Printquality 9012e

[vandejong]

Hello, I have recently had a problem with my HP 9012e, possibly as a result of the last MS Win update. All printouts from applications such as Office are extremely pale, like watermarks. Printouts of the printer reports via HP Smart are normally good. The printer cartridges are full, more than 80%, PC and printer have a current update status. I have uninstalled and reinstalled printer drivers, performed a factory reset, etc. The weak expression is available on any source, smartphone, PC or notebook. 

I hope someone has a solution. Thanks

[Garp_senchau]

@vandejong, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

Check the Print Quality Settings:

On the Printer (HP 9012e):

• Go to the printer’s control panel and navigate to Settings > Printer Maintenance > Print Quality.
• Make sure that the print quality is set to Normal or Best (not Draft or Economy).
• Print a test page directly from the printer menu to see if the issue persists on its own. If the issue is with printing from applications but the printer test page looks fine, this is likely a software or settings issue on your PC.

On your PC (Windows 10/11):

• Open Devices and Printers in Windows settings.
• Right-click on your HP 9012e printer and select Printer Properties.
• Under the General or Printing Preferences tab, ensure that the print quality is set to a higher setting, such as Normal or Best, instead of Draft or Economy.

Check Ink Cartridge Alignment:

• Even though the cartridges are full, improper alignment can cause faded or streaked prints.
• Run the alignment from the printer’s control panel or through the HP Smart software on your PC.

Check for Software Conflicts or Windows Update Issues:

Since this problem appeared after a Windows update, there may be compatibility issues with the printer driver or print settings.

Uninstall Recent Windows Updates:

• Go to Settings > Update & Security > View Update History.
• Select Uninstall updates and check if removing the latest update resolves the issue. If it does, you can then attempt to reinstall the printer driver or update the printer’s firmware.

HP Print and Scan Doctor:

• Download the HP Print and Scan Doctor tool from HP’s website. It can help detect issues with the printer and fix common problems related to drivers, print queues, and more.
• Follow the steps and see if it identifies any problems.

[Garp_senchau]

Check Application-Specific Print Settings:

• In applications like Microsoft Word or Excel, check the print settings.
• Before printing, click on File > Print, and ensure that the print quality is set to normal. Some applications have their own print settings that override printer settings, so make sure those are set appropriately.

Clear Print Queue and Reinstall Printer:

• Clear the Print Queue: Sometimes, a stuck print job in the queue can cause printing problems. You can clear this in Devices and Printers by right clicking the printer icon and selecting See what's printing.
• Reinstall Printer: After clearing the print queue, uninstall the printer again from Devices and Printers. Then reinstall it, ensuring you use the latest drivers from HP’s website or the HP  app.

Check for Firmware Updates:

• Ensure the printer’s firmware is up to date. Firmware updates sometimes resolve print quality issues, especially after operating system updates.

Print Directly from HP App:

• If you haven’t already, try printing directly from the HP  app on your PC or smartphone. If the print quality is good from HP Smart but bad from other apps, this suggests a settings issue within the applications themselves or the way the computer sends the print jobs to the printer.

Try Printing on Different Paper Types:

• Sometimes, the printer's paper settings can affect the print quality. Ensure that the paper type selected in the settings matches what you’re using (e.g., Plain Paper, Photo Paper).

Check for Ink Smears or Drying:

• If your printer hasn't been used for a while, the ink might not be flowing as expected. Run the cleaning cycle from the printer's maintenance options.

Check for Ink Smears or Toner Issues:

• Check the cartridges for any smears or leaks, even if they appear full. Sometimes, the ink may be stuck in the cartridge or nozzle.

I hope these steps help resolve the issue

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Problem solved? 🎉 Awesome! Mark this as the Accepted Solution to help the next person find their way faster. 🧭 And if it was helpful, click 'yes'—you’ll make someone’s search journey that much easier (and give this reply some well-deserved street cred 🏅)

Regards,

[vandejong]

Hi garp_senchau.

I have tested all the things you mentioned. The strange thing is that the printer status report printed via the web interface or the printer display is good. Other reports and prints from all applications, including the test page, are only printed very faintly like a watermark. HP support assumed the print head was a fault and declared the printer to be a waste item. Very annoying! I think the last firmware update could be the cause. Unfortunately, the way to downgrade is blocked. Thank you for your help. Best regards

[Garp_senchau]

Hi @vandejong, 

I totally get how annoying this must be! 😤 A printer acting up after an update can feel like the universe is against you, especially when it seems to be printing fine for internal reports but not for anything else. 😩

But don't worry, we can totally figure this out together! Since the reports print fine, it seems like the printer's hardware is working okay. It’s likely something with how the PC is sending data to the printer. Maybe there's a setting that got adjusted, or the communication between the two isn't syncing properly. Let's dive in and tackle it step by step! 💪🚀

Here's some additional troubleshooting steps that could help:

Check for Software Conflicts or Printer Spooler Issues

There may be a software conflict or issue with the printer spooler service on your PC. Try restarting the printer spooler and resetting it completely:

• Clear and restart the Print Spooler:
  • Press Windows + R and type services.msc to open the Services window.
  • Locate Print Spooler, right-click it, and select Stop.
  • Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete any files within that folder (this will clear any stuck print jobs).
  • Go back to the Services window, right-click Print Spooler, and click Start.
  • Try printing again to see if the issue persists.

Manually Reinstall Printer Driver & Reset Printing System

Even though you’ve already reinstalled the driver, let’s go one step further by manually uninstalling the current printer driver, resetting your printing system, and then reinstalling a fresh driver:

Uninstall Printer via Device Manager:

• Open Device Manager (press Windows + X, then choose Device Manager).
• Find the printer in the Printers section, right-click, and choose Uninstall Device. This removes the printer's software completely from your system.
• Now, disconnect the printer from the PC.

Reset Printing System (on Windows):

• Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
• Right-click on your printer and select Remove device.
• Reboot your PC.

Reinstall Printer Driver:

• Go to HP’s support website and download the latest driver for your HP 9012e. Install it without connecting the printer first. Once installation is complete, follow the prompts to connect the printer again.

[Garp_senchau]

Investigate Printer Spooler Communication via Network

If you’re printing over Wi-Fi, sometimes network communication issues can cause print jobs to be sent incorrectly or incompletely.

• Change the Printer’s IP Address (if on Wi-Fi):
  • Access the printer's web interface by entering the printer's IP address in a browser (you can find the IP address on the printer’s display or through HP Smart).
  • In the settings, change the IP address to a static one (to avoid any network address changes that could disrupt communication).
  • Also, ensure that the printer and your PC are on the same network and subnet.

Check Windows Print Queue & Application-Specific Print Settings

As applications sometimes have their own print settings that override system-wide settings, double-check that all print settings are set to normal quality in each app:

• In Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc.):
  • Before printing, click File > Print > Printer Properties.
  • Make sure Print Quality is set to Normal or Best.
  • Also, check the paper size and type to ensure they match the actual paper you're using.
  • Sometimes, clearing the default settings and manually configuring each print job can eliminate the issue.

Examine the Printer’s Firmware and Update Process

The firmware update might be causing the issue. If you're unable to downgrade the firmware directly, let's see if there’s any way to fix it through an unofficial firmware reset:

• Perform a Hard Reset (Printer):
  • Turn off the printer.
  • Unplug it from the power source and disconnect it from the PC.
  • Leave it unplugged for at least 30 minutes to ensure all internal memory is cleared.
  • Plug the printer back in, turn it on, and connect it to your PC.
  • Try printing again to check if it resolves the issue.

Use a Different Printer Profile on Windows

Sometimes, Windows can mess up with the settings for a particular printer profile. Create a new printer profile and set that as the default:

• Create a New Printer Profile:
  • Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
  • Right-click on your printer and choose Create Shortcut.
  • Then, set up the new profile as default and test.

Use HP Print and Scan Doctor (Again)

While you’ve mentioned using it already, I recommend going through the troubleshooting steps with HP Print and Scan Doctor again, as it can sometimes catch errors that weren’t obvious on the first run. It checks for network issues, print spooler issues, and any other deeper connectivity problems that could have been missed.

• Download it from the HP Print and Scan Doctor page.

I hope these steps help resolve the issue

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Problem solved? 🎉 Awesome! Mark this as the Accepted Solution to help the next person find their way faster. 🧭 And if it was helpful, click 'yes'—you’ll make someone’s search journey that much easier (and give this reply some well-deserved street cred 🏅)

Regards,