Solved: Re: Can I fix the alignment problems my Color LaserJet CP151... - HP Support Community

Dean4298 · ‎08-29-2011

Can I fix the alignment problems my Color LaserJet CP1518ni is having? The red does not line up. I have installed the latest updates, etc. Calibrating does not help. The printer is only a few years old. What gives?

printerfixerguy · ‎05-03-2012

Hi threre, I just finished working on a customer's HP CP1518ni with this same alignment problem as most of you are describing. I went through a few processes and I think I found one that works... hopefully it will work for

you as well.

Things I tried before hand... also this machine has all HP brand toners at 90+ life on all of them.

- calibrate - did not fix problem (tried it once)

- nvram reset - did not fix problem

- removed and inspected print cartrides (no problem found), re-installed - did not fix problem

The "fix"...

First go to HP's website and download the firmware, make sure you select the correct operating system

that you are using. (for me it was Windows XP) Also make sure read requirements, I believe you have to

have SP2 with XP otherwise there maybe issues, always read instructions before doing firmware.

here is a quick link to the CP1518ni...

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?product=3422472&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&lang=en&cc=us

Next, assuming you have the correct print driver installed, double click the firmware utility you just down-loaded and select the CP1518ni from the drop-down list. Now press the "send firmware" button. It will

take a few minutes so just let it do it's thing. After it's done try printing something, for me it was NOT fixed.

Now you want to calibrate the machine, possibly 2 or 3 times, on the control panel scroll to the right till

you see "systemsetup" press ok and scroll to the right again till you see "print quality" and press ok;

the first item in that menu is "calibrate color" press ok, now it will say "calibrate now" and press ok one

last time. It will start the calibration process. After it's done print something again to see how it's doing,

for me I had to do the calibration process twice before the quality was normal again.

Good luck, hopefully this helps some, I have read that some printers still presist even after this process.

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dallas101 · ‎10-06-2011

Hi Dean, did you ever get a response or did you figure out how to fix this problem?

I am having the same issue with my CP1518ni. It makes the color images look like an old 3D image. I have tried updating the firmware, drivers, and cleaning and recalibrating all with no luck.

Here is a picture of what all my color prints look like

TRAP-SHOOTER · ‎10-12-2011

All of my colors are also misaligned. it has printed perfectly for almost 2 years and now everything is out of alignment. any ideas on fixing this or did another great american company mass produce more scrap with a predetermined life span?

dallas101 · ‎10-19-2011

Trap shooter I guess you were right. Predetermined life span I guess. I love how there has been no response from HP on this issue. All they want isto charge 30$ per hour to talk to you on the phone! I have been messing with mine for a while now and still have no luck. Although I did find out that I got one of the faulty blue ink toners and it took alot of spray air to clean it all out. Don't know if that started the problem or not but there was a lot of blue powder in side the printer. Hope we here something back soon!

Bob_Headrick · ‎10-19-2011

Please be aware that this forum is a peer to peer support forum, it is not a direct link to HP support.

I have a similar issue with a Laserjet cp1525nw, it was mostly corrected by removing and reseating the toner cartridges.

Bob Headrick, HP Expert
I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time.
If your problem is solved please click the "Accept as Solution" button
If my answer was helpful please click "Yes" to the "Was this post helpful" question.

Dean4298 · ‎10-19-2011

Thank you, Bob, for the suggestion about re-seating all the toner cartridges. I did that several times, as I've seen that mentioned before. I even bought a new red toner cartridge -- none of that helped. The red still prints below everything else and makes the print jobs look crappy.

I agree that it is very frustrating that HP never mentions this in their Help or Support pages. Outrageous, really .... {Content Removed: legal discussion}

I always thought HP was the best printer company. I guess not. My next printer will NOT be HP. I will post this on my Facebook and Twitter pages: BEWARE OF HP JUNK!!!

affableLJ · ‎10-19-2011

I am providing you the link on a document that has information on your issue. This might help you.

Resolving Print Quality Issues

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01691481

One or More Colors Missing on the Printout

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01674423

Regards,
affableLJ
Say Thanks by clicking the Kudos Star in the post that helped you.
Please mark the post that solves your problem as Accepted Solution
I am an HP employee!

Dean4298 · ‎10-19-2011

Thank you for your help, affableLJ! I've seen and tried the suggestions on the HP Help sites, but that stuff about using HP's Toolbox FX software and recalibrating does not help at all. Those suggestions were useless, and they did not actually list the problem of "misaligned colors." I'm beginning to suspect that the misalignment problems are inherent in their printers but they are not going to do anything about it. In the meantime, they continue to sell thousands of printers using the same faulty technology to unsuspecting consumers, which is totally wrong.

Dean4298 · ‎10-19-2011

Hi, Dallas101! My HP Color LaserJet 1518ni is only about 2 years old. That is what's so frustrating. It is out of warranty and I do not use it much (compared to the printer/copiers we have at work). It should not be breaking down already.

dallas101 · ‎10-19-2011

Hey Dean, I might have found a solution... Boat anchor! Just kidding, but I did get it to work correctly for about 5 full color pages. I opened the toner tray and pushed each cartridge to the left as far as they would go and I got some pretty good prints out of it! But after 5 it slowly started getting blurry and the red was shifting back to the same problem. It seems there is some "wiggle" room where the cartridges sit. I will be checking for loose screws later but for now it seems I have a 5 page streak! Thank you to everyone for all your info!!!

Can I fix the alignment problems my Color LaserJet CP1518ni is having? The red does not line up.

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