Faint printing

[RGilpin]

I am having much trouble with faint printing.   This is a particular problem with Microsoft Word.  I am in Word v. 16.16.10, but the problem has been going on for several versions of Word.   The text on paper is fainter than it should be.   The print is fainter on bond paper than on copy paper, but the print quality is a problem on the latter, too.   Currently I am using someone else's recycled cartridge, but I have not seen any difference in the decline in print quality between the refilled cartridge and HP's own doubly-expensive cartridges.   HP's cartridges have been producing the faint print--that's why I am experimenting with the recycled cartridge.

Print quality in Excel is pretty good.  It is not faint as in Word.

Print quality in Graphic Convertor better than in Word.

Print quality in Preview is about the same as in Graphic Convertor.

Print quality in HP's Self Test/Device Configuration and Demo Page are at least nominal.  The Demo Page is excellent on both bond paper and copy paper. 

The printer has only 18,438 pages on it.   The vast majority of those pages are printed from Word.   

This week I have printed the cleaning page three times without improvement in print quality.

The fact that pages printed from HP's own application are better than those printed from other applications leads me to think that the problem is not hardware but in the software.

Does anyone recognize the problem?

[Repairatrooper]

If the demo page prints without issue then you do not have a hardware issue. You have either a software setting issue or you have econo mode turned on, which will result faint print. 

[RGilpin]

I cannot find "econo mode" in the settings for the P1102w.   I did find "print density" in the settings of its Print Utility.  I boosted its setting from 3 to 5.  The change had no effect on the darkness of the printing.

[RGilpin]

I have to suspect the software.  Regularly I get this dialog box:

Printer Proxy reports this for the driver:

I have clicked the "Install" button innumerable times, without effect.    I have also downloaded a purported upgrade from the HP website and run it, without improvement.    I am getting the feeling that HP wants me to replace my printer after only 18,000 pages.

[groovy3130]

I  have an older hp touch screen laptop (can't find model) not relevant.  My problem:  When I hit PRINT the system

will show faint print preview - almost invisible.  When printed, nothing - sometimes  some headings if from blogs, etc.

I use Brother laser printer HL 2270 DW which I tried fixing first as immediate suspect.  No, it's not the printer.  Has

something to do with computer software.  Why is the print preview showing bad?