Scratchy Text Printing on Envelops only from MS Word on HP Smart Tank 7600

[APetty]

I'm having the same exact problem as the user in this string of questions, but the solution was not published.  

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-Ink-Cartridges-Print-Quality/Smart-Tank-7602-envelope-printing...

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @APetty,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your HP Smart Tank 7600 series printer is producing scratchy or rough text only when printing envelopes from Microsoft Word. Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be causing this.

Check the paper type and print quality settings
Open Word > File > Print > Printer Properties.
Set Paper Type to Envelope (or *Plain Paper if Envelope is not listed) and Print Quality to Normal or Best, not Draft.

Verify envelope size and feed method
Confirm the envelope size in Word matches what is loaded in the tray (for example, #10).
Load a small number of envelopes flat and centered to avoid uneven feeding.

Turn off Draft, Eco, or Ink Save modes
In printer preferences, disable Draft, Eco, or Ink Saving features.
These modes reduce ink density and often cause scratchy or broken text on envelopes.

Run printhead cleaning and alignment
Open the HP Smart app and run Clean Printhead once or twice.
After cleaning, run Align Printhead to ensure proper ink placement on thicker media.

Test with a standard font and size
Use a simple font like Arial or Times New Roman at 10–12 pt.
Very thin or decorative fonts can appear jagged on envelope stock.

Print the envelope from a PDF instead of directly from Word
Save the envelope as a PDF and then print the PDF.
This forces cleaner text rendering and often eliminates rough edges.

Confirm envelope type
Use plain, non-glossy, non-window envelopes.
Textured or coated envelopes can prevent ink from laying down smoothly.

Compare with plain paper output
Print the same address layout on plain paper.
If plain paper is clean, the issue is related to envelope handling and print settings rather than a printer fault.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[APetty]

Unfortunately, these steps didn't resolve my issue.  But printing portrait and feeding the envelope like a letter, did.  I just changed the paper size to custom and entered the envelope size backwards (9.5"x4.13" instead of 4.13"x9.5"). Prints fine this way.  For some reason the 7600 doesn't like the normal way of feeding an envelope.  

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @APetty,

Thank you for the update and for taking the time to share what ultimately worked for you. We really appreciate it.

That’s a very helpful workaround you’ve discovered.

Printing the envelope in portrait mode and feeding it like a standard letter, while defining a custom paper size with the dimensions reversed, does explain why the output improves. This points to a driver/firmware handling limitation with envelope orientation on the Smart Tank 7600 series, rather than a hardware fault with the printer itself.

Your finding will definitely help other users who run into the same scratchy-text issue when printing envelopes directly from Microsoft Word. I’ll make sure this solution is noted so it can be referenced by others in the community.

For now, continuing with this method is the best practical workaround when printing envelopes from Word on this model.

Please mark this post as accepted solution so that it helps the others find the solution easily.

Thanks again for circling back and closing the loop. If you need help with anything else, feel free to post anytime, we’re always here to help 😊

Best regards,

[derekbness]

I noticed I have 2 printer devices listed for the same printer on my pc. 1 is by USB and the other is IPP. The IPP, which is wireless, has the same issue when set as default. If I set the USB as default, it prints envelopes fine.