job	52
Resume a print job	53
Use the copy features	55
Make a copy	55
Stop copying	56
Use the scan features	57
Scan an original	57
Edit a scanned image	59
Edit a scanned document	59
Stop scanning	59
Maintain the HP All-in-One	61
Clean the HP All-in-One	61
Clean the exterior	61
Clean the glass	61
Clean the lid backing	62
Print a self-test report	63
Work with print cartridges	63
Handle the print cartridges	64
Check the estimated ink levels	65
Choose the right print cartridges	65
Replace the print cartridges	66
Use ink-backup mode	69
Ink-backup mode output	69
Exit ink-backup mode	69
Store the print cartridges	69
Align the print cartridges	70
Clean the print cartridges	71
Clean the print cartridge contacts	71
Clean the area around the ink nozzles	74
Remove ink from your skin and clothing	76
Shop for ink supplies	77
Troubleshooting	79
View the Readme file	79
Hardware setup troubleshooting	79
The product will not turn on	80
Software installation troubleshooting	84
Uninstall and reinstall the software	87
Paper jams	88
Information on paper	90
Print cartridge troubleshooting	90
Information on print cartridges	91
Resolving print cartridge problems	92
Resolving print cartridge error messages	92
Print quality troubleshooting	95
Wrong, inaccurate, or bleeding colors	96
Ink is not filling the text or graphics completely	99
The printout has a horizontal band of distortion near the bottom of a borderless print	100
Printouts have horizontal streaks or lines	102
Printouts are faded or have dull colors	103
Printouts seem blurry or fuzzy	105
Printouts are slanted or skewed	107
Ink streaks on the back of the paper	107
Print troubleshooting	109
Envelopes print incorrectly	109
Borderless printing produces unexpected results	110
The product is not responding	110
The product prints meaningless characters	113
Nothing happens when I try to print	114
The margins are not printing as expected	116
Text or graphics are cut off at the edge of the page	118
A blank page came out while printing	119
Copy troubleshooting	121
Nothing happens when I try to copy	122
Parts of the original do not appear or are cut off	124
The printout is blank	126
A borderless copy has white space around the edges	127
Scan troubleshooting	127
Scan fails	128
Text is incorrect or missing	130
Errors	131
Flashing lights	131
Product messages	134
Mechanism error	135
Scan errors	136
Unable to print	150
Product might not be correctly installed	155
Product was not found	159
Product could not find available scan destinations	163
Error occurred while communicating with the product	165
File messages	169
Supported file types for the HP All-in-One	170
General user messages	170
Cannot crop	171
Paper messages	172
Out of paper	173
Power and connection messages	177
Communication test failed	178
Two-way communication lost	179
Print cartridge messages	180
The print carriage is stalled	182
Need alignment or alignment failed	186
Print cartridges missing or not detected	188
Incompatible print cartridges	192
Print cartridge problem	195
HP warranty and support	203
Warranty	203
Print cartridge warranty information	203
Support process	203
Before you call HP customer support	204
HP support by phone	204
Phone support period	205
Placing a call	205
After the phone support period	205
Additional warranty options	205
HP Quick Exchange Service (Japan)	206
HP Korea customer support	206
Prepare the product for shipment	207
Pack the product	207
Technical information	209
Specifications	209
Notice to Windows 2000, Windows XP x64 Edition, and Windows XP Starter Edition users	210
Environmental product stewardship program	210
Paper use	210
Plastics	211
Material safety data sheets	211
Recycling program	211
HP inkjet supplies recycling program	211
Energy consumption	211
Disposal of waste equipment by users in private households in the European Union	212
Regulatory notices	213
FCC statement	213
Notice to users in Korea	213
VCCI (Class B) compliance statement for users in Japan	214
Notice to users in Japan about the power cord	214
Noise emission statement for Germany	214
Toxic and hazardous substance table	214
HP Deskjet F4200 All-in-One Series declaration of conformity	215

Match case Limit results 1 per page

Print quality troubleshooting

If you are having problems with print quality, try the solutions in this section and observe

the following guidelines.

To troubleshoot print quality issues

Check the print cartridges.

HP recommends that you use genuine HP print cartridges. Genuine HP print

cartridges are designed and tested with HP printers to help you easily produce great

results, time after time.

NOTE:

HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP supplies. Printer

service or repairs required as a result of using a non-HP supply will not be covered

under warranty.

If you believe you purchased genuine HP ink cartridges, go to:

www.hp.com/go/anticounterfeit

For more information, see

“

Replace the print cartridges” on page 64

Check the ink levels.

If you have installed a refilled or remanufactured print cartridge, or a cartridge that

has been used in another printer, the ink level indicator will be inaccurate or

unavailable. The ink levels provided are an estimate. When print cartridges are truly

low on ink, printouts will be faded or streaked. As long as print quality is acceptable,

there is no reason to replace print cartridges. Low ink warnings are provided for

planning purposes only.

For more information, see

“

Check the estimated ink levels” on page 63

Make sure you turn off the product by pressing the

button.

CAUTION:

Do not turn off the product by turning off a power strip or unplugging

the power cord from it. If you improperly turn off the product, the print carriage

does not return to the correct position and the print cartridges can dry out.

To achieve the best print quality, HP recommends using HP papers that are

specifically designed for the type of project you are printing along with genuine HP

ink. HP papers and HP ink are specifically designed to work well together to provide

high-quality output.

Check the product settings to make sure that the print mode and paper selection is

correct for the paper and the task.

For more information, see

“

Set the paper type for printing” on page 33

and

“

Choose

papers for printing and copying” on page 21

If the cartridges are genuine HP and the product is not in backup mode, print a self-

test report to determine if the product and ink supplies are operating correctly.

This will use one sheet of plain paper and a very small amount of ink.

For more information, see

“

Print a self-test report” on page 61

Print quality troubleshooting

Troubleshooting