HP OfficeJet Pro L7400 User Manual

							•Device takes a long time to print
•
Blank or partial page printed
•
Something on the page is missing or incorrect
•
Placement of the text or graphics is wrong
•
The device prints half a page, then ejects the paper
The device shuts down unexpectedly
Check the power and power connections
Make sure the device is connected firmly to a functioning alternating current (AC)
power outlet. For voltage requirements, see 
Electrical specifications.
Error message appears on control-panel display
A non-recoverable error has occurred
Disconnect all cables (such as power cord and USB cable), wait about 20 seconds,
and reconnect the cables. If the problem persists, visit the HP Web site (
www.hp.com/
support) for the latest troubleshooting information, or product fixes and updates.
The device is not responding (nothing prints)
Check the print queue
A print job might be stuck in the print queue. To fix, open the print queue, cancel the
printing of all documents in the queue, and then reboot the computer. After the
computer reboots, try printing again. See your operating system help for information
on opening the print queue and canceling print jobs.
Check the device setup
For more information, see 
Troubleshooting tips and resources.
Check the printhead initialization
When printheads are installed or replaced, the device automatically prints a few
alignment pages to align the printheads. This process takes about 12 minutes. Until
this process is complete, only the automatic alignment pages can be printed.
Check the device software installation
If the device is turned off when printing, an alert message should appear on your
computer screen; otherwise, the device software might not be installed correctly. To
resolve this, uninstall the software completely, and then reinstall the device software.
For more information, see 
Uninstall and reinstall the software.
Check the cable connections
Make sure both ends of the USB cable are secure.
Solve printing problems67
 
						

							Device does not accept printhead
Check the printhead latch
Make sure the printhead latch is properly closed.
Check the printhead
• Make sure the printhead is inserted into its correct color-coded slot. For more
information, see 
Replace the printheads.
• Remove the printhead, and check to make sure the orange protective caps have
been removed from the printhead.
Clean the printhead
Complete the printhead cleaning procedure. For more information, see 
Maintain the
printheads.
Turn off the device after removing the printhead
After removing the printhead, turn off the device, wait about 20 seconds, and turn it on
again without the printhead installed. After the device has restarted, reinsert the
printhead.
Device takes a long time to print
Check the system resources
Make sure your computer has enough resources to print the document in a reasonable
amount of time. If the computer meets only the minimum system requirements,
documents might take longer to print. For more information on minimum and
recommended system requirements, see 
System requirements. In addition, if the
computer is too busy running other programs, documents can print more slowly.
Check the device software settings
Print speed is slower when Best or Maximum dpi is selected as the print quality. To
increase the print speed, select different print settings in the device driver. For more
information, see 
Change print settings.
Blank or partial page printed
Check for empty ink cartridges
Check the control panel to see which cartridge is low or empty. The Toolbox
(Windows), HP Printer Utility (Mac OS), and the self-test diagnostic page (see
Understand the self-test diagnostic page) provide information about ink levels. If you
are printing black text and a blank page prints, the black cartridge might be empty. For
more information, see 
Replace the ink cartridges.
Check the printhead latch
Make sure the printhead latch is properly closed.
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68 Maintain and troubleshoot
 
						

							Check the printhead
• Make sure the printhead is inserted into its correct color-coded slot. For more
information, see 
Replace the printheads.
• Remove the printhead, and check to make sure the orange protective caps have
been removed from the printhead.
Clean the printhead
Complete the printhead cleaning procedure. For more information, see 
Maintain the
printheads.
Turn off the device after removing the printhead
After removing the printhead, turn off the device, wait about 20 seconds, and turn it on
again without the printhead installed. After it has restarted, reinsert the printhead.
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
Print the print quality diagnostic page.
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 printer driver. For information on
changing this setting, see 
Change print settings.
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.
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.
Solve printing problems69
 
						

							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 
Change print settings.
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.
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
The ink cartridges may have run out of ink, and the print job was cancelled. Replace
the ink cartridges, and then resend the print job to the device. For more information,
see 
Replace the ink cartridges.
Poor print quality and unexpected printouts
•Poor quality printouts
•
Meaningless characters print
•
Ink is smearing
•
Ink is not filling the text or graphics completely
•
Output is faded or dull colored
•
Colors are printing as black and white
•
Wrong colors are printing
•
Printout shows bleeding colors
•
Colors do not line up properly
•
Lines or dots are missing from text or graphics
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							Poor quality printouts
Check the printheads and ink cartridges
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
Print the print quality diagnostic page.
Check the paper quality
The paper might be too moist or too rough. Make sure the media meets HP
specifications, and try to print again. For more information, see 
Select print media.
Check the type of media loaded in the device
• Make sure the tray supports the type of media you have loaded. For more
information, see 
Understand specifications for supported media.
• Make sure you have selected the tray in the print driver that contains the media
that you want to use.
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.
Meaningless characters print
If an interruption occurs to a job that is printing, the device might not recognize the rest
of the job.
Cancel the print job and wait for the device to return to the ready state. If the device
does not return to the ready state, cancel all jobs and wait again. When the device is
ready, resend the job. If prompted by the computer to retry the job, click Cancel.
Check the cable connections
If the device and computer are connected with a USB cable, the problem may be due
to a poor cable connection.
Make sure the cable connections at both ends are secure. If the problem persists, turn
off the device, disconnect the cable from the device, turn on the device 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.
Poor print quality and unexpected printouts71
 
						

							Ink is smearing
Check the 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, and also increase the ink drying time and
reduce the ink saturation using the ink volume under the advanced features
(Windows) or ink features (Mac OS). However, note that decreasing ink saturation
might give printouts a washed-out quality.
• Color documents that have rich, blended colors can wrinkle or smear when printed
using the Best print quality. Try using another print mode, such as Normal, to
reduce ink, or use HP Premium Paper designed for printing vivid color documents.
For more information, see 
Change print settings.
Check the media type
Some types of media do not accept ink well. For these types of media, ink will dry
more slowly and smearing may occur. For more information, see 
Select print media.
Ink is not filling the text or graphics completely
Check the media type
Some media types are not suitable for use with the device. For more information, see
Select print media.
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
Print the print quality diagnostic page.
Output is faded or dull colored
Check the print mode
The Draft 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 
Change print settings.
Check the paper type setting
When printing on transparencies or other special media, select the corresponding
media type in the print driver. For more information, see 
Print on special and custom-
sized media.
Colors are printing as black and white
Check the print settings
Make sure Print in Grayscale is not selected in the printer driver. For information on
changing this setting, see 
Change print settings.
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							Wrong colors are printing
Check the print settings
Make sure Print in Grayscale is not selected in the printer driver. For information on
changing this setting, see 
Change print settings.
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
Print the print quality diagnostic page.
Printout shows bleeding colors
Check the ink cartridges
Make sure ink 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 damage to the device or printhead. HP does not guarantee or support
refilled ink cartridges. For ordering information, see 
HP supplies and accessories.
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
Print the print quality diagnostic page.
Colors do not line up properly
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
Print the print quality diagnostic page.
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
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
Print the print quality diagnostic page.
Solve paper-feed problems
For information on resolving jams, see Clear a jam in the device.
Solve paper-feed problems73
 
						

							Optional Tray 2 cannot be inserted 
• Reinsert the tray. Make sure it is aligned with the device opening.
• Check for a paper jam. For more information, see 
Clear a jam in the device.
Another paper-feed problem is occurring
Media is not supported for the printer or tray
Use only media that is supported for the device and the tray being used. For more
information, see 
Understand specifications for supported media.
Media is not picked up from a tray
• Make sure media is loaded in the tray. For more information, see 
Load media. Fan
the media before loading.
• Make sure the paper guides are set to the correct markings in the tray 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.
• When using thin special media, make sure that the tray is completely loaded. If you
are using special media that is only available in small quantities, try placing the
special media on top of other paper of the same size to help fill the tray. (Some
media is picked up more easily if the tray is full.)
• If you are using thick special media (such as brochure paper), load media so that
the tray is between 1/4 and 3/4 full. If necessary, place the media on top
of other paper of the same size so that the stack height is within this range.
Media is not coming out correctly
• Make sure the output tray extension is extended; otherwise, printed pages may fall
off the device.
• Remove excess media from the output tray. There is a limit to the number of
sheets the tray can hold.
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74 Maintain and troubleshoot
 
						

							Pages are skewing
• Make sure the media loaded in the trays is aligned to the paper guides. If needed,
pull out the trays from the device and reload the media properly, making sure that
the paper guides are properly aligned.
• Make sure the rear access panel or optional duplexer is properly installed.
• Load media into the device only when it is not printing.
Multiple pages are being picked up
• Fan the media before loading.
• Make sure the paper guides are set to the correct markings in the tray for the
media size you are loading. Also make sure the guides are snug, but not tight,
against the stack.
• Make sure the tray is not overloaded with paper.
• When using thin special media, make sure that the tray is completely loaded. If you
are using special media that is only available in small quantities, try placing the
special media on top of other paper of the same size to help fill the tray. (Some
media is picked up more easily if the tray is full.)
• If you are using thick special media (such as brochure paper), load media so that
the tray is between 1/4 and 3/4 full. If necessary, place the media on top
of other paper of the same size so that the stack height is within this range.
• When reinserting Tray 2 (optional) into the device, do so gently. Forceful insertion
with a full stack of paper may cause sheets to slide up within the device, causing
the device to jam or pick multiple sheets at one time.
• Use HP media for optimum performance and efficiency.
Solve copy problems
If the following topics do not help, see Support and warranty for information about HP
support.
No copy came out
•Check the power
Make sure that the power cord is securely connected, and the device turned on.
•Check the status of the device
• The device might be busy with another job. Check the control-panel display for
information about the status of jobs. Wait for any job that is processing to finish.
• The device might be jammed. Check for jams. See 
Clear jams.
•Check the trays
Make sure that media is loaded. See 
Load media for more information.
Solve copy problems75
 
						

							Copies are blank
•Check the media
The media might not meet Hewlett-Packard media specifications (for example, the
media is too moist or too rough). See 
Select print media for more information.
•Check the settings
The contrast setting might be set too light. Use the Copy button on the control
panel to create darker copies.
Documents are missing or faded
•Check the media
The media might not meet Hewlett-Packard media specifications (for example, the
media is too moist or too rough). See 
Select print media for more information.
•Check the settings
The quality setting of Fast (which produces draft-quality copies) might be
responsible for the missing or faded documents. Change to the Normal or Best
setting.
•Check the original
• The accuracy of the copy depends on the quality and size of the original. Use
the Copy menu to adjust the brightness of the copy. If the original is too light,
the copy might not be able to compensate, even if you adjust the contrast.
• Colored backgrounds might cause images in the foreground to blend into the
background, or the background might appear in a different shade.
Size is reduced
• The reduce/enlarge or other copy feature might have been set from the control
panel to reduce the scanned image. Check the settings for the copy job to make
sure that they are for normal size.
• The HP photo and imaging software settings might be set to reduce the scanned
image. Change the settings, if needed. See the onscreen Help for the HP photo
and imaging software for more information.
Copy quality is poor
•Take steps to improve the copy quality
• Use quality originals.
• Load the media correctly. If the media is loaded incorrectly, it might skew,
causing unclear images. See 
Select print media for more information.
• Use or make a carrier sheet to protect your originals.
•Check the device
• The scanner lid might not be closed properly.
• The scanner glass or lid backing might need cleaning. See 
Clean the device
for more information.
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76 Maintain and troubleshoot