changing cmyk balance on hp envy printer

[laptopsmurf]

Hi - first post, so hope someone can help.

I have a HP Envy Photo 6230 printer. For the art work I am printing, I want the colour to be the deepest, 'blackest' black possible, and have been told that this can be done by changing the cmyk balance to something like 75%/68%/67%/90%. My question is, can this be done on my printer and how? I'm NOT very tech savvy, and have been looking up support pages all day. It states the way to do this is to click on Printer then Customise, then Colour Management, but I always seem to end up opening the Printing Shortcuts box, which is apparantly a "collection of saved print settings" - what it doesn't show is how to change or create your own settings (if I can).

Or is it just not possible to alter the cmyk balance because that is not the way ink cartridges work? If I can't change the balance, do you have any tips on how to print the deepest black colour possible when printing a "block" of black (i'm not talking about black text here?

thanks for any help, Drew.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @laptopsmurf ,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand you're trying to adjust the color balance to achieve the deepest black possible when printing images or graphics with your HP Envy Photo 6230 printer. While this printer model doesn't offer direct control over CMYK settings like some higher-end printers do, you can still optimize your print settings to achieve darker blacks.

Here are some tips to help you achieve the deepest black possible:

• Quality Settings: Make sure you're printing at the highest quality setting available for your printer. This typically ensures better color saturation and deeper blacks.
• Paper Selection: Choose a high-quality paper specifically designed for photo printing. Matte or glossy photo paper tends to produce better results compared to standard printer paper.
• Print Mode: Check if your printer offers a "Photo" or "Best Quality" mode, which usually optimizes settings for photo printing, resulting in deeper blacks and richer colors.
• Color Profiles: Ensure that you're using the correct color profile for your printer and paper combination. Sometimes, using the default color profile provided by HP can give better results than trying to manually adjust color settings.
• Ink Cartridges: Ensure that your ink cartridges are not low on ink or expired, as this can affect print quality. Using genuine HP ink cartridges is also recommended for optimal results.
• Image Editing: If possible, adjust the image itself using photo editing software before printing. Increasing the contrast or adjusting levels can help enhance the black areas of the image.
• Black Ink Only: Some printers offer an option to print using only black ink, which can result in deeper blacks. However, this option might not be available on your specific printer model.
• Experiment: Try printing a test image with different settings to see which combination gives you the darkest blacks and the desired results.

Refer to this document:  HP ENVY Photo 6230 All-in-One Printer user manual

 

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.

[laptopsmurf]

Hi

Thanks for your reply Gaya - it essentially answers my core question in that I now know you can't change cmyk balance settings on this model. I'll experiment with some of your other tips, though, so thanks.

[A_Gayathri]

HI @laptopsmurf ,

Thank you for your response. If you need further assistance feel free to reach out to us. 

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accept as Solution that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Have a great day ahead!