Tray 2 (11x17) replaced by "photo tray"

[BourboTech71]

In apps, Tray 2 (11x17) has been replaced by "photo tray" with a yellow alert icon so I can't print to tabloid paper. (photo tray can't accept Tabloid size) Driver was listed as "HP PLC-3 B-size Printer Class Driver" .  I removed printer from Printers and Scanners setting, then deleted the driver via Device Manager and restarted. Downloaded latest HP Smart app and installed.  The HP Embedded Web Server  Tray and Paper Management screen reports Tray 1 and Tray 2 with correct paper sizes.  BUT, in apps, only Tray 1 and Photo Tray appear.  Thanks for any help resolving this

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @BourboTech71 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thank you for walking me through the steps you’ve already taken—it shows real persistence, and I completely understand how frustrating it must feel when the tray you need is being misidentified as a photo tray. 

Let’s carefully reset the driver environment so that Tray 2 is properly recognized for tabloid paper.

 

Remove the printer completely

• Open Printers & Scanners in Windows.
• Select your printer and choose Remove device.
• Restart your computer to clear any cached settings.

Delete leftover drivers

• Open Print Management (press Windows key + R, type printmanagement.msc).
• Expand Print Servers > Drivers.
• Remove any entries related to “HP PLC-3 B-size Printer Class Driver” or similar.
• Restart again to ensure a clean slate.

Install the full feature driver

• Instead of relying on the basic class driver, install the dedicated printer driver package.
• Use the HP App to add the printer, but confirm during setup that the driver listed is the full printer driver, not a generic class driver.

Check paper tray mapping

• Open Devices and Printers.
• Right-click your Printer > Printer Properties > Device Settings.
• Ensure Tray 2 is listed with the correct paper size (11x17 / Tabloid).
• If it shows “Photo Tray,” manually change the assignment to Tabloid.

Verify in applications

• Open Word or Acrobat and check the print dialog.
• Tray 2 should now appear correctly as Tabloid-capable.

Optional reset via Embedded Web Server

• Access the printer’s Embedded Web Server.
• Reconfirm Tray 2 is set to Tabloid.
• Save settings, then refresh the driver properties on your computer.

 

Why this helps

The issue usually comes from Windows defaulting to a class driver, which doesn’t fully support advanced tray configurations. By removing all traces of that driver and installing the full package, the system can correctly map Tray 2 as Tabloid instead of mislabeling it as a photo tray.

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye