Printing pale unless adding black text box and text in MS Word - HP Smart Tank+ 551 on Windows 11

[cinthiam]

Printing problem: Art prints are pale, but text-only is fine, and color is off a bit (too blue, not deep enough).

Tried every paper and every setting, and printing from multiple applications (From within photoshop, I tried having printer decide print settings as well as photoshop managing print settings. Tried everything, including with and without Max dpi and "best" quality option. The prints aren't correct color, are all pale, and all too blue. Some settings force it to be far more pale than others. Drivers and firmware are up-to-date, printhead aligned and cleaned. The only exception is when I print from Microsoft word, IF I place a black text box over the image and add black text somewhere on the page over the image. Then it prints correctly--but those are unusable prints. The moment I remove the extra stuff so that it's image-only again, it's like the printer suddenly sees through a cataract and prints everything pale/off-color again. If I have JUST text, it also prints fine. But that's not an art print, that's just text.

I make my own bookmarks and other things, and my printer is an HP Smart Tank Plus 551, being used on Windows 11 Pro. When I had Windows 10, I didn't have this issue, but since updating, this is the first time I needed new prints, and I can't print anything usable now. I'm going to have to end up ordering stuff from BestValueCopy just to be able to sell with my books and original art at the fairs and on my website. I don't make enough money yet to upgrade my prints to something more expensive.

Help????? 

[Nal_NR]

Hi @cinthiam,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

I’m sorry to hear about the frustrating issues you’re facing with your prints, especially since it’s impacting your work. Let’s work through this to get your prints looking just right again.

• Can you confirm whether the color issue occurs with all types of images, or does it seem to be more specific to certain designs or colors (e.g., darker vs. lighter tones)?
• Are you using a specific type of paper for your prints (like glossy or matte), and have you checked if the paper type is correctly selected in the printer settings?
• Does the issue persist if you try printing from other software, such as a PDF viewer or Microsoft Paint, to rule out any application-specific conflicts?

Let's try these steps. 

Step 1: Recheck Printer Color Management Settings

• Since you mentioned trying both Photoshop and the printer to manage print settings, let's ensure that color management is configured correctly.
  1. In the HP Smart App or your printer settings, make sure Color Management is set to Printer Manages Colors, not the application.
  2. Ensure that the color profile is appropriate for the type of print you are making (e.g., sRGB, AdobeRGB).

Step 2: Use the Correct Paper Type Setting

• Select the correct paper type in your printer settings based on the type of paper you’re using (e.g., glossy, matte, plain).
• This can sometimes impact how the ink is applied, especially for color prints.

Step 3: Try Printing from Different Software

• To test if the issue is software-related, try printing the same image using a different program such as Windows Photos or a PDF viewer.
• This will help determine whether the problem is tied to a specific application or system-wide.

Step 4: Check Ink Levels and Printhead Condition

• Although you've cleaned the printhead, make sure ink levels are full or properly balanced, especially for the colors in your art prints.
  1. Open the HP Smart App and check the ink levels for each tank to ensure they are all within acceptable range.
  2. You can also try printing a diagnostic page to check if any of the colors are printing incorrectly.

Step 5: Test with Windows 10 Compatibility Mode

• Since the issue started after upgrading to Windows 11, try printing in compatibility mode for Windows 10:
  1. Right-click the printer driver or HP Smart App shortcut.
  2. Select Properties, go to the Compatibility tab, and check Run this program in compatibility mode for and select Windows 10.

You may also refer to this document for further assistance. 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[cinthiam]

The color issue occurs with all types of images. There is a HUGE amount of inconsistency from print to print, where it doesn’t print red or yellow, or where it makes things far too pale or too blue. I can’t print anything usable from certain MS Word files, yet I can from other MS Word files. I can’t print directly from the saved image, or from Photoshop (where the worst of the pale issues come from), and when I direct scan, the colors are usually fine but the quality is horrid for pictures.

I’ve changed settings from RGB to CYMK, from having printer settings overridden by Photoshop’s settings for printing, to so many other things, one at a time. I’ve realigned the print head, the ink is correct and not out of date, and I’ve tried every type of paper. It’s highly inconsistent on specific images. I have a red & black image that has a little blue and yellow, and it never ever has any issue printing that one. But then I print a watercolor image that’s got a lot of greens and a couple large blue areas, but just a little red or pink or purple, and it becomes insanely inconsistent from print to print.

The driver is up to date and says it’s working perfectly.

The ink isn’t even low, it’s full.

I’ve tried the HP Smart App, and it makes no changes and fixes none of the consistency issues.

I tried the diagnostic page and it shows fine. I’ve also tried the compatibility mode.

I am too afraid to click links, though, so I can’t check that. (I can’t afford if my computer gets more issues because of possible viruses, especially since I’m already gonna have to do a full clean install of Windows 11 due to a corrupted NVIDIA graphics driver for video rendering and recording.)

[Nal_NR]

Hi @cinthiam ,

We apologize for the inconvenience. The issue seems to persist even after attempting the troubleshooting steps mentioned above.

This might require one-on-one interaction via remote assistance to fix the issue over the phone. 

I've sent you a private message with further instructions. In order to access your private messages, click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile Name or simply click on this link.

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