HP Officejet K7100 User Manual

General troubleshooting tips
Ensure the following:
●Power light is on and not blinking. When the printer is first turned on, it takes approximately 45
seconds to warm up.
●Make sure the printer is in the Ready state. If lights are on or blinking, see 
Printer lights
reference on page 104.
●No error messages appear on the computer screen.
●Power cord and other cables are working and firmly connected to the printer. Make sure the
printer is connected firmly to a functioning alternating current (AC) power...

Printing a demo page
Printing a demo page without being connected to a computer verifies whether the printer is set up
correctly.
1.Make sure the printer is turned on.
2.Press and hold the Resume button for a few seconds.
The printer prints a demo page.
NOTE:If the Toolbox is installed, you can print the demo page from the Printer Services tab.
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Printing a diagnostics page
This page is useful to HP Technical Support if you have a printer problem.
1.Make sure the printer is turned on.
2.Press and hold the Power button, press the Resume button four times, and then release the
Power button.
The printer prints a diagnostic page.
NOTE:You can also print a diagnostics page from the printer driver. Right-click the printer icon.
Select Printing Preferences. On the Services tab, click Print Configuration Page.
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Resolving printing problems
Printer shuts down unexpectedly
Check power and power connections
Make sure the printer is connected firmly to a functioning alternating current (AC) power outlet. See
Printer specifications and Declaration of Conformity on page 119 for voltage requirements.
Check printer vents
The printer vents are located on the sides of the printer. If the vents are covered and the printer
overheats, the printer automatically turns off. Make sure the vents are not covered and the printer...

Check printer setup for network environment
Ensure the correct printer driver and printer driver port are being used. For more information about
network connections, see 
Configuring the printer (Windows) on page 9, Configuring the printer
(Mac OS) on page 12, or the documentation provided by your network vendors.
Check any personal firewall software installed on the computer
The personal software firewall is a security program that protects a computer from intrusion.
However, the firewall might block...

The printer is rejecting the pen
Poor contact between the print cartridges and print cartridge cradles may cause the pen to be
rejected. When this occurs, try cleaning the electrical contacts on the print cartridges and print
cartridge cradles:
1.Remove the print cartridge from the printer (see 
Inserting the print cartridges on page 20).
2.Clean the electrical contacts on the print cartridge cradle with a dry cotton swab.
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3.Carefully clean the electrical contacts on the print cartridge with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.
CAUTION:To prevent damage to the electrical contacts, you should wipe the contacts only
once. Do not wipe the ink nozzles on the print cartridge.
4.Reinstall the print cartridge.
Printer takes a long time to print
Check the system configuration
Make sure the computer meets the minimum system requirements for the printer. See Printer
specifications and Declaration of Conformity on page 119.
Verify the...

Blank page printed
Check for empty print cartridges
If you are printing text and a blank page prints, the print cartridges might be empty. See Inserting the
print cartridges on page 20.
If the Toolbox is installed, check the ink levels of the print cartridges from the Printer Status tab.
You may be printing in Ink-backup Printing Mode. The printer enters Ink-backup Printing Mode
when one of the print cartridges is empty or removed. Replace the missing print cartridge with a new
one.
The protective tape...

Check the print location and length of USB cable
High electromagnetic fields (such as those generated by USB cables) can sometimes slightly distort
printouts. Move the printer 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.
Placement of the text or graphics is wrong
Check how the media is loaded
Make sure the media width and length guides fit snugly...

Poor print quality and unexpected printouts
This section provides solutions to print quality problems.
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Poor quality printouts
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Meaningless characters print
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Ink is smearing
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Ink is not filling the text or graphics completely
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The print settings may need to be changed
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Output is faded or dull colored
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Colors are printed as black and white
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Wrong colors are printing
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Printout shows bleeding colors
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Colors do not line up properly
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Lines or dots are missing from text or graphics
Poor quality...