HP Smart Tank 7301 Printing Images too dark

[Treadstone_71]

Hello,

I have a new Smart Tank 7301 All In One printer.  When I print images on it (either via Adobe Acrobat or just Windows Photos) they come out too dark.

I understand that many might consider this to be a subjective issue - a situation where I believe the images are too dark and that's just my personal opinion - and I would be inclined to agree that that is a possibility except for two things:

1) I owned an Epson WorkForce 840 printer before this, which printed these same images perfectly from these same sources

2) If I use the scan/copy function on the HP to copy and print one of those original Epson printed images - the HP 7301 reproduces it perfectly (ie *not* too dark)

It only prints too dark when I print directly from the source image on the computer (PDF, JPEG, etc).

Things I have tried:

Using different glossy paper stock (HP Premium, Epson Premium)
Changing the print settings (Telling it to print to HP Glossy or Other Glossy papers, always printing in "Best Quality", etc).

Printing from different programs:

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Acrobat

Windows Photo

Microsoft Paint

Microsoft Word

It doesn't matter what settings I use, or which program I use to print the images, the print always comes out too dark.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Treadstone_71,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand you've done a thorough job troubleshooting already. Since the printer reproduces the image correctly when using the scan/copy function, it suggests that the printer itself is capable of producing the desired output. This indicates that the issue might be related to the settings or color management on your computer or within the printing software.

Here are a few additional steps you could try:

• Color Management Settings: Check the color management settings both in your printing software and on your computer's operating system. Ensure that they are configured correctly for your printer and the type of paper you're using. You may need to adjust color profiles or calibration settings.
• Printer Driver Update: Make sure you have the latest printer driver installed for your HP Smart Tank 7301. Sometimes, outdated drivers can cause printing issues.  Software and Drivers for HP Smart Tank 7301 All-in-One
• Calibration: Consider calibrating your monitor to ensure that what you see on the screen is an accurate representation of the image's colors. There are various calibration tools available for this purpose.
• Print Preview: Before printing, use the print preview feature to see how the image will look on paper. This can help you identify any discrepancies between the on-screen image and the printed output.

Refer to this document: HP Smart Tank 7301 All-in-One  User manual

HP Smart Tank Printers - Color or black ink not printing, other print quality issues
HP Smart Tank Printers - Color or black ink not printing, other print quality issues setting 

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

[Treadstone_71]

What are color management settings and how do I get to them?  And how come I've never ever had to worry about them before?

Already verified the driver status as latest and greatest. 

Monitor calibration is useless as it's just a back handed way of saying it's all in my head.

Print preview always shows it looking exactly like I want it to.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Treadstone_71,

Thank you for your response, I appreciate your efforts. As the issue persists, I am sorry to hear that I'm sending out a private message to assist you with the next course of action. 

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos, Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!