HP Officejet Pro 8500A User Manual

							
Check the printheads
Print the print quality diagnostic page on a clean sheet of white paper. Evaluate any
problem areas, and perform the recommended actions. For more information, see
Printheadmaintenance.
Output is faded or dull colored
Check the print mode
TheDraft  or Fast  mode in the printer driver allows you to print at a faster rate, which is
good for printing drafts. To get better results, select  Normal or Best . For more
information, see 
Print.
Check the paper type setting
When printing on transparencies or other special media, select the corresponding
media type in the printer driver. For more information, see 
Printonspecialandcustom-
sizepaper.
Colors are printing as black and white
Check the print settings
Make sure  Print in Grayscale  is not selected in the printer driver. Open the HP
software included with the printer, click the  Advanced tab, and then select  Off from
the Print in Grayscale  drop-down menu.
Wrong colors are printing
Check the print settings
Make sure Print in Grayscale  is not selected in the printer driver. Open the HP
software included with the printer, click the  Advanced tab, and then select  Off from
the Print in Grayscale  drop-down menu.
Check the printheads
Print the print quality diagnostic page on a clean sheet of white paper. Evaluate any
problem areas, and perform the recommended actions. For more information, see
Printheadmaintenance.
Check the print cartridges.
HP cannot guarantee the quality of refilled, remanufactured, or non-HP ink cartridges.
Printout shows bleeding colors
Check the ink cartridges
Make sure you are using genuine HP ink. HP cannot guarantee the quality of refilled,
remanufactured, or non-HP ink cartridges. For ordering information, see 
Supplies.
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Check the printheads
Print the print quality diagnostic page on a clean sheet of white paper. Evaluate any
problem areas, and perform the recommended actions. For more information, see
Printheadmaintenance.
The printout has a horizontal band of distortion near the bottom of a borderless
print
Check the paper type
HP recommends that you use HP papers or any other paper type that is appropriate
for the printer. Always make sure the paper you are printing on is flat. Uncurl paper by
bending it in the opposite direction of the curl. For best results when printing images,
use HP Advanced Photo Paper. Store photo media in its original packaging inside
a resealable plastic bag on a flat surface, in a cool place. When you are ready to print,
remove only the paper you plan to use immediately. When you have finished printing,
return any unused photo paper to the original package and reseal the bag. This
prevents the photo paper from curling. For more information, see 
Mediaspecifications.
Use a higher print quality setting
Check the print quality setting and make sure it is not set too low. Print the image with
a high print quality setting, such as  Best or Maximum  dpi.
Rotate the image
• If the problem persists, use the HP software provided with the printer or another software application to rotate your image 180 degrees so that the light blue, gray,
or brown hues in your image do not print at the bottom of the page. The defect is
more noticeable in areas of uniform light colors, so rotating the image may help.
• There could be a problem with the printhead. Clean the printhead. For more information, see 
Tocleantheprintheads.
Colors do not line up correctly
Check the printheads
Print the print quality diagnostic page on a clean sheet of white paper. Evaluate any
problem areas, and perform the recommended actions. For more information, see
Printheadmaintenance.
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.
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Text or graphics are streaked 
Check the printheads
Print the print quality diagnostic page on a clean sheet of white paper. Evaluate any
problem areas, and perform the recommended actions. For more information, see
Printheadmaintenance.
Something on the page is missing or incorrect
Check the printheads
Print the print quality diagnostic page on a clean sheet of white paper. Evaluate any
problem areas, and perform the recommended actions. For more information, see
Printheadmaintenance.
Check the margin settings
Make sure the margin settings for the document do not exceed the printable area of
the printer. For more information, see 
Setminimummargins.
Check the color print settings
Make sure  Print in Grayscale  is not selected in the printer driver.
Printhead maintenance
If printed characters are incomplete, or printouts are streaked, the ink nozzles might be
clogged and you might need to clean the printheads.
When the quality of printouts deteriorates, follow these steps:
1.Check the health of the printheads. For more information, see 
Tocheckprinthead
health.
2. Print the print quality diagnostic page on a clean sheet of white paper. Evaluate
any problem areas, and perform the recommended actions. For more information,
see
Printheadmaintenance.
3. Clean the printheads. For more information, see 
Tocleantheprintheads.
4. Replace the printheads if the problems persist after cleaning. For more
information, see 
Solvewirelessproblems.
This section covers the following printhead maintenance tasks:
•
Tocheckprintheadhealth
•
Toprinttheprintqualitydiagnosticpage
•
Toaligntheprintheads
•
Tocalibratethelinefeed
•
Tocleantheprintheads
•
Tocleantheprintheadcontactsmanually
•
Toreplacetheprintheads
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To check printhead health
Use one of the following means to check the printhead health. If any printhead has
a Replace status, then perform one or more of the maintenance functions, or clean or
replace the printhead.
•Self Test Diagnostic Report:  Print the self test diagnostic report on a clean sheet
of white paper, and check the printhead health section. For more information, see
UnderstandtheSelfTestDiagnosticPage.
• Embedded Web server:  Open the embedded Web server. For more information,
see
ToopentheembeddedWebserver. Click the  Information tab, and then click
Ink Supplies  in the left pane.
• HP Software (Windows):  Open the HP software that was included with the
printer. For more information, see 
OpentheHPsoftware. Click the  Information
tab, and then click  Printhead Health.
To print the print quality diagnostic page
Use the print quality diagnostic page to diagnose issues affecting the print quality. This
helps you decide whether to run any maintenance tools to improve the print quality of
your printouts. You can also view the ink level information, and the printhead health
status on the page.
NOTE: Before printing the print quality diagnostic page, make sure you load
paper. For more information, see 
Loadmedia.
Ink level warnings and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only.
When you receive a low-ink warning message, consider having a replacement
cartridge available to avoid possible printing delays. You do not need to replace
cartridges until prompted to do so.
• Control panel:  Touch right arrow , touch Reports , and then select  Print Quality
Page .
• Embedded Web server:  Click the Settings tab, click  Device Services  in the left
pane, select  Print a PQ (Print Quality) Diagnostic Page  from the drop-down list
in the  Print Quality  section, and then click  Run Diagnostic.
• HP Software (Windows):  Open the HP software that was included with the
printer. Click the  Device Services  tab, and then click  Print the Print Quality
Diagnostic Page  and follow the onscreen instructions.
• HP Utility (Mac OS X):  Click the HP Utility  icon in the Dock, and then click  Print
Quality Diagnostics .
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1
2
3
4
1Printer Information: Shows printer information (such as the printer model number, serial
number, and firmware version number), the number of pages printed from the trays and
duplexer, the ink level information, and the printhead health status.
NOTE: Ink level warnings and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only.
When you receive a low-ink warning message, consider having a replacement cartridge
available to avoid possible printing delays. You do not need to replace cartridges until
prompted to do so.
2Test Pattern 1:  If the lines are not straight and connected, align the printheads. For more
information, see Toaligntheprintheads.
3Test Pattern 2:  If there are thin white lines across any of the colored blocks, clean the
printheads. For more information, see Tocleantheprintheads.
NOTE: If there are thin white lines across all the color blocks and thin white lines across
the gray blocks in Test Pattern 3, do NOT clean the printhead. Calibrate the linefeed
instead. For more information, see 
Tocalibratethelinefeed.
4Test Pattern 3:  If there are dark lines or white gaps where the arrows are pointing,
calibrate the linefeed. For more information, see Tocalibratethelinefeed.
To align the printheads
Whenever you replace a printhead, the printer automatically aligns the printheads to
ensure the best print quality. However, if the lines in Test Pattern 1 on the Print Quality
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Diagnostic page are not straight and connected, you can start the alignment process
manually. For more information, see 
UnderstandtheSelfTestDiagnosticPage.
NOTE:Before aligning the printheads, make sure you load plain paper. For more
information, see 
Loadmedia.
• Control panel:  Touch right arrow , touch Setup, touch  Tools, and then select
Align Printer .
• Embedded Web server:  Click the Settings tab, click  Device Services  in the left
pane, select  Align Printer  from the drop-down list in the  Print Quality section,
and then click  Run Diagnostic .
• HP Software (Windows):  Open the HP software that was included with the
printer. Click  Printer Actions , click Maintenance Tasks , and then click Align
Printheads .
• HP Utility (Mac OS X):  Click the HP Utility  icon in the Dock, and then click  Align.
To calibrate the linefeed
If Test Pattern 3 on the Print Quality Diagnostic page shows white gaps or dark lines,
you need to calibrate the linefeed. For more information, see 
UnderstandtheSelfTest
DiagnosticPage.
• Control panel:  Touch right arrow 
, touch Tools, and then select  Calibrate
Linefeed .
• Embedded Web server:  Click the Settings tab, click  Device Services  in the left
pane, select  Calibrate Linefeed  from the drop-down list in the  Print Quality
section, and then click  Run Diagnostic.
• HP Software (Windows):  Open the HP software that was included with the
printer. Click the  Device Services  tab, and then click  Linefeed Calibration  and
follow the onscreen instructions.
• HP Utility (Mac OS X):  Click the HP Utility  icon in the Dock, and then click
Calibrate Linefeed .
To clean the printheads
To determine whether the printheads need to be cleaned, print a Print Quality
Diagnostic page. For more information, see 
UnderstandtheSelfTestDiagnosticPage.
NOTE: Cleaning uses ink, so clean the printheads only when necessary.
The cleaning process takes a few minutes. Some noise might be generated in the
process.
Before cleaning the printheads, make sure you load paper. For more information,
see
Loadmedia.
• Control panel:  PressSetup, select  Tools, and then select  Clean Printhead.
• Embedded Web server:  Click the Device Settings  tab, click Device Services  in
the left pane, select  Clean Printheads from the drop-down list in the  Print Quality
section, and then click  Run Diagnostic.
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•HP Software (Windows):  Open the HP software that was included with the
printer. Click the  Device Services  tab, and then click  Clean Printheads and follow
the onscreen instructions.
• HP Utility (Mac OS X):  Click the HP Utility  icon in the Dock, and then click  Clean
Printheads .
To clean the printhead contacts manually
After the printheads are installed, you might get a control-panel message telling you
the printer cannot print. If you receive this message, you might need to clean the
electrical contacts on the printheads and in the printer. Make sure there is paper in the
printer before you start. See 
Loadmedia for more information.
CAUTION: Electrical contacts contain sensitive electronic components that can
be damaged easily.
1. Open the top cover.
2. Touch  Change Printheads  on the printer control panel. Wait for the carriage to
stop moving, and then unplug the power cord from the printer.
3. Lift the printhead latch.
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4.Lift the handle of the printhead (which corresponds to the control-panel message)
and use it to pull the printhead out of its slot.
5.Obtain clean, dry, soft and lint-free cleaning material. Suitable materials include
paper coffee filters and eyeglass lens cleaning paper.
CAUTION: Do not use water.
6.Wipe the electrical contacts on the printhead but do not touch the nozzles.
NOTE: The electrical contacts are small copper-color squares, grouped on
one face of the printhead.
The nozzles are on a different face of the printhead. Ink is visible on the nozzles.
CAUTION: Touching the nozzles can cause permanent nozzle damage.
CAUTION: Ink can permanently mark clothing.
7.After cleaning, place the printhead on a sheet of paper or paper towel. Make sure
the nozzles are facing up and are not in contact with the paper.
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8.Clean the electrical contacts in the printhead slot inside the printer with a clean,
dry, soft and lint-free cloth.
9.Plug in the power cord and turn on the printer. The control panel should indicate
that the printhead is missing.
10. Insert the printhead into its color-coded slot (the label on the printhead must match
the label on the printhead latch). Press down firmly on the printhead to ensure
proper contact.
11. Where necessary, repeat the steps for the remaining printheads.
12. Pull the printhead latch all the way forward, and then press down to ensure that
the latch is engaged correctly. You might have to apply some pressure to engage
the latch.
13. Close the top cover.
14. If the control-panel message remains, repeat the cleaning procedure for the
printhead that corresponds to the message.
15. If the control-panel message remains, replace the printhead which corresponds to
the message.
16. Wait while the printer initializes the printheads and prints the alignment pages. If
the printer does not print the pages, start the alignment process manually. For
more information, see 
Toaligntheprintheads.
To replace the printheads
NOTE: To find out which printheads work with your printer, see Supplies.
Replace the printheads only when the printhead health indicates that the
printheads need replacement. For more information, see 
Tocheckprintheadhealth.
1. Open the top cover.
2. Touch  Change Printheads  on the printer control panel. Wait for the carriage to
stop moving.
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3.Lift the printhead latch.
4.Lift the handle of a printhead and use it to pull the printhead out of its slot.
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