Print Stripes
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=bpa00226&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=304445&rule=42852&lang=en
HP has indications that the lubricant on the printer carriage assembly tabs and the flex circuit contacts on the print cartridge can collect debris (fibers and dust), which may cause poor output. The lubricant is used to ensure that the interaction between the pen and the carriage assembly does not cause tears in the flex circuit. Refer to the following instructions to solve this issue.
Cleaning the Inkjet cartridges can improve the quality of printing. If the printed page is missing lines or dots, or if it contains ink streaks, perform Procedure 1 in this section. If problems persist after performing Procedure 1, perform Procedure 2.
NOTE: Use plain paper for these maintenance activities rather than more expensive specialty papers.
Procedure 1: Cleaning the cartridge electrical contacts
1.
Turn on the printer.
2.
Open the top cover. The cartridges should move to the center of the printer.
3.
Unplug the printer?s power cord from the power outlet.
WARNING: Keep new and used cartridges out of the reach of children.
4.
Remove the color cartridge.
5.
Clean the electrical contacts (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Cleaning the cartridge electrical contacts
A- Use a clean, soft, dry, lint-free cloth.
B- Locate the copper-colored circuitry strip on the back of the cartridge.
C- Wipe the coppers strip with the dry cloth. Use an upward motion, from the nozzle end to the top of the cartridge.
CAUTION: Do not wipe the nozzle plate on the bottom of the cartridge. Wiping the nozzle plate can damage the cartridge (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Do not wipe the nozzle plate
6.
Remove the black cartridge. With a clean part of the cloth, repeat Step 5 with the black ink cartridge.
Cleaning the electrical contacts inside the carriage assembly
1.
Look for fibers or other contaminants on the electrical contacts inside the carriage assembly. The contacts in the printer can be damaged if too much pressure is applied during the wiping process. If necessary, the contacts may be cleaned by wiping them very gently with a dry, lint-free cloth (see Figure 3). Try to gently remove any visible debris within the carriage.
WARNING: Make sure the printer power is turned off before cleaning inside of the printer.
Figure 3: Cleaning the contacts inside the printer
2.
Reinsert both cartridges. On models with cradle latches, close the cradle latch over the top of the cartridges.
3.
Close the top cover.
4.
Plug the power cord into the power outlet.
5.
Print a test page. If the problem persists, go to Procedure 2.
Procedure 2: Aligning and cleaning the cartridges
Use the HP Deskjet Toolbox or Printer Assistant utility on the desktop (the utility name will depend on which HP Deskjet model is installed on the computer).
NOTE: HP Deskjet Toolbox or Printer Assistant is for Windows users.
HP Deskjet Toolbox:
To align the cartridges from the HP Deskjet toolbox:
1.
Open the HP Deskjet toolbox. The toolbox is located on your desktop in Microsoft ®) Windows XP, Me, 2000, 98, 95, and NT 4.0. In Windows 3.1x, the toolbox is located in the program group for the printer.
2.
Select the Printer Services tab in the toolbox.
3.
Select Cartridge Alignment and follow the steps on the screen.
4.
After the alignment process is completed, perform a Cartridge Cleaning from the toolbox.
1.
Double-click the HP Deskjet Toolbox shortcut (or icon) on the desktop.
2.
Click the Printer Services tab.
3.
Click Clean the Print Cartridges. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen
HP Printer Assistant:
To align the cartridges from the Printer Assistant:
1.
Launch the Printer Assistant by clicking the Printer Assistant icon located on the desktop
2.
Select tools and updates.
3.
Go to printer maintenance.
4.
Select calibrate printer.
5.
Click calibrate and follow the onscreen instructions.
Further instructions on calibrating the printer cartridges using the Printer Assistant can be found on document npd09616 - HP DJ 3320,3325 and 3420 series printers - how to calibrate the print cartridges
After the alignment process is completed, perform a Cartridge Cleaning from Printer Assistant.
1.
Select tools and updates.
2.
Go to printer maintenance
3.
Select clean cartridges.
4.
Click clean and follow the onscreen instructions.
If the problem persists, the cartridge should be replaced. If the cartridge still exhibits banding even after cleaning and priming actions in the HP Deskjet Toolbox are complete, the cartridge may need to be replaced. Verify the end for warranty date on the supply before returning it to the reseller.
Typically, banding problems are most pronounced in images produced on plain paper in Normal mode. In many cases, simply changing to Best mode will alleviate the problem and produce satisfactory output. If switching modes does not result in acceptable performance, try using the cleaning steps described above.
Internal test from the printer
Running an internal test from the printer can perform a clean test. See document titled HP Deskjet Printers - How To Print Internal Tests for instructions on how to run internal tests.
If the problem persists, replace the cartridge.
Let me know if that helps.
Good Luck,
Tim
×