HP Photosmart Premium C309 User Manual

							3.Press the down arrow button to highlight Clean Printhead, and then press OK.
The product cleans the printhead.
4.Press any button to return to the Tools menu.
After cleaning the printhead, print a print quality report. Evaluate the print quality report to see if the print quality
problem still exists.
To print a print quality report
1.Load letter or A4 unused plain white paper into the input tray.
2.Press Setup.
3.Press the down arrow button to highlight Tools, and then press OK.
4.Press the down arrow button to highlight Print Quality Report, and then press OK.
The product prints a print quality report that you can use to diagnose print quality issues.
To evaluate the print quality report
1.Check the ink levels shown on the page. If a cartridge shows very low ink levels and you find the print quality
unacceptable, consider replacing that ink cartridge. Print quality typically deteriorates as cartridges run out
of ink.
NOTE: 1If the print quality report is not legible, you can check the estimated ink levels from the control
panel or HP Photosmart Software.
NOTE: 2Ink 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 the ink cartridges until print quality becomes unacceptable.
2.Look at the color bars in the middle of the page. The bars should have sharp edges and be solid extending
with uniform color all the way across the page.
Color bars - expected result
• If any of the color bars are irregularly streaked, lighter on one side, or contain one or more streaks of a
different color, refer to the following steps.
Color bars - irregularly streaked or faded bar (top bar)
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							Color bars - color mixing (yellow bar contains magenta streaks)
◦Check the estimated ink levels in the cartridges.
◦Remove the cartridge corresponding to the streaked bar and clean the cartridge electrical contacts.
◦Reinstall the cartridge and make sure all of the cartridges are properly installed.
◦Clean the printhead, and then print this diagnostic page again.
◦If cleaning the printhead does not solve this print quality issue, replace the cartridge corresponding
to the streaked bar.
NOTE:If replacing the cartridge does not solve this print quality issue, contact HP support for
service.
• If any of the color bars show regular white streaks, align the printer. If the issue persists, clean the
printhead, and then print this diagnostic page again.
NOTE:If cleaning the printhead does not solve this print quality issue, contact HP support for
service.
3.Look at the large text above the alignment pattern. The type should be sharp and clear.
Sample text area - expected result
• If the type is jagged, align the printer, and then print this diagnostic page again.
Sample text area - jagged text
• If the text is uneven, streaked, or smeared, clean the printhead, and then print this diagnostic page again.
Sample text area - uneven ink distribution
Sample text area - streaks or smears
4.Look at the alignment pattern above the color bars. The lines should be straight and sharp.
Alignment pattern - expected result
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							• If the lines are jagged, align the printer, and then print this diagnostic page again.
Alignment pattern - jagged lines
NOTE:If aligning the printer does not solve this print quality issue, contact HP support for service.
Cause:The printhead needed to be cleaned.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 6: Contact HP support
Solution:Contact HP support for service.
Go to: 
www.hp.com/support.
If prompted, choose your country/region, and then click Contact HP for information on calling for technical
support.
Cause:There was a problem with the printhead.
Printouts seem blurry or fuzzy
Try the following solutions if your printout is not sharp or unclear.
NOTE:For this issue, there is not a problem with your ink supplies. Therefore, replacing the ink cartridges or
printhead is not necessary.
TIP:After reviewing the solutions in this section, you can go to HPs Web site to see if there is additional
troubleshooting help. For more information, go to: 
www.hp.com/support.
•Solution 1: Check the print settings
•
Solution 2: Use a higher quality image
•
Solution 3: Print the image in a smaller size
•
Solution 4: Align the printer
Solution 1: Check the print settings
Solution:Check the print settings.
•Check the paper type setting to make sure it matches the type of paper loaded in the input tray.
•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.
Cause:The paper type or print quality settings were set incorrectly.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 2: Use a higher quality image
Solution:Use a higher resolution image.
If you are printing a photo or graphic, and the resolution is too low, it will be blurry or fuzzy when printed.
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							If a digital photo or rasterized graphic has been resized, it can be blurry or fuzzy when printed.
Cause:The resolution of the image was low.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 3: Print the image in a smaller size
Solution:Reduce the size of the image and then print it.
If you are printing a photo or graphic, and the print size is set too high, it will be blurry or fuzzy when printed.
If a digital photo or rasterized graphic has been resized, it can be blurry or fuzzy when printed.
Cause:The image was printed in a larger size.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 4: Align the printer
Solution:Align the printer.
Aligning the printer can help ensure excellent print quality.
To align the printer from the HP Photosmart Software
1.Load letter, A4, or legal unused plain white paper into the input tray.
2.In the HP Solution Center, click Settings.
3.In the Print Settings area, click Printer Toolbox.
NOTE:You can also open the Printer Toolbox from the Print Properties dialog box. In the Print
Properties dialog box, click the Features tab, and then click Printer Services.
The Printer Toolbox appears.
4.Click the Device Services tab.
5.Click Align the Printer.
The product prints a test page, aligns the print head, and calibrates the printer. Recycle or discard the page.
Cause:The printer needed to be aligned.
Printouts have vertical streaks
Solution:HP recommends that you use HP papers or any other paper type that is appropriate for the product.
Always make sure the paper you are printing on is flat. 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, dry 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 plastic bag. This will prevent the photo paper from curling.
For more information, see:
•
Recommended papers for printing
•
Information on paper
Cause:The wrong kind of paper was loaded in the input tray.
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							Printouts are slanted or skewed
Try the following solutions if your printout does not appear straight on the page.
•
Solution 1: Make sure the paper is loaded correctly
•
Solution 2: Make sure only one type of paper is loaded
•
Solution 3: Ensure that the Two-sided printing accessory is securely installed
Solution 1: Make sure the paper is loaded correctly
Solution:Make sure that the paper is loaded correctly in the input tray.
For more information, see:
•
Load media
Cause:The paper was not loaded correctly.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 2: Make sure only one type of paper is loaded
Solution:Load only one type of paper at a time.
Cause:More than one type of paper was loaded in the input tray.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 3: Ensure that the Two-sided printing accessory is securely installed
Solution:Make sure the Two-sided printing accessory on the back of the product is securely installed.
Cause:The Two-sided printing accessory was not securely installed.
Ink streaks on the back of the paper
Try the following solutions if there is smeared ink on the back of your printout.
•
Solution 1: Print on a page of plain paper
•
Solution 2: Wait while the ink dries
Solution 1: Print on a page of plain paper
Solution:Print one or several pages of plain paper to soak up any excess ink in the product.
To remove excess ink using plain paper
1.Load several sheets of plain paper in the input tray.
2.Wait five minutes.
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							3.Print a document with little or no text.
4.Check the back of the paper for ink. If there is still ink on the back of the paper, try printing on another page
of plain paper.
Cause:Ink accumulated inside the product, where the back of the paper rests during printing.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 2: Wait while the ink dries
Solution:Wait at least thirty minutes for the ink inside the product to dry, then try the print job again.
Cause:The excess ink in the product needed to dry out.
The text edges are jagged
Try the following solutions if the text in your printouts is not sharp and the edges are rough.
NOTE:For this issue, there is not a problem with your ink supplies. Therefore, replacing the ink cartridges or
printhead is not necessary.
•Solution 1: Use TrueType or OpenType fonts
•
Solution 2: Align the printer
•
Solution 3: Clean the printhead
Solution 1: Use TrueType or OpenType fonts
Solution:Use TrueType or OpenType fonts to ensure that the product is able to print smooth fonts. When
selecting a font, look for the TrueType or OpenType icon.
TrueType iconOpenType icon
Cause:The font was a custom size.
Some software applications offer custom fonts that have jagged edges when enlarged or printed. Also, if you
want to print bitmapped text, it might have jagged edges when enlarged or printed.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 2: Align the printer
Solution:Align the printer.
Aligning the printer can help ensure excellent print quality.
To align the printer from the HP Photosmart Software
1.Load letter, A4, or legal unused plain white paper into the input tray.
2.In the HP Solution Center, click Settings.
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							3.In the Print Settings area, click Printer Toolbox.
NOTE:You can also open the Printer Toolbox from the Print Properties dialog box. In the Print
Properties dialog box, click the Features tab, and then click Printer Services.
The Printer Toolbox appears.
4.Click the Device Services tab.
5.Click Align the Printer.
The product prints a test page, aligns the print head, and calibrates the printer. Recycle or discard the page.
Cause:The printer needed to be aligned.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 3: Clean the printhead
Solution:If the previous solutions did not resolve the issue, try cleaning the printhead.
To clean the printhead from the control panel
1.Press Setup.
2.Press the down arrow button to highlight Tools, and then press OK.
3.Press the down arrow button to highlight Clean Printhead, and then press OK.
The product cleans the printhead.
4.Press any button to return to the Tools menu.
After cleaning the printhead, print a print quality report. Evaluate the print quality report to see if the print quality
problem still exists.
To print a print quality report
1.Load letter or A4 unused plain white paper into the input tray.
2.Press Setup.
3.Press the down arrow button to highlight Tools, and then press OK.
4.Press the down arrow button to highlight Print Quality Report, and then press OK.
The product prints a print quality report that you can use to diagnose print quality issues.
To evaluate the print quality report
1.Check the ink levels shown on the page. If a cartridge shows very low ink levels and you find the print quality
unacceptable, consider replacing that ink cartridge. Print quality typically deteriorates as cartridges run out
of ink.
NOTE: 1If the print quality report is not legible, you can check the estimated ink levels from the control
panel or HP Photosmart Software.
NOTE: 2Ink 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 the ink cartridges until print quality becomes unacceptable.
2.Look at the color bars in the middle of the page. The bars should have sharp edges and be solid extending
with uniform color all the way across the page.
Print quality troubleshooting 125
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							Color bars - expected result
• If any of the color bars are irregularly streaked, lighter on one side, or contain one or more streaks of a
different color, refer to the following steps.
Color bars - irregularly streaked or faded bar (top bar)
Color bars - color mixing (yellow bar contains magenta streaks)
◦Check the estimated ink levels in the cartridges.
◦Remove the cartridge corresponding to the streaked bar and clean the cartridge electrical contacts.
◦Reinstall the cartridge and make sure all of the cartridges are properly installed.
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							◦Clean the printhead, and then print this diagnostic page again.
◦If cleaning the printhead does not solve this print quality issue, replace the cartridge corresponding
to the streaked bar.
NOTE:If replacing the cartridge does not solve this print quality issue, contact HP support for
service.
• If any of the color bars show regular white streaks, align the printer. If the issue persists, clean the
printhead, and then print this diagnostic page again.
NOTE:If cleaning the printhead does not solve this print quality issue, contact HP support for
service.
3.Look at the large text above the alignment pattern. The type should be sharp and clear.
Sample text area - expected result
• If the type is jagged, align the printer, and then print this diagnostic page again.
Sample text area - jagged text
• If the text is uneven, streaked, or smeared, clean the printhead, and then print this diagnostic page again.
Sample text area - uneven ink distribution
Sample text area - streaks or smears
4.Look at the alignment pattern above the color bars. The lines should be straight and sharp.
Alignment pattern - expected result
• If the lines are jagged, align the printer, and then print this diagnostic page again.
Alignment pattern - jagged lines
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							NOTE:If aligning the printer does not solve this print quality issue, contact HP support for service.
Cause:The printhead needed to be cleaned.
Print troubleshooting
Use this section to solve these printing problems:
•
Envelopes print incorrectly
•
The product prints meaningless characters
•
The pages in my document came out in the wrong order
•
The margins are not printing as expected
•
A blank page came out while printing
•
The product prints slowly
Envelopes print incorrectly
Try the following solutions to resolve the issue. 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.
•
Solution 1: Load the stack of envelopes correctly
•
Solution 2: Check the envelope type
•
Solution 3: Tuck the flaps to avoid paper jams
Solution 1: Load the stack of envelopes correctly
Solution:Load a stack of envelopes in the input tray, with the envelope flaps facing up and to the left.
Make sure that you remove all paper from the input tray before loading the envelopes.
For more information, see:
•
Load media
Cause:A stack of envelopes was loaded incorrectly.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 2: Check the envelope type
Solution:Do not use shiny or embossed envelopes or envelopes that have clasps or windows.
Cause:The wrong type of envelope was loaded.
If this did not solve the issue, try the next solution.
Solution 3: Tuck the flaps to avoid paper jams
Solution:To avoid paper jams, tuck the flaps inside the envelopes.
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