M252DW on macOS & iOS – poor colours, printer missing from ColorSync Utility

[Martin-XYZ]

We have a Color LaserJet Pro M252DW connected via Ethernet. Recently the print colours come out very poor, oranges turn red, everything is too contrasty and too dark. Interestingly this happens across the board on both our MacBook Pros and iPhones/iPads: the prints look identical no matter what device they were printed from.

This would suggest that it's not related to an individual installation. Just in case I have already reinstalled the printer, reset the printing system on the Macs to no avail. I have also verified that the printer's ICC profiles are in the correct folder.

I did notice something odd though. The printer used to be listed in ColorSync Utility under Devices > Printers, but that section is now blank. This is where I used to check whether the printers default profile was selected correctly.

This only started a couple of OS upgrades ago. I think Monterey was fine, and on all OSs before the colour printouts were excellent and as close to what I saw on the display as one can expect.

Any ideas and pointers for what else to try would be much appreciated.

On a side note the current HP installer is useless as it only allows you to install as a Bonjour printer with all the advanced printer specific settings missing from the print dialogue.( I have tried the Bonjour route, but the colours were just as bad.)

[Max3Aj · Accepted solution]

@Martin-XYZ, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 
I understand you're experiencing poor color output (e.g., oranges turning red, overly dark and contrasty prints) from your Color LaserJet Pro M252dw, and the printer is no longer appearing in ColorSync Utility on macOS. You've already taken some great troubleshooting steps, so let’s build on that to get your color printing back on track.

 

Update Printer Firmware

Outdated firmware can cause color calibration and ICC profile issues. Please update your printer firmware using the steps here: Update the firmware on an HP printer | HP® Support

Reset Color Calibration

The M252dw has built-in color calibration. You can manually trigger this:

• On the printer control panel, go to Setup > System Setup > Print Quality > Calibrate Color.
• Select Calibrate Now.

This recalibrates the printer’s internal color tables.

Check ColorSync Profiles

Since the printer is missing from ColorSync Utility, macOS may not be associating the correct ICC profile.

• Navigate to:
  /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/
• Ensure the correct PPD for the M252dw is present.
• Also check:
  /Library/ColorSync/Profiles/ and
  ~/Library/ColorSync/Profiles/
  for any custom or HP profiles.

If missing, reinstall the driver from HP: Official HP® Support

Use HP Smart or AirPrint with Caution

On macOS and iOS, printing often defaults to AirPrint, which may not use the full ICC profile capabilities. Try installing the HP Smart app and printing from there to see if color improves.

Try Printing from a Different App

Sometimes, the app used to print can affect color output. Try printing the same image from:

• Preview
• Photos
• Adobe Acrobat/Photoshop (if available)

Test on Another Network or USB

To rule out network-related issues, try connecting the printer via USB to a Mac and see if the color output changes.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[Martin-XYZ]

Thanks, that's a good list of things to check. I'll report back with my findings.

[Max3Aj]

Sure, @Martin-XYZ. 

Please do keep us posted. 

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[Martin-XYZ]

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Since the printer is missing from ColorSync Utility, macOS may not be associating the correct ICC profile.

• Navigate to:
  /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/
• Ensure the correct PPD for the M252dw is present.

It turned out the PPD was missing!

Once I copied that over from a backup everything else fell into place: the printer was recognised automatically during setup and the correct ICC profiles appeared in ColorSync Utility.

Thanks for your help, Max3Aj!