HP LaserJet 9050 User Manual

							ENWW Correcting output quality problems129
Light print or fade
●The print cartridge might be low. Replace the print cartridge.
●Maintenance might be due. Check this by printing a copy of the supplies status page (see 
Supplies status page). If maintenance is due, order and install the printer maintenance kit. 
(See the HP support flyer or go to  www.hp.com/support/lj9050_lj9040
.)
●The print cartridge might be almost empty. Replace the print cartridge.
Specks 
Specks might appear on a page after a jam has been cleared.
●Print a few more pages to see if the problem corrects itself.
●If specks occur frequently, set your printer up to automatically run a cleaning page (see 
Using the printer cleaning page).
●Clean the inside of the printer (see  General cleaning, or go to www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040) and run a manual cleaning page to clean the fuser (see  Using the printer 
cleaning page ).
●Try using a different type of paper.
●Check for print cartridge leaks. If the print cartridge is leaking, replace it.
Dropouts
●Make sure that the environmental specifications for the printer are being met (see 
Environmental specifications ).
●If the paper is rough and the toner easily rubs off, either try changing the fuser mode to High 
1 or High 2, or try using a smoother paper.
●Try using a different paper type.
Lines 
●Print a few more pages to see if the problem corrects itself.
●Clean the inside of the printer (see  Cleaning the printer, or go to www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040) and run a manual cleaning page to clean the fuser (see  Using the printer 
cleaning page ).
●Replace the print cartridge.
●Maintenance might be due. Check this by printing a copy of the supplies status page (see 
Supplies status page ). If maintenance is due, order and install the printer maintenance kit. 
(See the HP support flyer or go to  www.hp.com/support/lj9050_lj9040
.)
Gray background 
●Do not use paper that has already been run through the printer.
●Print a few more pages to see if the problem corrects itself.
●Turn over the stack of paper in the tray. Also, try rotating the paper 180°.
●At the printer control panel, use the  Print quality menu to decrease the toner density setting 
(see  System setup submenu ).
●Make sure that the environmental specifications for the printer are being met (see 
Environmental specifications ).
●Replace the print cartridge.
 
						

							130Chapter 6 Problem solving ENWW
Toner smear 
Also see Loose toner .
●Print a few more pages to see if the problem corrects itself.
●Try using a different type of paper.
●Make sure that the environmental specifications for the printer are being met (see 
Environmental specifications ).
●Clean the inside of the printer (see  Cleaning the printer, or go to www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040) and run a manual cleaning page to clean the fuser (see  Using the printer 
cleaning page ).
●Maintenance might be due. Check this by printing a copy of the supplies status page (see 
Supplies status page ). If maintenance is due, order and install the printer maintenance kit. 
(See the HP support flyer or go to  www.hp.com/support/lj9050_lj9040
.)
●Replace the print cartridge.
Loose toner
Loose toner, in this context, is defined as toner that can be rubbed off the page.
●If paper is heavy or rough, try using a high fuser mode so that toner fuses more completely 
onto the paper. At the printer control panel, use  Fuser Modes in the Print Quality  menu 
(see  Print quality submenu ).
●If you have observed a rougher texture on one side of your paper, try printing on the non-
rough side.
●Make sure that the environmental specifications for the printer are being met (see 
Environmental specifications ).
●Make sure that paper type and quality meet HP specifications (see  Paper specifications).
●Maintenance might be due. Check this by printing a copy of the supplies status page (see 
Supplies status page ). If maintenance is due, order and install the printer maintenance kit. 
(See the HP support flyer or go to  www.hp.com/support/lj9050_lj9040
.)
Repeating defects 
●Print a few more pages to see if the problem corrects itself.
●If the distance between defects is 38 mm (1.5 in) or 94 mm (3.8 in), the print cartridge might 
need to be replaced.
●Clean the inside of the printer (see  Cleaning the printer, or go to www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040) and run a manual cleaning page to clean the fuser (see  Using the printer 
cleaning page ).
●Maintenance might be due. Check this by printing a copy of the supplies status page (see 
Supplies status page ). If maintenance is due, order and install the printer maintenance kit. 
(See the HP support flyer or go to  www.hp.com/support/lj9050_lj9040
.)
Misformed characters 
●Print a few more pages to see if the problem corrects itself.
●Make sure that the environmental specifications for the printer are being met (see 
Environmental specifications).
●Maintenance might be due. Check this by printing a copy of the supplies status page (see 
Supplies status page). If maintenance is due, order and install the printer maintenance kit. 
(See the HP support flyer or go to  www.hp.com/support/lj9050_lj9040
.)
 
						

							ENWW Correcting output quality problems131
Page skew 
●Print a few more pages to see if the problem corrects itself.
●Verify that there are no torn pieces of paper inside the printer.
●Make sure that paper is loaded correctly, all adjustments have been made, and the paper is 
under the corner tabs (see Orienting media).
●Turn over the stack of paper in the tray. Also, try rotating the paper 180°.
●Make sure that paper type and quality meet HP specifications (see  Paper specifications).
●Make sure that the environmental specifications for the printer are being met (see 
Environmental specifications ).
Curl or wave 
●Turn over the stack of paper in the tray. Also, try rotating the paper 180°.
●Make sure that paper type and quality meet HP specifications (see  Paper specifications).
●Make sure that the environmental specifications for the printer are being met (see 
Environmental specifications ).
●Try printing to a different output bin.
●If media is lightweight and smooth, try using a low fuser mode to reduce the heat in the 
fusing process. At the printer control panel, use  Fuser Modes in the Print Quality  menu 
(see  Print quality submenu ).
Wrinkles or creases
●Print a few more pages to see if the problem corrects itself.
●Make sure that the environmental specifications for the printer are being met (see 
Environmental specifications ).
●Turn over the stack of paper in the tray. Also, try rotating the paper 180°.
●Make sure that paper is loaded correctly, all adjustments have been made, and the paper is 
under the corner tabs (see Orienting media).
●Make sure that paper type and quality meet HP specifications (see  Paper specifications).
●If envelopes are creasing, try storing envelopes so that they lie flat.
 
						

							132Chapter 6 Problem solving ENWW
Preventing wrinkles on envelopes
If envelopes are wrinkled when printed, first ensure that you are using supported types of 
envelopes. Then, use the following procedure to move the fuser levers to the higher position 
while printing the envelopes.
To prevent wrinkles on envelopes
1Open the left door (If an optional output device is installed, first slide it away from the printer).
WA R N I N G ! Avoid touching the adjacent fusing area. It can be HOT.
2 Locate and lift up the two blue levers.
3 Close the left door.
When finished printing the envelopes, return the fuser levers to the down position for standard 
paper types.
CAUTION Failure to return levers in the down position for standard paper types might result in poor print 
quality.
 
						

							ENWWSolving common printer issues133
Solving common printer issues
Troubleshooting checklist
●Ensure that media that is loaded into the trays is from a freshly opened ream, contains no 
defects, and is installed correctly with the paper guides adjusted.
●Verify that the product is using a dedicated  circuit and is plugged directly into the wall.
NoteFor more information about an optional HP output device, see the user guide that came with the 
device.
Situation Solution
Correct size of paper is not 
loaded. Check paper trays to be sure the correct sizes are loaded as 
configured. Also, check that guides are set correctly.
Display is blank, and 
internal fans are not 
running. Make sure that the printer power is 
on. Press all of the buttons on the 
printer control panel to see if one is  stuck; contact your HP-authorized 
service representative if this does not resolve the problem.
Messages appear in the 
display. See 
Understanding printer messages .
Paper is jammed in the 
printer. Check for paper jams (see 
Clearing jams).
Printer display is in the 
wrong language or shows 
unfamiliar characters. Reconfigure the control-panel display language. See the 
Getting 
Started Guide , or press   while simultaneously pushing the power 
switch ON. Hold   until  SELECT LANGUAGE appears, and then release 
. Use   and   to select the appropriate language. Press   
to save your selection. The control- panel display will indicate that the 
printer is ready to use. If the new language does not appear in the 
display, you might not have pressed   to save your new selection.
Printer is not working at all. Plug the AC power co rd firmly into the grounded power receptacle and 
into the printer. (Be sure the power source is energized.)
Printer is turned on, but 
internal fans are not 
running. Make sure the line voltage is correct 
for the printer power configuration. 
(See the plate next to the power receptacle on the back of your printer 
for voltage requirements.) If you ar e using a power strip and its voltage 
is not within specification, plug t he printer directly into the power 
receptacle.
Printer voltage is not 
correct. Make sure line voltage is in the co
rrect range. (See the product label 
next to the power receptacle on the back of the printer for voltage 
requirements.)
 
						

							134Chapter 6 Problem solving ENWW
Situation Solution
A page fails to print. Set 
PRINT PS ERRORS=ON, and then send the job again to print a PS 
error page. If this does not identify the problem, try turning off 
Resource Saving  and I/O Buffering  or try installing more memory 
(see  PCL or PS font list ).
A page prints with clipped 
margins. If the page margins are clipped, you might have to print the page at 
300-dpi resolution or install more memory. Also try turning off
 
Resource Saving  and I/O Buffering .
A PS error page prints.
●Make sure the print job is a PS job.
●Check to see whether your program expected you to send a setup 
or PS header file to the printer.
●Check the printer setup in your software application to make sure 
that the printer is selected.
●Check cable connections to ensure that they are secure.
●Reduce the complexity of the graphic.
●Add available memory by turning on Resource Saving.
A text listing of PS 
commands prints instead of 
your PS print job. The control-panel 
PERSONALITY=AUTO  setting might have been 
confused by a nonstandard PS code. Check the  PERSONALITY setting 
to see if it is set to  PS or  PCL . If it is set to  PCL, set it to 
PERSONALITY=AUTO . If it is set to AUTO, set it to  PS for this print job only. 
When the job has printed, return the setting to  AUTO.
Attempted to use a 
disk-resident font, but the 
printer substituted a 
different font. If you are using PCL, print the PCL Font Page, and verify that the font 
is on the disk. If you are using PS, print the PS Font Page and make 
sure that the font is on the disk. If 
the font is not on the disk, use the 
Device Storage Manager or the Macint osh-based HP LaserJet utility to 
download the font.
Auto setup did not 
automatically set up the 
printer.
●Set up the printer manually by selecting  Configure (Windows 9.X 
and NT) or  Device Settings  (Windows 2000 and XP).
●Select an alternate PPD (Macintosh). See  Using the embedded 
Web ser ver .
●The PPD might have been renamed. If so, select the renamed 
PPD (Macintosh). See  Using the embedded Web server .
●A network queue might be present.
Blank pages print.
●Turn the printer off and then on.
●Make sure the printer cartridge is installed properly.
Cannot access Tray 2 or 3, 
or optional Tray 4.  Make sure that the paper tray gui
des are adjusted correctly for the 
paper size you are using. (See  Loading input trays, or go
 to 
www.hp.com/support/lj9050_lj9040
.)
Cannot clear  MANUALLY 
FEED [TYPE] [SIZE] 
message.
●A previous print job might still be in the printer buffer.
●Make sure that optional Tray 1 has the correct paper size loaded. 
(See  Loading input trays , or go
 to www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040.)
 
						

							ENWWSolving common printer issues135
Computer software 
problem.Check that your computer is working correctly by printing from a 
program you know works, or by printing a plain text file to see if the 
problem is with your program or with your printer driver. (For example, 
C:\dir>LPTn
 where n is the number of the computer port the printer 
is connected to, for example LPT1.) To print the page, you might have 
to send a form feed command from your computer.
Control-panel settings, 
such as  RESOLUTION  or 
ORIENTATION , do not work 
or are ignored. Software commands override control-panel settings (see 
Using 
control-panel menus  for information about how your program works 
with control-panel settings).
Data from a previous print 
job is still in the printer 
buffer.
●Make sure that you are using the correct printer driver.
●A complex print job migh t still be processing.
●Make sure the printer is not paused. Make sure that  PROCESSING. 
appears on the control panel 
●Pull out the print cartridge and check for paper. Reseat the print 
cartridge.
●Open Trays 2 and 3. Make sure that the appropriate paper is 
inserted. (See  Loading input trays , or go
 to www.hp.com/
support/lj9050_lj9040.) Close the trays.
Data is missing, but there 
are no printer messages. 
●Check your software program to be sure the print file contains no 
errors.
●Check your cable to make sure it is securely connected to both the 
printer and the computer.
●Your parallel printer cable might be defective. Use a high-quality 
cable. (See the HP support flyer, or go
 to  www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040 for an HP cable part number.)
●Check your network connection.
Data light is flashing, but 
nothing prints.
●Make sure that you are using the correct printer driver.
●A complex print job migh t still be processing.
●Make sure the printer is not paused. Make sure that  PROCESSING 
appears on the control-panel display.
●Pull out the print cartridge and check for paper. Reseat the print 
cartridge.
●Open Trays 2 and 3. Make sure that the appropriate paper is 
loaded. (See  Loading input trays , or go
 to www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040.) Close the trays.
Driver might not be set up 
to print on both sides of the 
paper. Make sure that the option to print on both sides of the paper is properly 
configured in the driver.
Duplex printing accessory 
jams. Make sure that you are using the supported paper weights and sizes. 
(See 
Paper specifications , or go
 to www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040.)
Situation Solution
 
						

							136Chapter 6 Problem solving ENWW
First page takes much 
longer to print than 
following pages.●Make sure that the printer control panel shows READY.
●Set the Sleep feature for a longer time period (see  Configuration 
page ). If a page takes longer to print due to complex formatting 
commands, changing the  Sleep setting might not improve print 
speed. You might want to simplify the page.
Garbled pages print, there 
are overprints, or only a 
portion of a page prints. 
●Make sure that your program is configured for the correct printer.
●Replace the printer interface (I/O)  cable with a cable that you know 
works to see if the cable is defective.
●Your parallel printer cable might be defective. Use a high-quality 
cable. (See the HP support flyer, or go
 to  www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040 for an HP cable part number.)
●Set the  PERSONALITY  item in the System Setup  submenu of the 
Configure Device  menu to AUTO (see PERSONALITY=AUTO ). The 
printer might have been set to PCL, and a PS job was sent to the 
printer, or vice versa.
●Data sent to the printer might be corrupt. Try sending another file 
to see if it prints.
General repeated stapler 
jam problems. 
●Check to see that the job to be stapled is less than 5 mm (0.1 inch) 
thick.
●Stapler might have some trapped  staple wires that are obstructing 
the magazine. Remove loose staples and paper dust from the 
inside of the stapler (see To clear a staple jam from the optional 
stacker/stapler ).
Job has incorrect fonts.
●If you are printing an .EPS file,  try downloading the fonts contained 
in the .EPS file to the  printer before printing.  Use the HP LaserJet 
Utility (see  Software for Macintosh computers ).
●If the document is not printing with New York, Geneva, or Monaco 
fonts, go into the Page Setup dialog box, and select  Options to 
deselect substituted fonts.
Job is not sent to the 
correct printer. Another printer with the same or similar name might have received the 
print job. Make sure that the prin
ter name matches the name selected 
in the  Chooser  (see Using the embedded Web server ).
Job prints in Courier (the 
printer default font) instead 
of the font you requested.
●The requested typeface is not avai lable in the printer or is not 
present on the disk. Use a font download utility to download the 
desired font.
●Fonts downloaded to memory are lost when the printer is turned 
off. They are also lost if Resource Saving is not used, and a 
personality switch is performed to print a PCL job. Disk fonts are 
not affected by PCL jobs or by turning the printer off.
●Print a PS Font Page to verify that the font is available. If a disk font 
appears to be missing, it might be because a software utility was 
used to delete the font, because the disk was re-initialized, or 
because the disk drive is not installed correctly. Print a 
configuration page to verify that the disk drive is installed and is 
functioning correctly.
●Print a Disk Directory to help identify available fonts.
Situation Solution
 
						

							ENWWSolving common printer issues137
Job prints on the wrong 
side of the paper.●Make sure you have loaded the paper correctly. (See  Loading 
input trays , or go
 to www.hp.com/support/lj9050_lj9040.)
●If you are printing one-sided copies, load paper into optional Tray 1 
with the side to be printed facing up. Load paper in Trays 2, 3, and 
optional Tray 4 with the side to be printed facing down.
●If you are printing two-sided copies, load paper into optional Tray 1 
with the first side to be printed facing down. Load paper in Trays 2, 
3, and optional Tray 4 with the first side to be printed facing up.
Job was not duplexed.
●Print a configuration page to ensure that the duplex printing 
accessory is installed properly (see  Configuration page).
●Make sure the duplex printing accessory has been configured in 
the printer driver.
●Make sure that the software is not overriding the printer driver 
setting.
Job was not stapled.  Jobs sent  to the stapler might not be stapled for one or more of the 
following reasons:
●One-page jobs will not be stapled.
●The stapler is out of staples and  AUTO CONTINUE is set to ON.
●The wrong size or type of  paper was used for the job.
●More than 50 pages were sent to the stapler, exceeding its 
capacity.
●The stapler has bent or broken staples in the stapler head.
●A staple jam was recently cleared (up to two sequential jobs might 
not be stapled).
●The job was sent to a bin other  than the stapler bin because the 
wrong size or type of paper was used for the job.
●The interface cable to the stapler unit might be defective or not 
connected properly.
Job went to a different 
location than was expected. The wrong size or type of paper was used for the job. (See 
Configuring 
the trays by using the Paper Handling menu , or go
 to www.hp.com/
support/lj9050_lj9040.)
Last page did not print and 
the Data light is on. 
●Make sure that you are using the correct printer driver.
●Complex print job might still be processing.
●Printer might be waiting for the end of a file that did not come with 
the job. Press   to send it.
●Make sure the printer is not paused. Make sure that  PROCESSING 
appears on the control-panel display.
●Pull out the print cartridge and check for paper. Reseat the print 
cartridge.
●Open Trays 2 and 3. Make sure that the appropriate paper is 
loaded. (See  Loading input trays , or go
 to www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040.) Close the trays.
Network or shared printer 
problems. Check for network or shared printer problems by connecting your 
computer directly to the printer and printing from a program that you 
know works. If you suspect network problems, check with your network 
administrator or consult the netw
ork documentation that came with 
your printer network cards.
Situation Solution
 
						

							138Chapter 6 Problem solving ENWW
Optional Tray 4 will not 
work.The power cord is not firmly plugged in to both the printer and the 
power receptacle. Remove and reconnect the power cord.
Paper is loaded into 
optional Tray 1, and a load 
or manual feed message 
appears on the control-
panel display.  Load the correct paper in the tray. (See 
Loading input trays, or go to
 
www.hp.com/support/lj9050_lj9040
.) If the correct paper is already 
loaded, press  .
Paper is not going to the 
correct output location.
●Verify that the correct output bin is selected in the printer driver. 
For more information about changing printer driver settings, see 
the online help.
●The paper does not meet the specif ications for the output bin. (See 
Selecting an output location , or go
 to www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040.)
Paper jams and paper-
feeding problems.
●See  To clear jams in Trays 2 and 3  or To clear jams in optional 
Tr a y  4 .
●Ensure that paper specifications are within recommended range. 
(See Paper specifications , or go
 to www.hp.com/support/
lj9050_lj9040.)
●Make sure the paper guides are adjusted properly and are not 
skewed. (See  Loading input trays , or go
 to www.hp.com/
support/lj9050_lj9040.)
●Perform preventive maintenance if requested by the printer.
Printer does not recognize 
the duplex printing 
accessory.
●Print a configuration page to ensure that the duplex printing 
accessory is installed properly (see  Configuration page).
●Turn the printer off. Remove and reinstall the unit. Turn the printer 
on.
●Make sure that the duplex printing accessory has been configured 
in the printer driver.
Printer does not recognize 
the hard disk.  Turn the printer off and verify that the hard disk is inserted correctly 
and is securely fastened.
Printer does not recognize 
optional Tray 4.
●Make sure you selected optional Tray 4 in the printer driver (see 
Printer software ).
●Turn the printer off and then on.
●Make sure the power cord is plugged into optional Tray 4.
●If the printer still does not recogn ize optional Tray 4, contact your 
dealer or authorized HP service provider.
Printer does not recognize 
stapler. Check the cable to the stapler. Make sure it is properly connected at 
both ends.
Situation Solution