Smart Tank not printing accented characters

[Rich2024]

My HP Smart Tank 7305 will not print accented characters in some fonts. It has been suggested this is a driver issue and that I need to alter the setting from 'Use device font' to 'Download soft font'. Does anyone know how to do this in Windows 11, or have any other suggestions, as the printer is useless to me if it won't print accented characters.

[Max3Aj]

@Rich2024, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 
It seems you're experiencing issues with font handling in your HP Smart Tank 7305 printer. Here’s how to change the setting from "Use device font" to "Download soft font" in Windows 11:

Steps to Change Font Settings in Printer Driver:

1. Open Control Panel:
   • Press Win + R, type control, and press Enter.
2. Go to Printers & Devices:
   • Click on Devices and Printers. If you don’t see it, change "View by" to "Large icons" at the top right.
3. Right-click your HP Smart Tank 7305 and select Printer properties.
4. Go to the Advanced tab, then click on Printing Defaults.
5. Go to the Fonts tab (if available):
   • If you see an option for “Use device fonts”, change it to “Download soft font”.
6. Click Apply and OK to save changes.

Alternative Solutions if the Option is Missing:

If you don’t see the "Use device fonts" option, consider these alternatives:

1. Update Printer Driver:
   • Visit HP's official website to download and install the latest full feature driver for your printer.
2. Print as Image:
   • If the issue occurs with PDF documents, open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
   • Click Print, then go to Advanced and check Print as Image.
3. Try a Different Font:
   • Some fonts may not print correctly if they rely on the printer's built-in character set. Test with a TrueType or OpenType font like Arial or Times New Roman.
4. Use a Different Print Language (PCL or PostScript):
   • Go to Printer Properties → Advanced → Driver.
   • If using PCL, try switching to a PostScript driver and vice versa.
5. Try Printing from a Different App:
   • If the issue occurs in Word, try printing from Notepad, WordPad, or LibreOffice to see if the problem persists.
      

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! 

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[Rich2024]

Thank you very much for replying to my query. Unfortunately, there is no "Fonts" tab anywhere in the HP Smart Tank 7305 printer properties, so there seems to be no way to use the "Download soft fonts" option. I don't know if this is an HP problem or a Windows one. With my previous laptop running Windows 7, I could print the accented characters on my HP Envy printer without any problems, however, when I try to do this from my new Windows 11 laptop, they will not print, even when I use the same HP Envy printer that printed them fine with Windows 7. 
I have tried deleting and reinstalling the latest printer drivers, but this did not help. I cannot change font, as the documents require this particular font (Signet Roundhand). If I cannot print this font, then the printer is useless to me. The problem occurs in both Word and WordPerfect, however, your solution of printing the text as graphics does work in WordPerfect, as that gives me the option of doing that. So now I have at least one workaround that I can use. Thank you! Word does not give me that option, but if I save the Word file to PDF, I can print the text as image, as you say. So that does at least allow me to get the characters printed in the two programs I use - thank you very much!

I didn't try your option 4 - Use a Different Print Language (PCL or PostScript) - as I didn't know how to do this!

It does seem ridiculous to me, however, that something that was so simple on older technology is such a problem now. I have been printing documents using these fonts for the last 27 years. Why is it impossible to do so now? I can still print them on my son's old Canon Pixma, even using Windows 11.  Does this mean the problem is with HP? If so, please fix this, Hewlett Packard!

Many thanks again for your help.

[Max3Aj]

@Rich2024, Thank you for your response. 

I'm really glad the Print as Image workaround in WordPerfect and PDF works for you! It’s frustrating when something that worked flawlessly for decades suddenly becomes a problem due to new software or drivers.

Since this issue happens on both the HP Smart Tank 7305 and your older HP Envy printer when using Windows 11, it strongly suggests a Windows 11 driver or font rendering issue, not a problem with the printer itself.

How to Change Print Language to PCL or PostScript (Option 4)

Some HP printers allow switching between PCL (Printer Control Language) and PostScript drivers, which can affect how fonts are handled. Here's how to check:

1. Go to Printer Properties:

• Open Control Panel (Win + R, type control, press Enter).
• Click Devices and Printers.
• Right-click your HP Smart Tank 7305 and select Printer properties.

2. Check the Advanced Tab:

• Under Advanced, look for a Driver dropdown.
• If the driver is listed as something like "PCL 6", try installing and switching to an HP PostScript (PS) driver.

3. Install an HP PostScript Driver (If Not Available):

1. Visit the HP website and look for a PostScript driver for your printer.
2. If there’s no PostScript driver for the Smart Tank 7305, try adding a generic HP PostScript driver:

• Open Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
• Click Add a Printer.
• Select Add a local printer.
• Choose Use an existing port (your printer's port).
• Click Windows Update and wait for the list to refresh.
• Look for "HP Universal Print Driver PostScript".
• Install it and try printing again.

I hope this helps!

If my response resolves your issue, please click “Accepted Solution” to help others find the answer. Also, don’t forget to click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up” button to say thanks!

Take care and have a great day.

Max3Aj

HP Support