Why does my HP Photosmart B109a-m not show the 3 color 564XL cartridges as XL cartridges ?

[dhgomm]

Why does my HP Photosmart B109a-m not show the 3 color 564XL cartridges as XL cartridges ?
It shows the black 564XL cartridge correctly, I installed all 4 XL cartridges so I know they are all XL capacity.
Also I set the default print quality to fast draft, but it still goes through the cartridges as fast as on highest quality, it has been doing this since new, why is this happening?

I have the latest updates/drivers, checked today !.

please help !.

[kkcb9395]

Hi - I'm not sure why it isn't recognizing the cartridges as XL cartridges, but as for the other issue with Fast Draft, make sure you're setting that in the Control Panel, Printers (right click on the printer and choose preferences or printing preferences).  That will help ensure that the setting is retained and also help ensure that it isn't over-ridden by a setting in the application.  Sometimes if the setting in the application is different than the driver, it will go with the setting in the application.

Hope that helps.

[dhgomm]

Thanks, the setting is already set for 'Fast Economic Printing' there, I originally set it through the HP solution centre.

[kkcb9395]

What type of paper are you printing on?  I would check a couple of things:

- First, make sure your paper type is set to plain paper.  Certain other types of paper will override your print quality setting and default to high quality.

- One other option is to try the driver that comes with Windows.  Go to Control Panel, Printers, Add Printer, scroll to HP and choose your printer.  If your printer isn't listed, I believe the C309 is listed in there and should work.

Hope that helps. 

[dhgomm]

I am using plain paper, do not print photos much, usually print them on plain paper too !.

I did find my printer listed under Hewlett Packard, not HP, the C309a is listed under HP, should I try to install, and try that as well, as an alternate printer ?.

[kkcb9395]

Yeah, I'd recommend installing the 309a driver as an alternate. Worth a shot to see if it will resolve the problem.  There shouldn't be any problem having them both installed on the system.

Hope that helps.

[dhgomm]

Hi, I tried to install the C309a printer, but got to the point where it stated it would use the same driver currently installed for the B109a-m printer, as this would not likely solve any problems, I aborted the installation, which at this point had not started.

It was at least worth a try.

The problem with it not recognizing the installed color XL ink cartriges, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow XL cartriges, is my the other problem, it still lists them as low capacity cartriges, not XL capacity.

They seem to be being used at the same rate as standard low capacity cartridges, according to the estimated ink levels shown in the HP Solution Centre.
I have all the latest updates installed.

The Black XL cartrige is being recognised correctly, but also shows estimated usage, as for a Low Capacity cartridge.

This is my fourth set of genuine cartriges, including the ones shipped with the printer, which is now about 11 months old, I use it at home for non commercial/personal use, have only ever used genuine cartridges.
The first sets of cartridges I replaced, with the standard Low Capacity types, this is the first set of XL cartridges used (it's cheaper to by them as a set, than individually).

I set the default to Letter, Plain Paper, Fast Draft, rarely print pictures, and do so on Letter size, plain paper too.
I occasionally use the copy function, without the PC, uses color when needed, which I can't control the print quality of.
Does this sound like a normal rate of ink usage ?.

[dhgomm]

Hi,
My total usage for 3 sets of standard 564 cartridges, and part of my current 564XL is no more than about 500 A4 size pages in the last 12 months.

Some of these were screenshots from my computer ( about 20 x 75% of A4 sheets), most were just receipts, text etc. with some color, and some black and white.
These were all done on plain paper, pr4int quality set to 'Fast Draft'.

To go through this amount of cartridges,  to print just 500 pages, seems excessive for me.

The printer only recognises the Black 564XL cartridge as an XL type, I installed Magenta, Cyan, and Yellow 564XL cartridges, but the printer insists they are only the standard, low capacity type cartridges.

The inks are nearly empty again, The 564XL cartriges have only lasted about as long as the standard, low capacity type cartridges, according to the cartridge ink level display.