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HP LaserJet Pro MFP - Improve copy and scan quality

If copy or scan quality is poor, try the solutions in this document to resolve the issue.

Try these few simple steps first:

Use the flatbed scanner rather than the document feeder.
Use high-quality originals.
When using the document feeder, load the original document into the feeder correctly, using the paper guides, to avoid unclear or skewed images.

If the problem still exists, try the following additional solutions in the order presented to resolve the issue.

Check the scanner glass for dirt and smudges

Over time, specks of debris might collect on the scanner glass and white plastic backing, which can affect performance. Use the following procedure to clean the scanner.

In addition to the steps below, you can view the following video of how to clean the scanner glass.

How to fix lines & streaks in scans | HP Color LaserJet Pro multi-function printers

Learn how to resolve image quality issues, such as lines or streaks, when scanning and copying from the document feeder on the HP Color LaserJet Pro multi-function printer series.

Press the Power button to turn off the printer, and then disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet.
Open the scanner lid.
Clean the scanner glass, the document feeder strips, and the white plastic backing (underneath the scanner lid) with a soft cloth or sponge that has been moistened with nonabrasive glass cleaner.

CAUTION:
Do not use abrasives, acetone, benzene, ammonia, ethyl alcohol, or carbon tetrachloride on any part of the printer; these can damage the printer. Do not place liquids directly on the glass or platen. They might seep and damage the printer.
Dry the glass and white plastic parts with a chamois or a cellulose sponge to prevent spotting.
Connect the power cable to an outlet, and then press the Power button to turn on the printer.

Check the paper settings

Follow these steps to check the paper settings using the printer control panel.

Note:

The steps vary according to the type of control panel.

Touchscreen with white background

Touchscreen with black background

Click the section below for your control-panel type and then follow the steps provided.

Touchscreen control panel with white background

Follow these steps if your printer has a touchscreen control panel with a white background.

Touchscreen with white background

From the Home screen on the printer control panel, swipe the tab at the top of the screen downward to open the Dashboard, and then touch the Setup icon .
Scroll to and touch Paper Setup, and then touch the name of the tray you are printing from.
Touch Paper Size, and then touch the paper size option that matches the size of paper in the tray.
Touch Paper Type, and then touch the paper type option that matches the type of paper in the tray.

Touchscreen control panel with black background

Follow these steps if your printer has a touchscreen control panel with a black background.

Touchscreen with black background

From the Home screen on the printer control panel, touch the Copy icon .
Touch the Settings button, and then scroll to and touch the Paper button.
From the list of paper sizes, touch the name of the paper size that is in the tray.
From the list of paper types, touch the name of the paper type that is in the tray.

Check the image adjustment settings

To improve copy quality, adjust the image settings using the printer control panel.

Note:

The steps vary according to the type of control panel.

Touchscreen with white background

Touchscreen with black background

Click the section below for your control-panel type and then follow the steps provided.

Touchscreen control panel with white background

Follow these steps if your printer has a touchscreen control panel with a white background.

Touchscreen with white background

From the Home screen on the printer control panel, touch the Copy icon.
Touch the Document or ID Card icon.
Touch the Settings icon , and then scroll to and touch the following menu items to adjust the settings:
- Quality: Choose the output quality for the image.
- Lighter/Darker: Adjust the lightness/darkness setting.
- Enhancements: Choose an image-enhancement option.
- Binding Margin: Turn the binding margin setting on or off.
Touch the Back button to return to the main copy menu, and then touch Copy to begin copying.

Touchscreen control panel with black background

Follow these steps if your printer has a touchscreen control panel with a black background.

Touchscreen with black background

From the Home screen on the printer control panel, touch the Copy icon .
Touch the Settings button, and then scroll to and touch the Image Adjustment button.
Touch the name of the setting that you want to adjust.
- Lightness: Adjusts the lightness/darkness setting.
- Contrast: Adjusts the contrast between the lightest and darkest areas of the image.
- Sharpen: Adjusts clarity of text characters.
- Background Removal: Adjusts the darkness of the background of the image. This is especially useful for original documents that are printed on colored paper.
- Color Balance: Adjusts the red, green, and blue color hues.
- Grayness: Adjusts the vividness of colors.
Touch the - or + buttons to adjust the value for the setting, and then touch the OK button.
Adjust another setting, or touch the Back button to return to the main copy menu.

Optimize for text or pictures

Use these steps to optimize the copy or scan settings for documents that are mostly text or mostly pictures.

Note:

The steps vary according to the type of control panel.

Touchscreen with white background

Touchscreen with black background

Click the section below for your control-panel type and then follow the steps provided.

Touchscreen control panel with white background

Follow these steps if your printer has a touchscreen control panel with a white background.

Touchscreen with white background

From the Home screen on the printer control panel, touch the Copy icon.
Touch the Document or ID Card icon.
Touch the Settings icon , and then scroll to and touch Enhancements.
Touch one of the following options depending on the type of document you are copying:
- None: Use this setting when you are not concerned about the quality of the copy. This is the default setting.
- Text: Use this setting for documents that contain mostly text.
- Photo: Use this setting for photos or documents that contain mostly graphics.
- Mixed: Use this setting for documents that contain a mixture of text and graphics.

Touchscreen control panel with black background

Follow these steps if your printer has a touchscreen control panel with a black background.

Touchscreen with black background

From the Home screen on the printer control panel, touch the Copy icon .
Touch the Settings button, and then scroll to and touch the Optimize button.
Touch the name of the setting you want to adjust.
- Auto Select: Use this setting when you are not concerned about the quality of the copy. This is the default setting.
- Mixed: Use this setting for documents that contain a mixture of text and graphics.
- Text: Use this setting for documents that contain mostly text.
- Picture: Use this setting for documents that contain mostly graphics.

Check the scanner resolution and color settings on the computer

If you are printing a scanned image, and the quality is not what you expected, you might have selected a resolution or color setting in the scanner software that does not match your needs.

Resolution and color affect the following features of scanned images:

Image clarity
Texture of gradations (smooth or rough)
Scan time
File size

Scanning resolution is measured in pixels per inch (ppi).

Note:

Scanning ppi levels are not interchangeable with printing dpi (dots per inch) levels.

Color, grayscale, and black and white define the number of colors possible. You can adjust the scanner hardware resolution for up to 1200 ppi.

The resolution and color guidelines table lists simple tips that you can follow to meet your scanning needs.

Note:

Setting the resolution and color to a high value can create large files that take up disk space and slow the scanning process. Before setting the resolution and color, determine how you are going to use the scanned image.

Resolution and color guidelines

The following table describes the recommended resolution and color settings for different types of scan jobs.

Note:

The default resolution is 200 ppi.

Resolution and color guidelines
Intended use	Recommended resolution	Recommended color settings
Fax	150 ppi	Black and white
Email	150 ppi	Black and white, if the image does not require smooth gradation Grayscale, if the image requires smooth gradation Color, if the image is in color
Edit text	300 ppi	Black and white
Print (graphics or text)	600 ppi for complex graphics, or if you want to significantly enlarge the document 300 ppi for normal graphics and text 150 ppi for photos	Black and white for text and line art Grayscale for shaded or colored graphics and photos Color, if the image is in color
Display on screen	75 ppi	Black and white for text Grayscale for graphics and photos Color, if the image is in color

Color settings

You can set the color values to the following settings when scanning.

Color settings
Setting	Recommended use
Color	Use this setting for high-quality color photos or documents in which the color is important.
Black and white	Use this setting for text documents.
Grayscale	Use this setting when file size is an issue or when you want to scan a document or photograph quickly.

Edge-to-edge copying

The printer cannot print fully edge-to-edge. There is a 4 mm (1/6 in) unprintable border around the page.

Considerations for printing or scanning documents with cropped edges

Consider the following when printing or scanning documents with cropped edges:

When the original is smaller than the output size, move the original 4 mm (1/6 in) away from the corner indicated by the icon on the scanner. Recopy or scan in this position.
When the original is the size of the printed output that you want, use the Reduce/Enlarge feature to reduce the image so the copy is not cropped.

Clean the pickup rollers and separation pad in the document feeder

If the document feeder experiences paper-handling problems, such as jams or multiple-page feeds, clean the document-feeder rollers and separation pad.

Open the document-feeder cover.

Open the document-feeder cover
Use a moist, lint-free cloth to wipe both pickup rollers and the separation pad to remove dirt.

CAUTION:
Do not use abrasives, acetone, benzene, ammonia, ethyl alcohol, or carbon tetrachloride on any part of the printer; these can damage the printer. Do not place liquids directly on the glass or platen. They might seep and damage the printer.

Location of the pickup rollers and separation pad in the document feeder
Close the document-feeder cover.

Close the document-feeder cover

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