HP Officejet Pro 8500A - Manual (Page 101)

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
Printhead maintenance.
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 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 Print on special and custom-
size paper.
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
Printhead maintenance.
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.
Solve print quality problems 97