HP Color LaserJet 2820 User Manual

							6
Printing with color
This chapter describes how the device provides great color printing. This chapter also
describes ways to produce the best possible color prints. The following topics are covered:
●
Changing the color settings
●
Using color
●
Managing color options
●
Matching colors
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							Changing the color settings
When you are printing in color, the printer driver is automatically set to the optimal color
settings. However, you can manually make adjustments to how the device prints in color for
text, graphics, and photographs. See 
Managing color options for more information.
●Windows: On the Color tab of the printer driver, click Settings.
●Mac OS 9.2.2: In the Print dialog box, select either the Color Options tab or the Color
Matching tab.
●Mac OS 10.2 or 10.3: In the Print dialog box, click the Color Options tab, and then click
the Show Advanced Options button.
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							Using color
This device offers great color as soon as you set it up. It provides a combination of automatic
color features to generate excellent color results for the general user, plus sophisticated
tools for the experienced color user.
The device provides carefully designed and tested color tables to provide smooth, accurate
color rendition of all printable colors.
Media selection
For the best color and image quality, it is important to select the appropriate media type from
the software printer menu or from the printer driver. See 
Media specifications for more
information.
HP ImageREt 2400
HP ImageREt 2400 is a technology that provides the best color print quality without having
to change driver settings or make tradeoffs among print quality, performance, and memory.
ImageREt 2400 uses laser printing to produce sharp images and crisp, clear text.
HP ImageREt 2400 provides emulated 2400 dpi color laser-class quality through a multiple-
level printing process. This process precisely controls color by combining up to four colors
within a single dot and by varying the amount of toner in a given area. As a result, ImageREt
2400, together with the 600 x 600 engine resolution, creates millions of smooth colors.
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							Managing color options
Setting color options to Automatic typically produces the best possible print quality for color
documents. However, in some situations, you might want to print a color document in
grayscale (black and shades of gray) or to change one of the device color options.
●Windows: Print in grayscale or change the color options by using settings on the Color
tab in the printer driver.
●Mac OS 9.2.2: Print in grayscale or change the color options by using the Color
Matching pop-up menu in the Print dialog box.
●Mac OS 10.2, 10.3: Print in grayscale or change the color options by selecting Color
Options, and then clicking Show Advanced Options in the Print dialog box.
Print in Grayscale
Selecting the Print in Grayscale option from the printer driver prints a document in black
and shades of gray. This option is useful for printing color documents that will be
photocopied or faxed.
When Print in Grayscale is selected, the device enters monochrome mode. Printing in this
mode reduces wear on the color print cartridges.
Automatic versus Manual color adjustment
The Automatic color adjustment option optimizes the neutral gray color treatment,
halftones, and edge enhancements that are used for each element in a document. For more
information, see your printer-driver online Help.
Note
Automatic is the default setting and is recommended for printing all color documents.
Use the Manual color adjustment option to adjust the neutral gray color treatment, halftones,
and edge enhancements for text, graphics, and photographs. To gain access to the manual
color options, on the Color tab, click Manual, and then click Settings.
Manual color options
Use the manual color adjustment to adjust the Color (or Color Map) and Halftone options.
Note
Some software programs convert text or graphics to raster images. In these cases, the
Photographs setting also controls the text and graphics.
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							Halftone options
Halftoning is the method by which the device mixes the four primary colors (cyan, magenta,
yellow, and black) in varying proportions to create millions of colors. Halftone options affect
the resolution and clarity of your color output. The two halftone options are Smooth and
Detail.
●The Smooth option provides better results for large, solid-filled print areas. It also
enhances photos by smoothing out fine color gradations. Choose this option when
uniform and smooth area fills are the most important attributes.
●The Detail option is useful for text and graphics that require sharp distinctions among
lines or colors, or images that contain a pattern or a high level of detail. Choose this
option when sharp edges and details are the most important attributes.
Neutral Grays
The Neutral Grays setting determines the method for creating gray colors that are used in
text, graphics, and photographs.
●Black Only generates neutral colors (grays and black) by using only black toner. This
option guarantees that neutral colors do not have a color cast and generally produces
the best results for text and graphics.
●4-Color generates neutral colors by combining all four colors of toner. This option
produces smoother gradients and transitions to non-neutral colors. It also produces the
darkest possible black.
RGB Color
The RGB Color option determines how colors are rendered.
●Default interprets RGB color as standard red-green-blue (sRGB), which is the accepted
standard for many software companies and organizations, such as Microsoft and the
World Wide Web Consortium. The sRGB standard improves your ability to match colors
between the device, the computer monitor, and other input devices (scanners and digital
cameras) automatically, without the need to become a color expert. For more
information, see http://www.w3c.org.
●Vivid instructs the device to increase the color saturation in the midtones. Less colorful
objects are rendered more colorfully. This value is recommended for printing business
graphics.
●Device sets the device to print RGB data in raw device mode. To render photographs
properly when this option is selected, you must manage color in the program in which
you are working or in the operating system.
●Image instructs the device to match the color reproduction of a film-based photograph.
This value is recommended for images and is used by default when printing directly from
the memory-card slot.
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							Matching colors
The process of matching device output color to your computer screen is quite complex
because printers and computer monitors use different methods of producing color. Monitors
display colors by light pixels using an RGB (red, green, and blue) color process, but printers
print colors using a CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) process.
The following factors can influence your ability to match printed colors to those on your
screen:
●print media
●device colorants (inks or toners, for example)
●printing process (inkjet, press, or laser technology, for example)
●overhead lighting
●programs
●printer drivers
●computer operating system
●monitors
●video cards and drivers
●operating environment (very humid or very dry)
●personal differences in perception of color
Keep these factors in mind when colors on your screen do not perfectly match your printed
colors. For most users, the best method for matching colors on your screen to your device is
to print sRGB colors. The device uses sRGB and automatically optimizes color output.
For more information about solving issues that are related to color output, see 
Solving issues
with color documents.
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							7
Copy
Use these instructions to perform copying tasks with the device:
●
Starting a copy job
●
Canceling a copy job
●
Adjusting the copy quality
●
Adjusting the lighter/darker (contrast) setting
●
Reducing or enlarging copies
●
Changing the copy-collation setting
●
Changing the number of copies
●
Copying photos, two-sided originals, or books
Note
Many of the functions that are described in this chapter also can be performed by using the
HP Toolbox. For instructions about using the HP Toolbox, see the HP Toolbox online Help.
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							Starting a copy job
To make copies with the device, use the following instructions.
1. Load your original document onto the flatbed scanner face-down (one page at a time)
with the upper-left corner of the document located in the lower-right corner of the glass.
OR
Load your original document face-up into the automatic document feeder (ADF) input
tray. The ADF is recommended for copying multiple-page documents.
2. Press S
TART BLACK or START COLOR on the device control panel to start copying.
3. Repeat the process for each copy.
For more detailed instructions about loading originals onto the flatbed scanner or into the
ADF input tray, see 
Loading documents to scan.
Note
If originals are loaded in the ADF input tray and are also on the flatbed scanner, the device
automatically scans from the ADF regardless of whether an original has been placed on the
flatbed scanner.
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							Canceling a copy job
To cancel a copy job, press CANCEL on the device control panel. If more than one process is
running, pressing C
ANCEL clears the process that currently appears on the device control-
panel display.
Note
If you cancel a copy job, clear the original document from the flatbed scanner or from the
automatic document feeder (ADF).
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							Adjusting the copy quality
The factory-set default for copy quality is Text. This setting is the best for items that contain
mostly text.
When making a copy of a photo or graphic, you can select the Photo setting to increase the
quality of your copy.
Select the Mixed setting for documents that include both text and graphics.
If you want to conserve toner, and the copy quality is not as important, select Draft.
To adjust the copy quality for the current job
1. On the device control panel, press QUALITY to see the current quality setting for the copy.
2. Use the < or the > button to scroll through the quality setting options.
3. Select a setting, and then press S
TART BLACK or START COLOR to save the selection and
immediately start the copy job, or press E
NTER to save the selection without starting the
job.
Note
The change in the setting remains active for about two minutes after the copy job has been
completed. During this time, Settings=Custom appears on the device control-panel display.
To adjust the default copy quality
1. On the device control panel, press MENU.
2. Use the < or the > button to select Copy setup, and then press E
NTER.
3. Press E
NTER to select Default Quality.
4. Use the < or the > button to scroll through the choices.
5. Press E
NTER to save the selection.
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