Poor print quality

[BeeJayUu]

Hi, I have an HP Deskjet 3630 All In One printer, it gives a very poor print quality, barely visible with an odd word printing clearly.

Ran a diagnostic test on printer.

I have tried a few things that were online:-

I unplugged the printer and waited a time; switched off PC; plugged in printer and powered up; switched PC on (as per instructions, as I am using a USB connection).

Official HP cartridges are almost full.

Wiped printheads manually, couldn't do an automated clean, ink was visible on cloth.

Contacted Microsoft Support, they conducted a lengthy test on my system and found critical errors which were then fixed.

Problem still exists.

[Raj_05]

Hi @BeeJayUu,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like you've already taken several troubleshooting steps to address the poor print quality on your HP Deskjet 3630. Since you've tried various solutions without success, here are a few additional steps you can take.

• Check Ink Levels: Ensure that the ink cartridges are properly installed and have enough ink. Even if they are almost full, sometimes there might be an issue with the cartridges themselves.
• Print Quality Diagnostic Page: Most printers have an option to print a diagnostic page directly from the printer itself. Check your printer's manual to see how to do this. This page will often show if there are any issues with the print heads or ink nozzles.
• Deep Clean or Printhead Alignment: If your printer has a deep clean option or printhead alignment feature, try using those to see if it improves the print quality.
• Update Printer Drivers: Ensure that you have the latest drivers for your printer installed on your computer. Sometimes outdated drivers can cause printing issues.
• Try Different Paper: Sometimes poor print quality can be caused by using the wrong type of paper or paper that is too old. Try using fresh, high-quality printer paper to see if it makes a difference.

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. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[BeeJayUu]

Hi, thanks for your response.

After much trawling across the internet and experimentation I discovered that my issue is not with the printer as such but with the .odt extension (Libre Office).

Colour images print okay; Black text print does not print at all; Lines of a table print okay.

I discovered it whilst trying to print a document with a table where the table had a couple of words in colour, which printed okay.

Further trawling, I exported the document to PDF, as suggested online, it still did not print the black text.

Strange, coloured text will print; black text does not.

Any help will be appreciated.

[Raj_05]

Hi @BeeJayUu,

Thank you for your response, 

It sounds like you've encountered a perplexing issue with your HP Deskjet 3630 and printing from LibreOffice in .odt format. Here are a few steps you can try to troubleshoot and hopefully resolve the problem.

Print a Test Page: This can help determine if the issue is with the printer or with the document/software. To print a test page, follow these steps:

• On the printer, press and hold the Wireless and Cancel buttons simultaneously until the Power light blinks.
• Release the buttons. The printer prints a test page that includes the printer information and status.

Try Different Document Formats: Since you've noticed that colored text prints but black text does not, try saving the document in different formats and see if that helps. For example:

• Save the document as a .docx file (Microsoft Word format) and try printing.
• Save the document as a .txt file (plain text) and try printing.
• Save the document as an .rtf file (Rich Text Format) and try printing.

Print from a Different Software: If possible, try printing the document from a different software application to see if the issue persists. For example, you can try printing from Microsoft Word or another word processing program.

Check Printer Settings in LibreOffice:

• Open LibreOffice Writer.
• Go to "Format" > "Character...".
• Make sure the font color is set to black.
• Also, check if any specific formatting (such as hidden text, white text, etc.) might be affecting the printing.

Print as Image: Some printers have an option to print documents as images, which can sometimes bypass certain formatting issues. Here's how to do it:

• In LibreOffice, go to "File" > "Print".
• In the Print dialog, look for an option like "Print as Image" or "Print as Picture". Check this option if available.

PDF Printing Troubleshooting:

• If you're still having issues printing the PDF, try the following:
  • Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader (if you haven't already).
  • Go to "File" > "Print".
  • In the Print dialog, make sure "Print as Image" is checked (similar to the option in LibreOffice).
  • Try printing the PDF with this setting.

Reset Printer Settings: If none of the above steps work, you can try resetting the printer to its default settings. This can often resolve unexpected issues. To reset the printer, refer to the printer's user manual for instructions.

I hope this helps.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Take care and have a great day ahead!

Alden4

HP Support 

[BeeJayUu]

Having tried every conceivable format available in Libre office to print in black, without success, I found a 'way-around'.

I've partially overcame this issue by pasting my document into Affinity Publisher, (I suspect that any Desk Top Publishing software will do this) this printed the black text but not the table lines, so a partial success..

[Raj_05]

.