HP Deskjet 3050 Printers - Fixing Poor Print Quality

note:

Windows operating systems only: If you are experiencing garbled, jumbled or illogical text, incomplete printouts, or missing text or graphics, go to Continuous Pages of Strange or Garbled Characters Print in Windows.

Figure : Example of garbled, jumbled or illogical text, or an incomplete print job

note:

Rough handling at the store or during installation can cause print quality problems with newly installed ink cartridges. If you see print problems with newly installed ink cartridges, wait for a few hours for the automatic servicing routine to complete, and then try to print again.

note:

To purchase paper in the United States and Canada, go to the HP Store.

• Load the paper print side down in the input tray. Many papers have printing and nonprinting sides, such as photo paper and envelopes. Usually, the smoother side is the "print side," and sometimes the non-print side has a logo of the paper manufacturer on it.
• Do not use wrinkled or curled paper. Use only clean, wrinkle-free paper.
  
• Use the correct paper type for your project.
  • For everyday text documents, plain paper with ColorLok technology works well. Paper with ColorLok technology is industry-standard paper that works well with HP ink.
    
  • 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 a recommended paper.
• Store photo paper in its original packaging inside a resealable plastic bag. Store the paper on a flat surface in a cool, dry place. Load 10-20 sheets of photo paper only when you are ready to print, and then put the unused paper back in the packaging.
• Try using a different paper. This determines if the problem is related to the paper.

note:

Inappropriate, damaged, or unsupported paper can cause vertical streaks in printouts.

note:

Print settings vary by operating system and software program.

1. In the software application you are trying to print from, click File, and then click Print.
   The Print window opens.
2. Open the Properties dialog box.
   Depending on the software application, the button might be Properties, Options, Printer Setup, Printer, or Preferences.
3. Depending on your print job, you might consider modifying the following settings:
   • Paper Type: If you are printing on photo paper, select the type of photo paper you are attempting to print on.
   • 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, Normal, and Draft modes.
   • Paper Size: If you are printing on a different size of paper than you normally print on, select the correct paper size.
   • Black and White: If you want to print in black and white only, select the grayscale option.
4. After selecting the print settings, click OK to apply the settings, and then click Print.

note:

Ink level warnings and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only. When an indicator shows low ink levels, consider having a replacement ink cartridge available to avoid possible printing delays. You do not need to replace ink cartridges until print quality becomes unacceptable.

• If none of the ink cartridges are low on ink, you do not need to replace them yet. Skip to the step to print a Printer Status Report
• If any of the ink cartridges are low on ink, continue to the next step.

1. Load plain white paper in the input tray.
2. Press the Power button to turn on the printer.
3. Open the ink cartridge door. The carriage moves to the center of the printer. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you continue.
   Figure : Open the ink cartridge door

   
4. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out to remove it from its slot.
   Figure : Remove the ink cartridge

   

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Do not touch the contacts or nozzles

   
5. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging, and then pull the pull tab to remove the plastic tape.

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or ink nozzles. Also, do not re-tape the ink cartridge. Doing so can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Remove the plastic tape

   
6. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the contacts toward the printer and the nozzles facing down toward the bottom of the product, and then insert the ink cartridge into its slot.
   • The tri-color ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the left
   • The black ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the right
   Figure : Insert the ink cartridge into its slot

   
7. Push the ink cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
8. Repeat these steps to replace the other ink cartridge, if necessary.
9. Close the ink cartridge access door.
   Figure : Close the ink cartridge access door

   
10. Press the button next to OK on the control panel display ().
    The printer prints an alignment page.

1. Lift the scanner lid.
2. Place the alignment page with the printed-side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass to help load the alignment page.
   Figure : Place the alignment page on the scanner glass

   
3. Close the scanner lid.
4. Press the button () next to OK.
   The product scans the alignment page.
5. When the Alignment successful message displays on the control panel screen, press the button () next to OK to complete the alignment.

1. Load plain white paper in the input tray.
2. In Windows, search for your printer model, and then click your printer in the results.
   The printer software opens.
3. In the printer software, double-click Printer Actions .
4. Double-click Maintenance Tasks .
   The HP Toolbox opens.
5. Click the Device Services tab, and then click Print Status Information.
   The Printer Status Report prints.
   Figure : Example of a Printer Status Report

   

• If the color blocks do not show lines, and are not faded or missing, the print mechanism and ink cartridges work correctly. Do not continue the troubleshooting steps in this document. Return to the step to Check the print settings earlier in this document, and reset print quality and dpi settings.
• If any of the color blocks show white lines, are faded, or are missing completely, continue to the next step.

note:

To avoid issues that require cleaning, always turn the printer off with the Power button.

1. Load plain white paper in the input tray.
2. Search Windows for your printer model, and then click on your printer in the list of results.
   The printer software opens in a new window.
3. In the printer software, double-click Printer Actions .
4. Double-click Maintenance Tasks .
   The HP Toolbox opens.
5. Click the Device Services tab.
6. Click Clean Ink Cartridges, and then follow the on-screen instructions to clean the ink cartridges.
7. After running the tool, click Print to print a test page.
8. If the print quality is still unacceptable, follow the on-screen instructions to run a Second-level clean.
9. After running the Second-level clean, click Print to print a test page.

1. Load plain white paper in the input tray.
2. Open or search for the HP folder in your list of installed software programs, click the folder for your printer, and then click the name of your printer.
   The printer software opens in a new window.
3. In the printer software, double-click Printer Actions .
4. Double-click Maintenance Tasks .
   The HP Toolbox opens.
5. Click the Device Services tab.
6. Click Align Ink Cartridges.
   The alignment page prints.
7. Lift the scanner lid.
8. Place the alignment page with the printed-side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass to help load the alignment page.
   Figure : Place the alignment page on the scanner glass

   
9. Close the scanner lid.
10. Press the button next to OK.
    The product scans the alignment page.
11. When the Alignment successful message displays on the control panel screen, press the button next to OK to complete the alignment.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you can stop troubleshooting.
• If the Print Quality Diagnostic page shows track marks or smears, continue to the next step to clean the area around the ink nozzles.
• If these steps did not resolve the issue, and the Print Quality Diagnostic page does not show track marks or smears, skip to the step to replace the problem ink cartridge.

1. Gather the following materials:
   • Dry foam-rubber swabs, lint-free cloth, or any soft material that will not come apart or leave fibers (coffee filters work well)
   • Distilled, filtered, or bottled water (tap water might contain contaminants that can damage the ink cartridges)

       caution:

     Do not use platen cleaners or alcohol to clean the area. These can damage the ink cartridge or the printer.

2. Make sure the printer is on.
3. Open the ink cartridge access door.
   The carriage moves to the center of the printer.
   Figure : Open the ink cartridge access door

   
4. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent to continue.
5. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge toward you out of its slot.
   Figure : Press down to remove the ink cartridge

   

     caution:

   Do not remove both ink cartridges at the same time. Remove and clean each ink cartridge one at a time. Do not leave an ink cartridge outside the printer for more than 30 minutes.

6. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides.
   Figure : Hold the ink cartridge by its sides

   
7. Inspect the ink cartridge contacts for ink and debris buildup.

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Do not touch the contacts or nozzles

   
8. Lightly moisten a clean, foam-rubber swab with distilled water, and then squeeze any excess water from it.
9. Clean the face and edges around the ink nozzle with the swab.

     caution:

   Do not clean the ink nozzle plate.

   Figure : Clean the area around the ink nozzle
   
   1. Nozzle plate - Do not clean
   2. Area surrounding ink nozzle - Do clean
   3. Ink cartridge contacts - Do not clean
10. Either let the ink cartridge sit for 10 minutes to allow the cleaned area to dry, or use a new swab to dry it.
11. Slide the ink cartridge at a slight upward angle into the empty slot, and then gently push up on the ink cartridge until it locks into place.
    Figure : Push the ink cartridge into its slot

    
12. Repeat these steps to clean the area surrounding the ink nozzle on the other ink cartridges.
13. Close the ink cartridges access door.
    Figure : Close the ink cartridges access door

    

1. Load plain white paper in the input tray.
2. Press the Power button to turn on the printer.
3. Open the ink cartridge door. The carriage moves to the center of the printer. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you continue.
   Figure : Open the ink cartridge door

   
4. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out to remove it from its slot.
   Figure : Remove the ink cartridge

   

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Do not touch the contacts or nozzles

   
5. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging, and then pull the pull tab to remove the plastic tape.

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or ink nozzles. Also, do not re-tape the ink cartridge. Doing so can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Remove the plastic tape

   
6. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the contacts toward the printer and the nozzles facing down toward the bottom of the product, and then insert the ink cartridge into its slot.
   • The tri-color ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the left
   • The black ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the right
   Figure : Insert the ink cartridge into its slot

   
7. Push the ink cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
8. Repeat these steps to replace the other ink cartridge, if necessary.
9. Close the ink cartridge access door.
   Figure : Close the ink cartridge access door

   
10. Press the button next to OK on the control panel display ().
    The printer prints an alignment page.

1. Lift the scanner lid.
2. Place the alignment page with the printed-side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass to help load the alignment page.
   Figure : Place the alignment page on the scanner glass

   
3. Close the scanner lid.
4. Press the button next to OK.
   The product scans the alignment page.
5. When the Alignment successful message displays on the control panel screen, press the button next to OK to complete the alignment.
6. Print a Printer Status Report.

note:

To purchase paper in the United States and Canada, go to the HP Store.

• Load the paper print side down in the input tray. Many papers have printing and nonprinting sides, such as photo paper and envelopes. Usually, the smoother side is the "print side," and sometimes the non-print side has a logo of the paper manufacturer on it.
• Do not use wrinkled or curled paper. Use only clean, wrinkle-free paper.
  
• Use the correct paper type for your project.
  • For everyday text documents, plain paper with ColorLok technology works well. Paper with ColorLok technology is industry-standard paper that works well with HP ink.
    
  • 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 a recommended paper.
• Store photo paper in its original packaging inside a resealable plastic bag. Store the paper on a flat surface in a cool, dry place. Load 10-20 sheets of photo paper only when you are ready to print, and then put the unused paper back in the packaging.
• Try using a different paper. This determines if the problem is related to the paper.

note:

Inappropriate, damaged, or unsupported paper can cause vertical streaks in printouts.

1. Open a document, click File, and then click Print.
   The Print window opens.
2. Select the Paper Type/Quality or Media & Quality menu.
3. Depending on your print job, you might consider modifying the following settings:
   • Paper type: If one of the options matches your paper type exactly, select that option.
   • Quality: If you are dissatisfied with the quality of your printouts, increase the print quality. To print more quickly, decrease the print quality.
   To save your settings for future print jobs, select Save in the Presets menu, and then name the new preset.

1. Click the Apple Menu icon (), and then click Software Update to make sure that your operating system has the latest printer software.
   • If an update for your printer displays on the Software Update list, click the update, and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. After the installation is complete, continue to the next step.
   • If you have clicked Software Update and updates for your printer do not display, you have the latest software and do not need to update the printer software. Continue to the next step.
2. Click Applications, and then click the HP Folder.
3. Click HP Utility, and then click the Utility tab.
4. Click Open Printer Utility, and then click Supplies Status.
   The estimated ink levels display.
   Figure : Example of Current Supplies Levels page

   

note:

Ink level warnings and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only. When an indicator shows low ink levels, consider having a replacement ink cartridge available to avoid possible printing delays. You do not need to replace ink cartridges until print quality becomes unacceptable.

1. Load plain white paper in the input tray.
2. Press the Power button to turn on the printer.
3. Open the ink cartridge door. The carriage moves to the center of the printer. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you continue.
   Figure : Open the ink cartridge door

   
4. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out to remove it from its slot.
   Figure : Remove the ink cartridge

   

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Do not touch the contacts or nozzles

   
5. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging, and then pull the pull tab to remove the plastic tape.

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or ink nozzles. Also, do not re-tape the ink cartridge. Doing so can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Remove the plastic tape

   
6. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the contacts toward the printer and the nozzles facing down toward the bottom of the product, and then insert the ink cartridge into its slot.
   • The tri-color ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the left
   • The black ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the right
   Figure : Insert the ink cartridge into its slot

   
7. Push the ink cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
8. Repeat these steps to replace the other ink cartridge, if necessary.
9. Close the ink cartridge access door.
   Figure : Close the ink cartridge access door

   
10. Press the button next to OK on the control panel display ().
    The printer prints an alignment page.

1. Lift the scanner lid.
2. Place the alignment page with the printed-side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass to help load the alignment page.
   Figure : Place the alignment page on the scanner glass

   
3. Close the scanner lid.
4. Press the button () next to OK.
   The product scans the alignment page.
5. When the Alignment successful message displays on the control panel screen, press the button () next to OK to complete the alignment.

1. Click Applications, and then click the HP Folder.
2. Click HP Utility, click the Utility tab, and then click Test.
   The Printer Status Report prints.
   Figure : Example of a Printer Status Report

   

• If you do not see defects on the test page, the print mechanism and ink cartridges work correctly. Do not continue the troubleshooting steps in this document. If printouts are still unsatisfactory, try the following general print quality guidelines.
  • Make sure that the image you are printing has sufficient resolution. Images that are enlarged too much might appear fuzzy or blurry.
  • If the issue is confined to a band near the edge of a printout, use the software you installed with the printer or another software program to rotate the image 180 degrees. The problem might not display on the other end of the printout.

  Windows only: If you are experiencing garbled, jumbled or illogical text, incomplete printouts, or missing text or graphics, go to Continuous Pages of Strange or Garbled Characters Print in Windows

• If you see one or more of these defects on the test page, continue to the next step.

1. Click Applications, and then click the HP Folder.
2. Click HP Utility, and then click All Settings ().
3. Click Clean Printheads.
4. Click Clean.
5. Wait until the printhead cleaning sequence completes and the report prints.

1. Click Applications, and then click the HP Folder.
2. Click HP Utility, and then click All Settings ().
3. In the new window, click Print Page.
   The alignment page prints.
4. Lift the scanner lid.
5. Place the alignment page with the printed-side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass to help load the alignment page.
   Figure : Place the alignment page on the scanner glass

   
6. Close the scanner lid.
7. Press the button () next to OK.
   The product scans the alignment page.
8. When the Alignment successful message displays on the control panel screen, press the button () next to OK to complete the alignment.

1. Gather the following materials:
   • Dry foam-rubber swabs, lint-free cloth, or any soft material that will not come apart or leave fibers (coffee filters work well)
   • Clean sheets of paper
   • Distilled, filtered, or bottled water (tap water might contain contaminants that can damage the ink cartridges)

       caution:

     Do not use platen cleaners or alcohol to clean the area. These can damage the ink cartridge or the printer.

2. Press the Power button to turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
3. Open the ink cartridge access door. The carriage moves to the center of the printer. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent to continue.
   Figure : Open the ink cartridge access door

   
4. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out to remove it from its slot.
   Figure : Remove the ink cartridge

   

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Do not touch the contacts or nozzles

   
5. Place the ink cartridge on a piece of paper with the ink nozzles up.
6. Lightly moisten a clean, foam-rubber swab with distilled water.
7. Clean the face and edges around the ink nozzle with the swab.

     caution:

   Do not clean the ink nozzle plate.

   Figure : Clean the area around the ink nozzle
   
   1. Nozzle plate - Do not clean
   2. Area surrounding ink nozzle - Do clean
   3. Ink cartridge contacts - Do not clean
8. Let the ink cartridge sit for 10 minutes to allow the cleaned area to dry, or use a new swab to dry it.
9. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the printer, and then insert the ink cartridge into its slot. Make sure that the icon on the ink cartridge matches the icon on the slot.
   • The tri-color ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the left
   • The black ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the right
   Figure : Insert the ink cartridge into its slot

   
10. Push the ink cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
    Figure : Snap the ink cartridge into place

    
11. Repeat these steps to clean the area surrounding the ink nozzle on the other ink cartridge.
12. Close the ink cartridge access door.
    Figure : Close the ink cartridge access door

    
13. Print a Printer Status Report.

1. Load plain white paper in the input tray.
2. Press the Power button to turn on the printer.
3. Open the ink cartridge door. The carriage moves to the center of the printer. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you continue.
   Figure : Open the ink cartridge door

   
4. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out to remove it from its slot.
   Figure : Remove the ink cartridge

   

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Do not touch the contacts or nozzles

   
5. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging, and then pull the pull tab to remove the plastic tape.

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or ink nozzles. Also, do not re-tape the ink cartridge. Doing so can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Remove the plastic tape

   
6. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the contacts toward the printer and the nozzles facing down toward the bottom of the product, and then insert the ink cartridge into its slot.
   • The tri-color ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the left
   • The black ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the right
   Figure : Insert the ink cartridge into its slot

   
7. Push the ink cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
8. Repeat these steps to replace the other ink cartridge, if necessary.
9. Close the ink cartridge access door.
   Figure : Close the ink cartridge access door

   
10. Press the button next to OK on the control panel display ().
    The printer prints an alignment page.

1. Lift the scanner lid.
2. Place the alignment page with the printed-side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass to help load the alignment page.
   Figure : Place the alignment page on the scanner glass

   
3. Close the scanner lid.
4. Press the button () next to OK.
   The product scans the alignment page.
5. When the Alignment successful message displays on the control panel screen, press the button () next to OK to complete the alignment.