solution Contentsolution Content

HP ENVY 5530 and Deskjet Ink Advantage 4510 - Fix poor print quality

The quality of a printed document or photo is not as expected. Follow the instructions to fix streaked or faded printouts, color or black ink not printing, blurred or fuzzy text, ink streaks or smears, and other print quality problems.

This document is for HP ENVY 5530, 5536, 5531, 5539, 5532, 5534, 5535, and Deskjet Ink Advantage 4515 and 4518 printers.

Perform the following tasks in the order given. Use the printer after each task to see if the issue is resolved.

Check ink cartridges

Low ink levels, using non-HP cartridges, and rough handling can cause print quality issues.

Replace any non-HP or refilled cartridges with genuine HP cartridges. HP supplies are available from the HP Store and local retailers.

HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP or refilled cartridges. Go to HP Anti Counterfeiting and Fraud Program for more information.
Check ink levels. Low ink levels can cause print quality problems. From the home screen on the printer control panel, touch the Ink icon (). The control panel displays the estimated ink levels.
Rough handling of cartridges during transport or installation can cause print quality problems. Wait a few hours for the automatic servicing routine to complete, and then try to print again.

Replace empty or non-HP cartridges

Replace any cartridges that are low, empty, or non-HP.

Press the Power button to turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
Find the slots on the left and right sides of the printer.
Slide your fingers into the two slots, and then gently lift up to open the cartridge access door. The carriage moves to the cartridge access area. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you proceed.
Lift the lid on the cartridge slot, and then gently push the lid back until it stops. Pull up on the cartridge to remove it from the slot.
Remove the new cartridge from its package.
Use the pull tab to remove the plastic protective tape from the new cartridge.

CAUTION:
Do not attempt to replace the protective tape or touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in an ink system failure.
Note:
Insert the color cartridge in the slot on the left. Insert the black cartridge in the slot on the right.

Hold the cartridge at a slight upward angle with the cartridge contacts facing the rear of the printer, and then slide the cartridge into the empty slot.
Close the lid on the cartridge slot to secure the cartridge into place.
Repeat these steps to replace the other cartridge, if necessary.
Close the cartridge access door.
Follow the prompts to align the cartridges.

Make sure you are using the correct paper for your print job

Make sure the paper you are using matches the print job. If the paper does not match, reload the printer with the correct paper type.

Load the paper print side down in the input tray. Many types of paper have printing and non-printing 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.

Check print settings

Print settings can affect print quality. Make sure the print settings are appropriate for your print job.

Change the print job settings (Windows)

Change the print settings to help improve print quality.

On your computer, open the document or photo you want to print.
Press Ctrl and P or click Print to open the print window, and then open the printer properties or settings.

Depending on the software, click Printer Properties, Properties, More settings, Printer, or Options.
Change the printer settings to help improve print quality.
- From the Paper/Quality tab, change the paper size and type to match the paper you loaded into the printer, and then select the highest Print Quality option available, such as Best, Professional, or Maximum dpi.
- From the Color tab, select Off or High quality grayscale under Print in Grayscale. Printing in color can improve print quality.
When you are done, click OK to close the print settings window, and then click Print.

Change the print job settings (macOS)

Change the print settings to help improve print quality. The location and name of each setting varies by macOS version.

On your Mac, open the document or photo you want to print.
Click File > Print to open the print settings.
Change the printer settings to help improve print quality. You might need to click Show Details to see all settings.
- From the Print in Color menu: Enable Print in Color for the best print quality. For macOS 10.13 and earlier, disable the Black & White option.
- From the Paper Size menu, select the size that matches the paper you loaded into the printer.
- From the Media & Quality menu, change the paper type to match the paper you loaded into the printer, and then select the highest Print Quality option available, such as Best.
When you are done, click Print.

Change the print job settings (HP Smart)

Adjust print settings for jobs printed from the HP Smart app to improve print quality.

Open the HP Smart app, and then click Print Documents or Print Photos.
Browse to the document or photo, and then click Print.

The Print window opens.
Depending on your print job, you might consider modifying the following settings:
- Media Type: Select the appropriate type of paper, such as photo paper, plain paper, or labels.
- Quality: Increase the print quality mode from Normal or Draft to Best.
- Paper Size: Select the correct paper size for your print job.
Click Print.

Print a Print Quality Diagnostic report

Print a Print Quality Diagnostic report, and then evaluate the results.

Load plain white paper in the paper tray.
On the printer control panel, tap the Settings icon , and then tap Tools. The Tools menu displays.
Tap Print Quality Report. The printer prints the Print Quality Diagnostic report.

Check the Print Quality Diagnostic report for defects

Review the Print Quality Diagnostic report for defects. Defects on the report help you identify and troubleshoot issues.

In general, if the printer and its ink cartridges are working correctly, all the color bars should be present, unstreaked, and uniform in color. The black text on the page should not show ink streaks. Here is an example of a Print Quality Diagnostic page showing no defects, followed by a number of examples of the more common defects that might appear on the Print Quality Diagnostic report.

If there were no defects on the Print Quality Diagnostic report, return to the step to check print settings.
If there were defects on the Print Quality Diagnostic report, continue to the next step.

Print Quality Report showing no defects

Checking a Print Quality Report with no defects

Callout	Description
1	Sample text
2	Alignment pattern
3	Color bars

Example of ragged text

Example of irregularly streaked or faded color bars

Example of ragged color bars

Example of color bars streaked with another color

Example of color bars with regular white streaks

Example of page with black completely missing

Example of a nearly blank page

Example of jagged alignment patterns

Example of track marks or smeared text

Clean the printheads automatically

Cleaning the printheads resolves many print quality issues.

Note:

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

On the printer control panel, touch the Settings icon ().
Touch Tools, and then touch Clean Printhead. The printer cleans the printheads, and then prints a test page.
Check the print quality of the test page.
- If the print quality is good, touch Done.
- If the print quality is not good, touch Clean Again. The printer cleans the cartridges again, and then prints another test page. You might need to clean the printhead several times for optimal print quality.

Align the printer

If the Print Quality Diagnostic report showed defects in the alignment pattern, align the printer.

Load plain white paper in the paper tray.
On the printer control panel, touch the Settings icon ().
Touch Tools, and then touch the down arrow once.
Touch Align Printer. The printer prints an Alignment Page, and then prompts you to scan the page.
Lift the scanner lid, and then place the page on the glass according to the instructions on the Alignment Page.
Close the scanner lid, and then touch OK.

Clean the area around the ink nozzles

Clean the area around the ink nozzles if you see track marks or smears on printouts.

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

Gather cleaning materials.
- Dry foam-rubber swabs, lint-free cloth, or any soft material that does 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)
Press the Power button to turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
Find the slots on the left and right sides of the printer.
Slide your fingers into the two slots, and then gently lift up to open the cartridge access door. The carriage moves to the cartridge access area. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you proceed.
Lightly moisten a clean, foam-rubber swab with distilled water, and then squeeze any excess water from it.
CAUTION:
Remove and clean each ink cartridge one at a time. To avoid clogging the nozzles, do not leave an ink cartridge outside the printer for more than 30 minutes.

Lift the lid on the cartridge slot, and then gently push the lid back until it stops. Pull up on the cartridge to remove it from the slot.
Hold the cartridge by its sides.

Clean the face and edges around the ink nozzle with the swab.

Callout	Description
1	Nozzles - do not clean
2	Area around nozzles - do clean
3	Electrical contacts - do not clean

Either let the ink cartridge sit for 10 minutes to allow the cleaned area to dry, or use a new swab to dry it.
Note:
Insert the color cartridge in the slot on the left. Insert the black cartridge in the slot on the right.

Hold the cartridge at a slight upward angle with the cartridge contacts facing the rear of the printer, and then slide the cartridge into the empty slot.
Close the lid on the cartridge slot to secure the cartridge into place.
Repeat these steps to clean the area around the nozzles on the other cartridge.
Close the cartridge access door.

Replace problem cartridges

If you still see problems after completing the troubleshooting steps, and you did not replace cartridges in an earlier step, replace the problem cartridges now.

If you see print defects in the black areas on the test page or printouts, replace the black cartridge.
If you see print defects in the color areas on the test page or printouts, replace the tri-color cartridge.

Note:

Workaround: the printer can work with only one installed cartridge. Prints with just the black cartridge are in black only. Prints with just the tri-color cartridge have black areas that are not as dark.

The cartridge might be covered under HP's warranty. See HP Printers - Ink Supplies Limited Warranty for more information.

Service the printer

Service or replace your HP product if the issue persists after completing all the preceding steps.

Go to Contact HP Customer Support to schedule a product repair or replacement. If you are in Asia Pacific, you will be directed to a local service center in your area.

To confirm your warranty status, go to HP Product Warranty Check. Repair fees might apply for out-of-warranty products.

Additional support options

Try one of our automated tools or diagnostics

Ask a question on our HP Support Community page

Get in touch with one of our support agents

Enter a topic to search our knowledge library

What can we help you with?

Need Help?