HP Officejet 4500 User Manual

							There is a blank page in the file
Check the file to make sure there is no blank page.
Something on the page is missing or incorrect
Check the margin settings
Make sure the margin settings for the document do not exceed the printable area of the
device. For more information, see 
Set minimum margins.
Check the color print settings
Make sure Print in Grayscale is not selected in the print driver.
Check the device location and length of USB cable
High electromagnetic fields (such as those generated by USB cables) can sometimes
cause slight distortions to printouts. Move the device away from the source of the
electromagnetic fields. Also, it is recommended that you use a USB cable that is less than
3 meters (9.8 feet) long to minimize the effects of these electromagnetic fields.
Check the ink cartridges
Make sure the correct ink cartridges are installed and the ink cartridges are not low on
ink. For more information, see 
Device management tools and Handle the ink cartridges.
Placement of the text or graphics is wrong
Check how the media is loaded
Make sure the media width and length guides fit snugly against the edges of the stack of
media, and make sure the tray is not overloaded. For more information, see 
Load
media.
Check the media size
• Content on a page might be cut off if the document size is larger than the media that
you are using.
• Make sure the media size selected in the printer driver match the size of media loaded
in the tray.
Check the margin settings
If the text or graphics are cut off at the edges of the page, make sure the margin settings
for the document do not exceed the printable area of your device. For more information,
see 
Set minimum margins.
Check the page-orientation setting
Make sure the media size and page orientation selected in the application match the
settings in the printer driver. For more information, see 
Print.
Check the device location and length of USB cable
High electromagnetic fields (such as those generated by USB cables) can sometimes
cause slight distortions to printouts. Move the device away from the source of the
Solve printing problems 77
 
						

							electromagnetic fields. Also, it is recommended that you use a USB cable that is less than
3 meters (9.8 feet) long to minimize the effects of these electromagnetic fields.
If the above solutions do not work, the problem may be caused by the inability of the
application to interpret print settings properly. See the release notes for known software
conflicts, refer to the applications documentation, or contact the software manufacturer
for specific help.
The device prints half a page, then ejects the paper
Check the ink cartridges
Make sure the correct ink cartridges are installed and the ink cartridges are not low on
ink. For more information, see 
Device management tools and Check the estimated ink
levels.
HP cannot guarantee the quality of non-HP ink cartridges.
Poor print quality and unexpected printouts
If the quality of the printout is not as expected, try the following solutions to resolve the
problem. Solutions are listed in order, with the most likely solution first. If the first solution
does not solve the problem, continue trying the remaining solutions until the issue is
resolved.
This section contains the following topics:
•
Solution 1: Use genuine HP cartridges
•
Solution 2: Check the paper
•
Solution 3: Wait a short period of time (if possible)
•
Solution 4: Check the print settings
•
Solution 5: Check estimated ink levels and replace low or empty ink cartridges
•
Solution 6: Print and evaluate a diagnostic report and troubleshoot defects
•
Solution 7: Clean the ink cartridges
•
Solution 8: Align the ink cartridges
•
Solution 9: Replace the problem ink cartridge
•
Solution 10: Service the product
Solution 1: Use genuine HP cartridges
HP recommends that you use genuine HP cartridges. Genuine HP cartridges are
designed and tested with HP printers to help you easily produce great results, time after
time. HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP supplies. Product service
or repairs required as a result of using a non-HP ink supply will not be covered under
warranty. HP recommends that you make sure that you are using genuine HP cartridges
before continuing.
Solution 2: Check the paper
If you see vertical streaks on your printed documents, the paper or print media might not
have been handled or stored properly. Do not replace cartridges to fix vertical streaks.
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							The images below show the difference between vertical and horizontal streaking.
Horizontal StreaksVertical streaks
NOTE:Streaks on a copied document commonly appear when the scanner glass
or the plastic strip in the automatic document feeder (ADF) is dirty. For information
about cleaning the scanner glass and plastic strip in the ADF, see 
Clean the scanner
glass and To clean the plastic strip inside the automatic document feeder,
respectively.
Use paper or other print media that is appropriate for the print job, and make sure that
you handle and store it properly:
• Load the paper print-side down in the input tray. (Many papers have printing and
nonprinting sides.)
• Make sure that the paper is not wrinkled or curled. Load only clean, wrinkle-free paper
into the product.
• Plain paper is fine for text documents. For photos, HP Advanced Photo paper is the
best choice.
• Try using a different paper. Paper that does not accept ink well is also prone to print
defects. HP ink and paper are designed to work together.
• Store photo paper in its original packaging and inside a resealable plastic bag. Store
the paper on a flat surface and in a cool, dry place. Load photo paper only when you
are ready to print, and then put the unused paper back in the packaging.
For more information about selecting paper, see 
Select print media. For more information
about loading paper, see 
Load media.
After trying the preceding guidelines, try printing again.
If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.
Solution 3: Wait a short period of time (if possible)
A short period of printer inactivity can clear up some problems. If possible, let the printer
sit idle for 40 minutes, and then try printing again.
If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.
Solution 4: Check the print settings
Follow these steps to check the print settings to make sure that they are appropriate for
your print job.
Poor print quality and unexpected printouts 79
 
						

							Step 1: Check the print quality settings
The print quality settings in the product software might not be optimized for the type of
document you are printing. Follow these steps to check these settings.
If the issue persists, continue to the next solution 
Step 2: Check the Print in Grayscale
setting.
Windows
1.In the software program from which you want to print, click the File menu, click
Print, and then click Setup, Properties, or Preferences.
(Specific options might vary depending on the application that you are using.)
2.On the Features tab, review the following options, and then make any necessary
changes.
•Print quality: If you are not satisfied with the quality of your printouts, increase
the print quality. To print more quickly, decrease the print quality.
•Paper type: If one of the options matches your paper type exactly, choose the
matching option rather than Automatic.
•Resizing Options: Make sure the selected option matches your paper size.
Mac OS X
1.From the File menu in your software application, choose Print.
2.Choose Paper Type/Quality from the pop-up menu (located below the Orientation
setting in Mac OS X v10.5), review the following options, and then make any
necessary changes.
•Paper Type: If one of the options matches your paper type exactly, choose the
matching option.
•Quality: you are not satisfied with the quality of your printouts, increase the print
quality. To print more quickly, decrease the print quality.
3.Choose Paper Handling from the pop-up menu, review the following options, and
then make any necessary changes.
Destination Paper Size: Make sure the selected option matches your paper size.
Step 2: Check the Print in Grayscale setting
The product software might be set to print in grayscale. Follow these steps to check this
setting.
If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.
Windows
1.In the software program from which you want to print, click the File menu, click
Print, and then click Setup, Properties, or Preferences.
(Specific options might vary depending on the application that you are using.)
2.Click the Color  tab.
3.Make sure Print in Grayscale is not selected.
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							Mac OS X
1.From the File menu in your software application, choose Print.
2.Choose Paper Type/Quality from the pop-up menu (located below the Orientation
setting in Mac OS X v10.5).
3.In the Color Options area, make sure the Color setting is not set to Grayscale.
Solution 5: Check estimated ink levels and replace low or empty ink cartridges
Follow these steps to check the estimated ink levels on your product, and then replace
low cartridges according to the results.
For more information about checking ink levels, see 
Check the estimated ink levels.
• If the ink-level graphic shows low cartridges, and you are not satisfied with the
quality of your prints, replace the cartridges now. For more information about
replacing cartridges, see 
Replace the ink cartridges.
• If the ink-level graphic shows cartridges that are not low, you do not need to
replace the cartridges yet. Continue to the next solution.
Solution 6: Print and evaluate a diagnostic report and troubleshoot defects
1.To help diagnose the print quality problems, follow the instructions for your particular
model to print a diagnostic report.
• If your product does not support wireless communication, see 
Print Quality
Diagnostic Report.
• If your product supports wireless communication, see 
Self-Test Report.
2.After evaluating the report, if you see no defects on the diagnostic report, the print
mechanism and ink supplies are working correctly. If prints are still unsatisfactory,
check the following:
• Make sure the image file has sufficient resolution. Images that have been
enlarged too much might appear fuzzy or blurry.
• If the problem seems confined to a band near the edge of a print, the problem
might not appear on the other end of the print. Try using a program on your
computer to rotate the document or image 180 degrees.
• If the issue persists, visit the HP online support Web site at 
www.hp.com/
support for further troubleshooting information.
NOTE:Stop troubleshooting here. Do not continue with the steps below if the
page shows no defects.
3.If you see one or more defects on the diagnostic report, continue to the next
solution.
Poor print quality and unexpected printouts 81
 
						

							Print Quality Diagnostic Report
1.Load regular, white, letter-size or A4 paper
2.On the product control panel, press 
 (Setup), select Print Report, select Print
Quality, and then press OK.
3.Evaluate the Print Quality Diagnostic Report:
aInk level
bColor bars
cLarge-font text
dAlignment pattern
a.Ink level: Look at the Ink level boxes to double-check cartridge ink levels. If a
box is completely white, you might need to replace that ink cartridge.
Example Ink Level - Black is low - replace. Tri-color  is OK.
 
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b.Color bars: Look at the color bars in the middle of the page. You should see
seven color bars. These bars should have sharp edges, should be solid (not
streaked with white or other colors), and should be uniform in color throughout.
Example of Good Color Bars: All bars are solid, sharp-edged, and extend with uniform
color across the entire page. The printer is operating correctly.
•The top black bar is printed by the Black Ink Cartridge
•The colored bars are printed by the Tri-color Ink Cartridge
 
Ragged or irregularly streaked or faded bars
Example of Bad Color Bars: The top bar is irregularly streaked or fading.
Example of Bad Color Bars: The top bar is ragged on one end.
Poor print quality and unexpected printouts 83
 
						

							To prevent problems causing ragged bars on the PQ Diagnostic Report, try the
following solutions:
• Avoid leaving un-taped ink cartridges outside of the printer for an extended
period of time. For more information about handling ink cartridges, see 
Handle
the ink cartridges.
•
Always turn off the product using the 
 (Power) button, which prevents air
from getting into the cartridges. For more information about turning off the
product, see 
Turn off the device.
 
Regular white streaks in the bars
Example of bad color bars: The blue bar has regular white streaks.
 
Bar colors are not uniform
Example of Bad Color Bars: The yellow bar is streaked with another color.
c.Large-font text: Look at the large-font text above the color blocks. The type
should be sharp and clear.
Example of good large-font text
The letters are sharp and clear - the printer is operating correctly.
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							Examples of bad large-font text
The letters are jagged.
The letters are smeared.
The letters are ragged on one end.
d.Alignment pattern: If the color bars and large-font text look OK and the ink
cartridges are not empty, look at the alignment pattern directly above the color
bars.
Example of a good alignment pattern.
The lines are straight.
Example of a bad alignment pattern
Poor print quality and unexpected printouts 85
 
						

							The lines are jagged.
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86 Solve a problem