Can't print from photo tray on Envy 5540

[ReverseTalk]

Hi TPCS78, which link are you referring to? There are links to several documents throughout this forum thread. I did edit one link to a doc that is no longer available. 

Can you also tell me exactly what the issue is and what troubleshooting steps you have performed?

Thanks!

[ReverseTalk]

Hi David, Mike, et all,

As of right now, the software lab is unable to reproduce the issues I brought to their attention, which include:

• Paper will pull only from main tray—not photo tray
• Photo tray is grayed out in settings
• 'Out of paper' message displays (when main tray is empty and also when photo tray is full)

I'm still in collaboration with them, but I thought I'd check in.

Thanks for your patience.

[Mike681]

Many thanks for your efforts on our behalf. However, without wishing to sound ungrateful, am I the only one who finds it almost surreal that a supposedly sophisticated and experienced corporation takes this incremental approach to problem solving?

Without resorting to capital letters, let me state (for the 3rd time); that this printer in its current state is not capable of producing a print from the 4x6 photo tray. In simple terms it does not do the job that the consumer paid it to carry out. It is a faulty piece of equipment.

The lab could try borrowing my printer or one from any of the other end users for that matter.

That way they will find out what the problem is in 5 seconds rather than stumbling around in this loop that has been going on for over 5 months

[joebhoy]

Its gotta be adriver issue. Has anyone there at HP got one of these printers to test ? 

[ReverseTalk]

Hi Joe,

I have been able to test this issue on an ENVY 5640 (same family). I'm leaning toward driver settings also. As of right now, we have several resources looking into any potentials issues (other departments also testing/trying to reproduce the issues), and I promise to keep you all informed. 

I'm aware this is an old thread without a solution, and I have been told the ball will be rolling faster.

[David1936]

I think I have resolved this problem, but the solution is highly inefficient from the point of view of time and motion in the workplace.

Procedure in brief to illustrate the problem and solution - for a PC running Windows 7.  Picture Manager. File. Print. Select paper size 10/15. Select HP photo paper. Ensure 10 sheets of photo paper in photo tray. Leave A4 paper in A4 tray because it is an enormous bother taking it out and putting it in again every time I want to print a photo as the printer is "remote".  Options. Photo printing white borders. Check paper/quality "Photo tray". Check advanced paper size 10x15. "Print".

Get "Out of paper message".

One blank sheet of photo paper is ejected from the printer.

THat is exatly the problem I have been trying to solve.

Remove A4 paper from A4 tray.

Press print again.

Photo is printed.

Therefore the problem is that the user has to remove whichever is the "unwanted" paper from its tray, before printing EITHER photos or A4 sheets. I know this is true also for A4, because when I then want to print some A4 sheets I find that the setting has remained on 10x15 and the output is likely to appear on photo paper instead of on an A4 sheet.

At least that seems to work, but it is an enormous HP design fault for someone like me who typically prints a few sheets of A4, then a photo or two, then a few sheets of A4 etc etc many time per day. I am going to have to get up from my computer and go the printer to take one lot of paper out and put the other in time after time!!!!!

When I bought this printer direct from HP, over the phone and without inspecting the printer, I asked for the printer with printing and copying functionality closest to my old excellent HP C6180 printer, but with no fax capability needed. Price was not an important consideration. Perhaps the conversation was recorded by HP. I did NOT have to do this tedious paper removal with my old HP printer. Moreover I was NOT told that this ENVY printer requires me to put one page at a time in for copying, whereas I could put a document consisting of dozens of A4 pages into my old printer and leave the printer copying them all while I got one with something else. I consider that I have been sold a lemon, albeit a cheap lemon.

All comments appreciated.

[Mike681]

That took some perseverance.

It also seems like a lengthy procedure. 

I might pass on this solution as the only reason I purchased my Envy 5540 was that I had run out of ink on my old HP printer.

My local branch of Staples was selling these printers for next to nothing; the explanation provided at the time was that they were making room for new inventory but perhaps the real reason was that they, too had received some complaints about the way this thing was performing and probably just wanted to see the back of it.

Anyway I managed to get one of these things plus a full cartridge for what it was going to cost to get one black ink cartridge for my old printer.

The photo tray was just an added attraction. Not the fastest printer but more than adequate for me, now that I no longer work from home.

My participation in the forum was motivated by,

a) my curiosity to see what quality of photo print could be produced once that capability had been achieved.

b) how long HP will avoid admitting that the 5540 in its present state is, as you say, a bit of a lemon.

[David1936]

My previous "solution" is only partly correct.

Having used my new system to print a number of photos, it was time to print some A4 text again.

So I took the photo paper out of its tray, put enough A4 sheets into the main tray; went through the laborious process again of getting all the settings correct for A4 printing.

And, it's hard to credit I know, got an "out of paper" message on both computer and printer.

In desperation I pressed OK (nothing else at all like checking the settings again) and the A4 pages were printed.

Rather less than perfect, by about a mile!

I think we should all still expect explanations from an HP engineer.

[ReverseTalk]

Happy Monday, Mike and David,

Well, the ball certainly is rolling.

David, an engineer should be contacting you in the next couple days for additional information. They believe it might be a hardware issue.

Mike, I was asked to get information from you regarding the following statement you made:

This printer will not willingly print material from the 4x6 photo tray. The common problem being that even after selecting this tray, the selection is subsequently altered because 'of a conflict with another printer setting'.

The team working on this issue would like you to elaborate the conflict with printer statement. Most importantly, if you are receiving an error message, they'd like a screenshot. If there is not an error message and you were simply stating that the issue is likely due to conflicting settings, please let me know so I can pass along the information.

Thanks to you both. 🙂 

[Mike681]

I am using windows 10 printing photos app.

As I say, having gone into options,  my choice of tray will subsequently be altered back to main tray with the an accompanying message appearing in yellow above the options box that governs choice of photo tray.

The wording of the message is exactly as has been quoted.

In my reply to this forum, Feb 13 2017 at 10.24 I described the chain of events in some detail. I made it clear that the message that appeared was within the settings section of the photo app that is loaded into my laptop.

I am not at home now but will provide a screenshot tomorrow