HP Designjet Z5200ps User Manual

13 Troubleshooting print-quality issues
●General advice
●
Print quality troubleshooting wizard
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Horizontal lines across the image (banding)
●
The whole image is blurry or grainy
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The paper is not flat
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The print is scuffed or scratched
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Ink marks on the paper
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Vertical dotted or dashed lines on the print
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Vertical continuous lines on the print
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Black ink comes off when you touch the print
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Edges of objects are stepped or not sharp
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Edges of objects are darker than expected
●
Bronzing
●...

General advice
When you have any print-quality problem:
●To achieve the best performance from your printer, use only genuine manufacturers supplies
and accessories, whose reliability and performance have been thoroughly tested to give trouble-
free performance and best-quality prints. For details of recommended papers, see 
Order paper
on page 125.
●Make sure that the paper type selected in the front panel is the same as the paper type loaded
into the printer. To check this, use the View loaded paper key...

Alternatively, or if you have other print quality problems, you can continue reading this chapter.
Horizontal lines across the image (banding)
If your printed image suffers from added horizontal lines as shown (the color may vary):
1.Check that the paper type you have loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front
panel and in your software. To check on the front panel, use the View loaded paper key.
2.Check that you are using appropriate print-quality settings for your purposes (see...

The whole image is blurry or grainy
1.Check that the paper type you have loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front
panel and in your software. To check on the front panel, use the View loaded paper key.
2.Check that you are printing on the correct side of the paper.
3.Check that you are using appropriate print-quality settings (see 
Printing on page 43). In some
cases, you can overcome a print-quality problem merely by selecting a higher print-quality level.
For instance, if you have set...

1.Check that the paper type you have loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front
panel and in your software. To check on the front panel, use the View loaded paper key.
2.Try changing to a thicker paper type, such as HP Heavyweight Coated Paper, HP Super
Heavyweight Plus Matte Paper or thicker Digital Fine Art papers.
3.Select a paper type that is slightly thinner than the paper you have loaded; this will persuade the
printer to use less ink. Here are some example paper types in ascending...

Whenever you notice this problem, cancel the printing job immediately. Press the Cancel key and
also cancel the job from your computer application. Soaked paper can damage the printheads.
Try the following suggestions to avoid this problem:
1.Check that the paper type you have loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front
panel and in your software. To check on the front panel, use the View loaded paper key.
2.Use a recommended paper type (see 
Order paper on page 125) and the correct print...

First check that the paper type you have loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front
panel and in your software. To check on the front panel, use the View loaded paper key.
●Using the HP Utility for Windows, select Color Center > Paper Preset Management > Change
Printing Properties.
●Using the HP Utility for Mac OS, select HP Color Center > Paper Preset Management. Select
the paper type, then press the 
 button and select Change Printing Properties from the
popup menu.
Change the...

Edges of objects are darker than expected
If edges of objects seem darker than expected, and you have already set the print-quality slider to
Quality in the driver dialog (Mac OS Print dialog), select the custom print-quality options, and make
sure that the More Passes and Maximum Detail options are turned off. See 
Printing on page 43.
Bronzing
If you are printing on photo paper in grayscale, and you experience a gloss differential problem when
fluorescent light is directly reflected towards you from...

White spots on the print
You may notice white spots on the print. This is probably due to paper fibers, dust or loose coating
material. To avoid this problem:
1.Try cleaning the paper manually with a brush before printing, to remove any loose fibers or
particles.
2.Always keep the cover of your printer closed.
3.Protect your paper rolls and sheets by storing them in bags or boxes.
Colors are inaccurate
If the colors of your print do not match your expectations, try the following:
1.Check that the paper...

Color accuracy using EPS or PDF images in page layout applications
Page layout applications such as Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress do not support color
management of EPS, PDF or grayscale files.
If you have to use such files, try to ensure that the EPS, PDF or grayscale images are already in the
same color space that you intend to use later on in Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress. For instance, if
your final goal is to print the job in a press that follows the SWOP standard, convert the image into
SWOP when...