HP Smart Tank 7300 on Debian 11 Poor Color Balance

[FeralUrchin1]

Running Debian 11 with distro HPLIP.  Installed HP Smart Tank 7301 using Android HP Smart.  Printing works OK, except the color balance contains somewhat too much red.  I can't find a way to clean print heads or perform other printer maintenance.  HP Smart for Android has no Printer Settings feature, HP Smart does not seem to run on Linux.  Printer drivers and firmware updates do not seem to be available for Linux.  Suggestions?

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @FeralUrchin1 ,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand you are facing an issue with the lack of color accuracy with a red tint on your HP Smart Tank 7301/7300 printer on Debian 11 can be frustrating. 

Here are some suggestions to tackle the poor color balance:

1. Check Print Settings and Document:

• Application Settings: Double-check the print settings within the application you're printing from. Ensure the "Color" option is selected and not "Grayscale" or "Black Ink Only." You might also find options for Color Mode or Color Correction. Experiment with these settings to see if they affect the red tint.
• Document Quality: If you're printing a photo or image, consider using editing software to adjust colors, brightness, and contrast before printing. A higher-resolution image can also improve print quality.

2. Cleaning Printhead (Alternative Methods):

• HP Printer Control Panel: Though HP Smart might not be available on Linux, check your printer's physical control panel for options related to cleaning or maintenance. Many HP printers have a dedicated button or menu for this purpose. Consult your printer's manual for specific instructions.
• Web Interface: Some HP printers offer a web interface for configuration and maintenance. Try accessing the printer's IP address in a web browser to see if there are options for cleaning the printhead. The printer's manual should also have instructions on how to find the IP address.

3. Leverage HPLIP Features:

• Cleaning Utility: While HP Smart might not be available, HPLIP (HP Linux Imaging Project) should offer some basic printer maintenance options. Try using the hp-clean command in your terminal to initiate a printhead cleaning cycle. Refer to the HPLIP documentation for specific commands related to your printer model.

4. Consider Third-Party Tools:

• Open-source alternatives: Explore open-source tools like "system-config-printer" or "cups" that provide a graphical interface for printer management on Linux. These tools might offer limited cleaning options depending on the level of support for your specific HP model.

5. Update Firmware (if possible):

• While HP might not offer Linux-specific firmware updates, check the HP website for your printer model. In some cases, a Windows update might also include a firmware update that could address printing issues. If you have a secondary Windows machine, consider updating the firmware there and see if it improves the color balance on your Debian system. Update the firmware on an HP printer

Refer to this document: HP Smart Tank 7300 series 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. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[FeralUrchin1]

@gaya1239  Thank you very much for the kind and prompt response.  The color balance was restored after I cycled the power on the HP Smart Tank 7300 Printer.  Perhaps the color profile was successfully reloaded correctly on restart.  Strange but good.

Using HPLIP for printer maintenance (head cleaning, alignment etc) fails because HP-Setup fails to detect the printer--even when supplied with its IP address.  Running the HP Device Manager elicits the message "No Installed HP devices found.".

Although I'm able to perform normal print operations again now, having installed the printer using HP Smart on my Android tablet and subsequently using Linux CPUS capabilities, it appears to me that my success on Linux is more by accident than by design.  In the past 20 years' Linux usage I felt confident that HP would support its printers on Linux.  However, my latest experience raises serious doubts about being able to continue using HP printers.

Will HP provide a Linux version of HP Smart?  Will HP integrate its software more completely with HPLIP so that the HP Device Manager can detect a connected Smart Tank printer?

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @FeralUrchin1,

Thank you for your response, I appreciate your efforts. As the issue persists, I am sorry to hear that  This needs one-on-one interaction  I'm sending out a private message to assist you with the next course of action. 

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.

Please click “Accept as 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!