HP LaserJet 1018 User Manual

							
Printer media considerations
HP LaserJet printers produce excellent print quality. The printer accepts a variety of media,
such as cut-sheet paper (including recycled paper), envelopes, labels, transparencies,
vellum, and custom-size paper. Properties such as weight, grain, and moisture content are
important factors affecting printer performance and output quality.
The printer can use a variety of paper and other print media in accordance with the
guidelines in this user guide. Media that does not meet these guidelines might cause the
following problems:
● Poor print quality
● Increased media jams
● Premature wear on the printer, requiring repair
For best results, use only HP brand paper and print media. Hewlett-Packard Company
cannot recommend the use of other brands. Because they are not HP products, HP cannot
influence or control their quality.
It is possible for media to meet all of the  guidelines in this user guide and still not produce
satisfactory results. This might be the result of improper handling, unacceptable temperature
and humidity levels, or other variables over which HP has no control.
Before purchasing a large quantity of media, make sure that it meets the requirements
specified in this user guide and in the  HP LaserJet printer family print media guide . The
guidelines can be downloaded from  http://www.hp.com/support/ljpaperguide/  or see
Ordering supplies for more information about ordering the guidelines. Always test media
before you purchase a large quantity.
CAUTION
Using media that does not meet HPs specifications might cause problems for the printer,
requiring repair. This repair is not covered by the HP warranty or service agreements.
Supported media sizes
For information about supported media sizes, see Printer capacities and ratings .
ENWW Printer media considerations 13
 
						

							14Chapter 1 Printer basicsENWW
 
						

							
2
Printing tasks
This chapter provides information on the following topics:
●
Manual feed
●
Canceling a print job
●
Understanding print quality settings
●
Optimizing print quality for media types
●
Guidelines for using media
●
Choosing paper and other media
●
Loading media into the input trays
●
Printing an envelope
●
Printing multiple envelopes
●
Printing on transparencies or labels
●
Printing on letterhead and preprinted forms
●
Printing on custom-size media and cardstock
●
Printing on both sides of the paper (manual two-sided printing)
●
Printing multiple pages on a single sheet of paper (N-up printing)
●
Printing booklets
●
Printing watermarks
ENWW 15
 
						

							
Manual feed
You can use manual feed when printing mixed media, for example, an envelope, then a
letter, then an envelope, and so on. Feed an envelope into the priority feed slot and load
letterhead into the main input tray.
To print using manual feed
1. Access the printer properties (or printing preferences in Windows 2000 and XP). See
Printer properties (driver) for instructions.
2. On the  Paper/Quality  tab, select Manual Feed  from the Source is  drop-down list.
3. Feed media into the priority feed slot, and click  Continue.
16 Chapter 2 Printing tasks ENWW
 
						

							
Canceling a print job
You can cancel a print job from a software application or a print queue.\
To stop the printer immediately, remove the remaining paper from the printer. After the
printer stops, use one of the following options.
●Software application : Typically, a dialog box appears briefly on your screen, allowing
you to cancel the print job.
● Windows print queue : If a print job is waiting in a print queue (computer memory) or
print spooler, delete the job there. Click  Start, Settings , and Printers  or Printers and
Faxes . Double-click the  HP LaserJet 1018  icon to open the window, select your print
job, and click  Delete or Cancel .
If the status lights on the control panel continue  to blink after you cancel a print job, the
computer is still sending the job to the printer. Either delete the job \
from the print queue or
wait until the computer finishes sending data. The printer will return to the Ready state.
ENWW Canceling a print job17
 
						

							
Understanding print quality settings
Print quality settings affect how light or dark the print is on the page and the style in which
the graphics are printed. You can also use  the print quality settings to optimize the print
quality for a specific media type. See 
Optimizing print quality for media types  for more
information.
You can change the settings in  the printer properties to accommodate the types of jobs you
are printing. The following are the settings:
● FastRes 1200 : This setting provides 1200 dpi effective output quality (600 x 600 x 2 dpi
with HP Resolution Enhancement technology [REt]).
● 600 dpi : This setting provides 600 x 600 dpi output with Resolution Enhancement\
technology (REt) for improved text.
● EconoMode (Save Toner) : Text is printed using less toner. This setting is useful when
you are printing drafts. You can turn on this option independently of other print quality
settings.
1. Access the printer properties (or printing preferences in Windows 2000 and XP). See
Printer properties (driver)  for instructions.
2. On the  Finishing tab, select the print quality setting you want to use.
NOTE
Not all printer features are available in all drivers or operating systems. See the printer
properties (driver) online Help for information about the availability of features for that driver.
NOTE
To change the print quality settings for all future print jobs, access the properties \
through the
Start  menu in the Windows task bar. To change the print quality settings only for the current
software application, access the properties through the  Print Setup menu in the application
you are using to print. See 
Printer properties (driver)  for more information.
18 Chapter 2 Printing tasks ENWW
 
						

							
Optimizing print quality for media types
Media type settings control the temperature of your printers fuser. You can change the
settings for the media that you are using to optimize the print quality.
The HP LaserJet 1018 printer provides a number of print modes that allow the unit to adapt
more specifically to the printers media environment. The following tables provide an
overview of the driver print modes.
NOTE
When using the CARDSTOCK, ENVELOPE, LABEL,  and ROUGH modes, the printer
pauses between pages and the number of pages per minute decreases.
Driver print default modes
ModeMedia
PLAIN75 to 104 g/m2 (20 to 27 lb)
LIGHT< 75 g/m2 (20 lb)
HEAVY90 to 105 g/m2 (24 to 28 lb)
CARDSTOCKCardstock or thick media
TRANSPARENCY4-mil, 0.1 monochrome overhead transparencies
(OHTs)
ENVELOPEStandard envelopes
LABELStandard HP LaserJet labels
BONDBond paper
ROUGHRough paper
COLORPlain media
LETTERHEADPlain media
PREPRINTEDPlain media
PREPUNCHEDPlain media
RECYCLEDPlain media
VELLUMPlain media
ENWW Optimizing print quality for media types 19
 
						

							
Guidelines for using media
The following sections provide guidelines and instructions for printing on transparencies,
envelopes, and other special media. Guidelines and specifications are included to help you
select media that optimizes print quality and avoid media that might cause jams or damage
the printer.
Paper
For best results, use conventional 75 g/m2 (20 lb) paper. Make sure that the paper is of good
quality and free of cuts, nicks, tears, spots,  loose particles, dust, wrinkles, voids, and curled
or bent edges.
If you are unsure about what type of paper you are loading (such as bond or recycled),
check the label on the package of paper.
Some paper causes print quality problems, jamming, or damage to the printer.
Paper usage
SymptomProblem with paperSolution
Poor print quality or toner
adhesion
Problems with feedingToo moist, too rough, too
smooth, or embossed
Faulty paper lotTry another kind of paper
between 100-250 Sheffield and
4-6% moisture content.
Check the printer and make
sure that the appropriate media
type has been selected.
Dropouts, jamming, or curlStored improperlyStore paper flat in its moisture-
proof wrapping.
Increased gray background
shadingMight be too heavyUse lighter paper.
Excessive curl
Problems with feedingToo moist, wrong grain
direction, or short-grain
constructionUse long-grain paper.
Check the printer and make
sure that the appropriate media
type has been selected.
Jamming or damage to printerCutouts or perforationsDo not use paper with cutouts
or perforations.
Problems with feedingRagged edgesUse good quality paper.
NOTEThe printer uses heat and pressure to fuse toner to the paper. Make sure that any colored
paper or preprinted forms use inks that  are compatible with the printer temperature. The
printers maximum temperature is 200°C (392°F) for 0.1 second.
Do not use letterhead that is printed with low-temperature inks, such as those used in some
types of thermography.
Do not use raised letterhead.
Do not use transparencies designed for Inkjet printers or other low-temperature printers. Use
only transparencies that are specified for use with HP LaserJet printers.
20 Chapter 2 Printing tasks ENWW
 
						

							
Labels
HP recommends that you print labels from the priority feed slot.
CAUTION
Do not feed a sheet of labels through  the printer more than once. The adhesive degrades
and might damage the printer.
Label construction
When selecting labels, consider the quality of the following components:
● Adhesives : The adhesive material should be stable at 200°C (392°F), the printers
maximum temperature.
● Arrangement : Only use labels with no exposed backing between them. Labels can peel
off sheets that have spaces between the labels, causing serious jams.
● Curl : Prior to printing, labels must lie flat with  no more than 13 mm (0.5 inches) of curl in
any direction.
● Condition : Do not use labels with wrinkles, bubbles, or other indications of separation.
Transparencies
Transparencies must be able to withstand the printers maximum temperature of 200°C
(392°F).
Envelopes
HP recommends that you print envelopes from the priority feed slot.
Envelope construction
Envelope construction is critical. Envelope fold lines can vary considerably, not only between
manufacturers, but also within a box from  the same manufacturer. Successful printing on
envelopes depends upon the quality of the envelopes. When selecting enve\
lopes, consider
the following components:
● Weight : The weight of the envelope  paper should not exceed 90 g/m
2 (24 lb) or jamming
might result.
● Construction : Prior to printing, envelopes should lie flat with less than 6 mm
(0.25 inches) curl and should not contain air. Envelopes that trap air might cause
problems. Do not use envelopes that contain clasps, snaps, tie strings, transparent
windows, holes, perforations, cut outs, synthetic materials, stamping, or embossing. Do
not use envelopes with adhesives that do  not require moistening, but rely instead on
pressure to seal them.
● Condition : Make sure that the envelopes are not wrinkled, nicked, or otherwise
damaged. Make sure that the envelopes do not have any exposed adhesive.
● Sizes : The envelope sizes range from 90 x  160 mm (3.5 x 6.3 inches) to 178 x 254 mm
(7 x 10 inches).
ENWW Guidelines for using media21
 
						

							
Envelopes with double-side seams
An envelope with double-side-seam construction has vertical seams at both ends of the
envelope rather than diagonal seams. This style might be more likely to wrinkle. Make sure
that the seam extends all the way to the corner of the envelope as shown in the following
illustration.
1 acceptable envelope construction
2 unacceptable envelope construction
Envelopes with adhesive strips or flaps
Envelopes with a peel-off adhesive strip or with more  than one flap that folds over to seal
must use adhesives compatible with the heat and pressure in the printer. The printers
maximum temperature is 200°C (392°F). The extra flaps and strips might cause wrinkling,
creasing, or jams.
Envelope storage
Proper storage of envelopes contributes to  good print quality. You should store envelopes
flat. If air is trapped in an envelope, creating  an air bubble, the envelope might wrinkle during
printing.
Cardstock and heavy media
You can print many types of cardstock from  the media input trays, including index cards and
postcards. Some cardstock performs better than  others because its construction is better
suited for feeding through a laser printer.
For optimum printer performance, do not  use paper heavier than 157 g/m
2 (42 lb). Paper that
is too heavy might cause misfeeds, stacking  problems, paper jams, poor toner fusing, poor
print quality, or excessive mechanical wear.
NOTE
You might be able to print on heavier paper if you  do not fill the input tray to capacity and if
you use paper with a smoothness rating of 100-180 Sheffield.
22 Chapter 2 Printing tasks ENWW