HP Officejet K7100 User Manual

							Check the type of media loaded in the printer
●Make sure the tray supports the type of media you have loaded. See Understanding
specifications for supported media on page 27.
●Make sure you have selected the tray in the printer driver that contains the media you want to
use. See 
Changing print settings on page 39.
Check rollers in the printer
The rollers in the printer might be dirty, causing lines or smudges to appear on your printout. Turn off
the printer, disconnect the power cord, clean the rollers in the printer with isopropyl alcohol on a lint-
free cloth, and try to print again.
Check the printer 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.
Meaningless characters print
If an interruption occurs to a job that is printing, the printer might not recognize the rest of the job.
Cancel the print job and wait for the printer to return to the ready state. If the printer does not return
to the ready state, cancel all jobs, and wait again. When the printer is ready, resend the job. If
prompted by the computer to retry the job, click Cancel.
Check the cable connections
Make sure the USB or parallel cable connections at both ends are secure. If the problem persists,
turn off the printer, disconnect the cable from the printer, turn on the printer without connecting the
cable, and delete any remaining jobs from the print spooler. When the Power light is on and not
flashing, reconnect the cable.
Check the document file
The document file may be damaged. If you can print other documents from the same application, try
printing a backup copy of your document, if available.
Ink is smearing
Check print settings
●When you print documents that use much ink, allow more time to dry before handling the
printouts. This is especially true for transparencies. In the printer driver, select the Best print
quality.
●Color documents that have rich, blended colors can wrinkle or smear when printed using the
Best print quality. Try using the other print mode such as Draft to reduce ink, or use
HP Premium Paper designed for printing vivid color documents. See 
Changing print settings
on page 39.
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							Check the media type
Some types of media do not accept ink well. Ink will dry more slowly and smearing may occur. See
Selecting print media on page 27.
Check the margin settings
●If you are using a computer running Windows, make sure the Minimize Margins option is not
selected. See 
Changing print settings on page 39.
NOTE:You can also access this feature from the Printing Shortcuts tab. Open the printer
driver, select the Printing Shortcuts tab, and select the feature from the What do you want to
do? drop-down list.
●Increase the margins in your document. For more information, see the documentation included
with your software application.
Ink is not filling the text or graphics completely
The printer may be 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 (see 
Inserting the print cartridges on page 20).
Verify the ink levels of the print cartridges
One of the print cartridges may be low on ink. To view the ink levels, print a diagnostics page (see
Printing a diagnostics page on page 83). If the Toolbox is installed, you can find ink-level information
by clicking the Printer Status tab. If the print cartridge is low on ink, replace it (see 
Inserting the print
cartridges on page 20).
The print cartridges may need to be cleaned
Perform the auto-clean procedure (see Cleaning the print cartridges on page 22).
Check the media type
Some types of media do not accept ink well. Ink will dry more slowly and smearing may occur. See
Selecting print media on page 27.
The print settings may need to be changed
Increase the print settings to a higher quality mode (for example, Draft to Normal, or Normal to
Best).
Output is faded or dull colored
Check the print mode
The FastNormal and Draft modes in the printer driver allow you to print at a faster rate. They are
good for printing drafts. To get better results, select Normal or Best. See 
Changing print settings
on page 39.
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							You may not be using the best print cartridge for the project
For best results, use the HP Photo or HP Gray Photo print cartridges to print color or black and white
photos, and use the HP black print cartridge to print text documents.
Check the paper type setting
When printing on transparencies or other special media, select the corresponding media type in the
printer driver. See 
Printing on custom-sized paper on page 54.
Check the print cartridges
If lines in the text or image are broken or do not print properly, one or more of the ink cartridges may
have run out of ink or are defective. Print a diagnostics page to review the performance of the print
cartridges (see 
Printing a diagnostics page on page 83). If necessary, clean the print cartridges (see
Cleaning the print cartridges on page 22), or replace the cartridges with new ones (see Inserting the
print cartridges on page 20).
Colors are printed as black and white
Check the print settings
Make sure Print in Grayscale is not selected in the printer driver.
The printer is printing in Ink-backup Printing Mode
If the printer is printing in Ink-backup Printing Mode using a photo, black, or gray photo cartridge,
colors will print as black and white. Verify that the correct print cartridges are installed.
Wrong colors are printing
Check the print settings
Make sure Print in Grayscale is not selected in the printer driver.
Check the print cartridges
Whenever print quality noticeably decreases, you may need to clean the print cartridge. See Using
the print cartridges on page 19.
If a print cartridge is out of ink, the wrong color may print. See 
Inserting the print cartridges on page 20.
Printout shows bleeding colors
Check the print settings
Some media type settings (such as Transparency Films and Photo Papers) and print quality settings
(such as Best) require more ink than others. Choose different print settings in the printer driver,
making sure you select the correct media type. See 
Changing print settings on page 39.
Check the print cartridges
Make sure that the print cartridges have not been tampered with. Refilling processes and the use of
incompatible inks can disrupt the intricate printing system and result in reduced print quality and
ENWW Poor print quality and unexpected printouts 93
 
						

							damage to the printer. HP does not guarantee or support refilled print cartridges. For ordering
information, see 
HP supplies and accessories on page 109.
Colors do not line up properly
Check the print cartridges
The print cartridges are automatically aligned when a cartridge is replaced. However, you might
notice improvement in the print quality by performing the alignment procedure yourself. See 
Using
the print cartridges on page 19.
Check the graphics placement
Use the zoom or print preview feature of your software to check for gaps in the placement of
graphics on the page.
Lines or dots are missing from text or graphics
The printer may be 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 (see 
Inserting the print cartridges on page 20).
Verify the ink levels of the print cartridges
One of the print cartridges may be low on ink. To view the ink levels, print a diagnostics page (see
Printing a diagnostics page on page 83). For Windows, if the Toolbox is installed, you can find ink-
level information by clicking the Printer Status tab. If the print cartridge is low on ink, replace it (see
Inserting the print cartridges on page 20).
The print cartridges may need to be cleaned
Perform the auto-clean procedure (see Cleaning the print cartridges on page 22).
Check the print cartridge contact pads
The print cartridge contact pads might need cleaning. See Using the print cartridges on page 19.
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							Resolving paper-feed problems
This section provides solutions to common paper-feed problems.
●
Another paper feed problem is occurring
For information on resolving jams, see 
Clearing jams on page 97.
Another paper feed problem is occurring
Media is not supported for the printer or tray
Use only media that is supported for the printer and the tray being used. See Understanding
specifications for supported media on page 27.
Media is not picked up from input tray
●Make sure the media guides are set to the correct markings in the trays for the media size you
are loading. Also make sure the guides are snug, but not tight, against the stack.
●Make sure media in the tray is not curled. Uncurl paper by bending it in the opposite direction of
the curl.
●Make sure the tray is inserted properly.
Media is not coming out correctly
●Make sure the output tray extension is extended, otherwise, printed pages may fall off the printer.
●Remove excess media from the output tray. There is a limit to the number of sheets the tray can
hold.
●If the duplex unit is not installed properly during a duplex job, media may exit through the rear of
the printer. Reinstall the duplex unit or close its cover.
Pages are skewing
Make sure that media loaded in the input tray is aligned to the right and front guides.
Multiple pages are being picked up
●Make sure the media guides are set to the correct markings in the trays for the media size you
are loading. Also make sure the guides are snug, but not tight, against the stack.
●Make sure that the tray is not overloaded with paper.
●When you load paper, avoid fanning the stack. Fanning paper can cause static electricity to
build up and intensify multiple-pick problems.
●When reinserting a tray into the printer, do so gently. Forceful insertion with a full stack of paper
may cause sheets to slide up within the printer, causing the printer to jam or pick multiple sheets
at one time.
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							Troubleshooting installation issues
This section provides solutions to common installation problems.
●
Problems printing an alignment page
●
Problems installing software
Problems printing an alignment page
When print cartridges are installed or replaced, the printer automatically prints an alignment page to
align the cartridges. This process takes about seven minutes, and once complete, the alignment
page may be discarded after it is printed. If the printer does not print the page, see 
Troubleshooting
tips and resources on page 80.
Problems installing software
Verify the computer requirements
Make sure the computer meets the system requirements. See Printer specifications and Declaration
of Conformity on page 119.
Verify installation preliminaries
●Before installing software on a Windows computer, ensure all other programs are closed.
●If the computer does not recognize the path to the CD drive that you type, ensure you are
specifying the correct drive letter.
●If the computer cannot recognize the Starter CD in the CD drive, inspect the CD for damage.
You can download the printer driver from 
http://www.hp.com/support.
Reinstall the printer software
If you are using Windows and the computer cannot detect the printer, run the Scrubber utility (located
in the Utils\Scrubber folder on the Starter CD) to perform a clean printer driver uninstallation. Restart
your computer, and re-install the printer driver. See 
Uninstalling the printer software on page 14.
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							Clearing jams
Use the following methods to locate and clear a paper jam. For information on how to avoid jams,
see 
Tips for avoiding paper jams on page 99.
NOTE:To prevent jammed paper from tearing off inside the printer, try to grasp jammed paper with
both hands and exert even pressure on both sides while pulling the paper towards you.
WARNING!Be sure to turn off the printer and unplug it before performing this procedure. Clearing
a paper jam while printer parts are moving could cause injury.
1.Turn off the printer and then unplug it.
2.Remove the rear access panel, pull out any jammed paper, and then reinsert the rear access
panel.
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							3.Remove the rear cover from the duplex unit (if installed), remove any paper, and replace the
rear cover. If the paper jam is not visible by removing the rear cover, remove the duplex unit to
locate the jam.
4.Lift up the output tray and remove any jammed paper from the input tray.
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							5.Open the top cover. The print cartridge carriage should return to the right side of the printer. If
the carriage does not return to the right side, turn off the printer, and then move the carriage to
the right. Pull any jammed paper towards you.
CAUTION:Do not reach into the printer when the printer is on and the print cartridge carriage
is stuck.
After you clear the jam, close all covers, turn on the printer (if you turned it off), and press the
Resume button. The printer will continue the print job on the next page. You will need to resend
any pages that were jammed in the printer.
Tips for avoiding paper jams
●Make sure nothing blocks the paper path.
●Do not use media that is damaged, curled, or wrinkled. It is recommended not to use paper with
cutouts or perforations or paper that is heavily textured or embossed.
●To ensure that media feeds properly, load only one type of media at a time in the input tray or
the manual feed slots.
●Make sure media is loaded correctly. See 
Loading media in the input tray on page 36.
●For the input tray, load the media print-side down with the right edge of the media aligned
against the right edge of the tray or slot. Make sure the paper width guide and tray extension fit
against the edges of the media. For the rear manual feed slot, load the media print-side up.
●Do not load more than 150 sheets of paper, or 15 envelopes, or a stack of media that exceeds
the height of the paper width guide into the input tray. Load only one sheet of paper at a time
into the rear manual feed slot.
●Always use media that conforms with the types, sizes, and weights listed in 
Selecting print
media on page 27. This section also lists tips and guidelines on recommended media.
ENWWClearing jams 99
 
						

							Resolving photo printing problems
Also see Poor print quality and unexpected printouts on page 90 for additional troubleshooting
information.
●Make sure you are printing on the correct side of the media
◦Load media print-side down in the input tray.
◦Load media print-side up in the rear manual feed slot.
●Check the print settings
1.Open the printer driver (see 
Printing a document on page 49).
2.On the Features tab (Windows) or the Paper Type/Quality panel (Macintosh), check the
following settings:
●Select the appropriate photo paper type.
●Select the highest resolution option such as Best or Maximum dpi on the print quality drop-
down list.
●Colors are tinted or incorrect
If colors in photographs appear tinted or incorrect, follow these steps:
1.Reprint the photograph.
2.If colors are still tinted or incorrect, try the following steps:
●Windows: Open the printer driver (see 
Printing a document on page 49), click the Color
tab, and then click More color options.
●Macintosh: Click File and click Print. Open the Paper Type/Quality panel and click the
Color Options tab.
3.Adjust the color tone sliders: If the colors are too yellow, move the color tone slider towards
Cooler. If the colors are too blue, move the color tone slider towards Warmer.
4.Reprint the photograph.
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