Color Banding Printing Photos

[LTek]

Need help - cant print proper photos.

I'm using HP Premium Photo paper and getting banding (1" bands of the photo have incorrect colorization).

Ran printhead clean twice and calibration. All test prints look perfect and regular document printing is good.

I have never printed photos before on this printer before.

Section of  photo showing the problem is attached below.

Anyone know what is causing this?

thx for the help!

[Dvortex]

Hello, @LTek – Greetings!

Thanks for your continued participation on the HP Forums! I read your post about the photo printing issue on your Officejet printer. I am happy to look into this issue for you 🙂

While feeding the photo paper to the input tray, you need to keep “Glossy” or print side facing down. Also, it is important to change the print settings before you print a photo. Check the settings mentioned below:

• Open the picture using “Windows Photo Viewer” (You can right-click on the image and go to “Open with” to select the windows photo viewer app)
• Change the paper size appropriately.
• Also, change the paper type to “photo paper” before printing.

 You can check detailed instructions here: http://hp.care/2enTQLv

Those steps should do the trick, let me know the outcome! Good luck 🙂

Cheers 🙂

Please click "Accepted Solution" on the post that solves your issue to help others find the solution. To show appreciation for my help, please click the "Thumbs Up Icon" below!

[LTek]

Dvortex - thank you for working with me on this. If you read my initial post completely you'll see I'm WAY past your suggestions.

Please re-read my post and let me know if you can provide assistance.

[Dvortex]

Hello @LTek,

Thanks for the update!

I did read your post carefully. You have clearly mentioned that the print quality on the regular documents and the test pages are good. The only issue when you are printing photographs. (Also, this is the first time you are printing the photos in this machine)

If the quality of the regular prints and the test pages are good, then the printer hardware is good and hence you do not need to do any troubleshooting on the printer like print head cleaning or calibration. 

In this particular situation, the main reason for the bad photo quality is the incorrect print settings on the PC. Even though it may sound silly, unless you select the correct paper type and the paper size from the app, the quality will never be perfect. Also, it is important to print on the glossy side of the photo paper. 

If you already tried changing the paper settings from the Windows Photo Viewer, then try changing those settings under the printing preferences as well. Check the steps below:

1. Go to Control Panel - Devices and Printers
2. Right-click on the Officejet Pro 277 and select "Printing Preferences"
3. Now go to paper / quality (or "Quality" or "Color" or Similar name) tab and check the paper settings.
4. Make sure the paper size and the paper type is selected correctly.
5. Save the settings and then try printing again.
    

If the issue persists, the issue could be with the printer drivers as well. You can follow the steps below to clean install the drivers:

• Unplug the USB cable from the printer and computer if present.
• Go to Control panel – Programs and feature – Select all the HP Officejet printer entries and uninstall them.
• Restart your computer.
• Now click on http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software12/COL47593/ij-115168-4/OJ276_DW_Basicx64_188.exe to download and install the printer drivers.
• Connect the USB cable if prompted and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.

Let me know if that helps!

Good luck 🙂

Please consider marking my post as "Accepted solutions" to help other users with the same issue to find a solution more efficiently. Click on "Thumps up" to give me "Kudos".

[LTek]

Thank you for your help - I think you are correct, issue is the paper setting BUT cant find the solution.

Using the HP Update printer app it says the latest drivers are installed

There is no setting for the paper I have "Everyday Photo Paper , GLOSSY" product Q8723A

... only "Everyday Photo" option is MATTE

Attached is the screenshot of the options I have under Photo.  I tried printing a few different selections and either I get banding (Everyday photo matte), or bleed / softness / lack of detail (HP Brochure glossy)

Also, what sRGB setting should I be using (there are 4 options: Default, Photo, Photo Adobe, Vivid)

[Dvortex · Accepted solution]

Hi, @LTek

Appreciate your efforts 🙂

I would suggest selecting "HP Advanced photo paper", or"HP Premium plus" and check. Select the sRGB as "Photo". Also, make sure you select the correct paper size as well. Save & apply the settings once done. 

Now, this is important - Go to the image that you want to print. Right-click on the image and select "Open with" and choose Windows Photo Viewer.

Make sure you select correct paper size and paper type and then try to print. Check the fig. below for ref:

That should do the trick. Let em know!

Good luck 🙂

Please click "Accepted Solution" on the post that solves your issue to help others find the solution. To show appreciation for my help, please click the "Thumbs Up Icon" below!

[LTek]

Dvortex,

thank you - choosing "HP Advanced photo paper" or"HP Premium plus" rendered acceptible results - and they were almost, if not, identical print quality to each other.

I did a lot of searching & reading and I could not find anything posted on HP's forums, FAQs, documentations, etc that said what paper setting and sRGB settings to use.

I think it would be helpful to printer owners and paper purchasers if HP would post a paper FAQ telling people what settings to use for which specific papers - the paper I'm using is a current product model/number.

Again, you have been very helpful I appreciate it. Hopefully you can convince HP to post an FAQ to help others save the 3 hours of time, frustration, and wasted paper and ink.

highest regards

[Dvortex]

Hello @LTek,

Great stuff! Glad to know that you were able to fix the issue.

I certainly do appreciate your efforts for working with me and for the great suggestion to improve the support. Hopefully, we will be able to come up with better documents which give you steps to get this done more efficiently.

Thank you again and may you also have a great day and even better tomorrow!