Fixing Print Quality Issues on HP Smart Tank 500 and 600 Printer Series.
If the quality of the printed document or photo is not as expected,
follow these procedures to troubleshoot print quality issues.
Low ink levels can impact print quality.
Refill the tanks that are low on ink.
HP recommends using genuine HP ink and printheads for best results.
HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP ink.
On the printer control panel, touch the Ink icon to display the estimated ink levels.
Fill any tanks that are low on ink.
Try to print a document.
If the print quality is unacceptable, continue to the next step.
Make sure the paper you are using is correct for the print job.
Remove the paper from the input tray.
Use only clean, wrinkle-free paper.
Do not use damaged or curled paper.
Use the correct paper type for your print job.
For text documents, plain paper with ColorLok technology works well.
For documents with dense printing, such as high contrast graphics or photos,
use HP Advanced Photo Paper for best results.
Some paper might not absorb ink as well as others.
If your prints smear easily, make sure you are using recommended paper.
Load the paper print side down into the input tray.
Some paper, such as photo paper and envelopes, have printing and nonprinting sides.
When using photo paper, load 10-20 sheets of photo paper only when you are ready to print,
and then put the unused paper back in the packaging.
Store photo paper in its original packaging inside a resealable plastic bag if possible.
Store the paper on a flat surface in a cool, dry place
Try using a different paper if possible.
This helps determine if the problem is related to the paper.
Try to print a document.
If the print quality is unacceptable, continue to the next step.
Check the print and paper settings to make sure they match the print job.
Note: Print settings vary by operating system and software application.
In the software application you are trying to print from,
click File, and then click Print.
The Print window opens.
Open the Properties dialog box.
Depending on the software application,
click Printer Properties, Options, Printer Setup, Printer, or Preferences.
Depending on your print job, you might consider modifying the following settings.
Paper Type:
Under the Paper Quality tab, open the Media drop-down menu
and select the type of paper you are printing on,
such as photo paper or plain white paper.
Print Quality:
If you are dissatisfied with the quality of your printouts,
increase the print quality.
To print more quickly, decrease the print quality.
These options typically include Best, Better, and Draft modes.
Color or Black and White:
If you want to print in black and white only,
select the grayscale option from the drop-down menu.
Paper Size:
Click Advanced and open the paper size drop-down menu.
If you are printing on a different size of paper than you normally print on,
select the correct paper size.
Then click OK.
After selecting the print settings, click OK to apply the settings, and then click Print.
If the print quality is unacceptable, continue to the next step.
If there are smears of ink on the back of your printouts,
use an automated tool to resolve the issue.
On the printer control panel, swipe left, and then touch Setup.
Touch Tools, Clean Page Smears and then touch OK.
A Cleaning page smears message displays,
and the printer slowly ejects a blank page.
Try to print a document.
If the print quality is unacceptable, continue to the next step.
To resolve many print quality issues, print a Print Quality Diagnostic Page,
and then evaluate the results.
On the printer control panel, swipe left, and then touch Setup.
Touch Tools, and then touch Print Quality Report.
A Print Quality Diagnostic Page prints.
Wait until the printer is idle and silent.
Review the test patterns, checking for missing colors, fading, and white lines.
Note: Under Test Pattern 2. only evaluate the blocks on the left side.
If you find defects on the page, continue to the next step.
If you do not find defects on the page, replace the printheads.
If you found defects on the left side of Test Pattern 2,
clean the printheads from the printer control panel.
On the printer control panel, swipe left, and then touch Setup.
Touch Tools, and then touch Clean Cartridges.
A Cleaning cartridges message displays,
and the printer prints another Print Quality Diagnostic Page.
Examine the page.
If Test Pattern 2 is free of defects, continue to the next step.
If Test Pattern 2 still has defects,
touch Yes to proceed to the second-level cleaning.
Align the printheads from the printer control panel
if you find defects on Test Pattern 1, 3, or both.
On the printer control panel, swipe left, and then touch Setup.
Touch Tools, and then touch Align Cartridges.
An Alignment Page prints.
Follow the instructions on the Alignment Page or printer control panel to align the printheads.
Print another Print Quality Diagnostic Report.
If you find defects on Test Pattern 1, 3, or both,
or if the print quality is still unacceptable, continue to the next step.
If you followed all the steps and you�re still experiencing print quality issues,
replace one or both printheads.
If the issue continues, service the printer.
Contact HP for service and warranty options.