OfficeJet 5610 not printing or printing light

[SlickRCBD]

I've been using an OfficeJet 5610 for over a decade. Lately sometimes the printer will either print very lightly or not print at all on a page, and sometimes it grabs two pages at once. After a few tries it might print normally.

This can be from page to page, rather than job to job. Very annoying if I have to print a 3 page document and want to print on both sides if the first and third page print normally, then I try to feed the page back in to print page 2 and I get light grey text, and it takes 3 more tries wasting several sheets before I get page 2 to print.

The problem is very reminiscent to what I remember when I accidentally set the "paper thickness" switch too high on this printer's predecessor, an old HP Deskjet 812C (long retired, although it might still be in mom's basement. The ink cartridges were too expensive), but I don't see any such switch on the 5610.

I know it's not the ink cartridge, it was a good one and I even tried putting a new cartridge inside.

The printer is old and the scanner part is broken, so it may be time for a new one, but if there is something simple like a hidden paper thickness selector that I missed, I'd like to know how to adjust it.

My main resistance to doing so is I have an old WIn98SE/XP computer I use as a print server, a Win7 computer, and a Win10 computer and I'd like to be able to print from all of them, so finding something that prints from XP is a challenge these days. Especially since my copy of The Print Shop doesn't work on Win7 (although I haven't tried 10).

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @SlickRCBD,

Welcome to the HP Support Community

I understand you are facing a print quality issue with your HP  printer. Not to worry I will help you to get a resolution to resolve the issue.

To assist better:

• Are you using genuine HP ink cartridges?
• Does the copy print out the same way? 
• What's the application you are trying to print from? 
• Have you tried printing from a different application or device? 

While you respond to that, let's print a Print Quality Diagnostic page -Post the Print Quality Diagnostic page here so we can help you further. 

You may also refer to this document with steps to fix the " Print Quality Issues" issue applicable to your printer -  Print Quality Issues

Click here to HP Printers - How to Store and Handle Paper to Avoid Paper Jams

Click here to download and install the latest printer firmware from your product

 Also, try updating the printer's firmware - HP Printers - Updating or Upgrading Printer Firmware 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

Please click “Accepted 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!

[SlickRCBD]

---

@A_Gayathri wrote:

To assist better:

• Are you using genuine HP ink cartridges?

Yes

• Does the copy print out the same way? 

No, one try might come out messed up, the next will come out perfect.

• What's the application you are trying to print from? 

Doesn't matter. I've had this issue in Word, Firefox, and Adobe Acrobat.

• Have you tried printing from a different application or device? 

Yes, I've tried to print the Word document and the PDF on the XP computer the printer is connected to as well as my Windows 10 desktop.

While you respond to that, let's print a Print Quality Diagnostic page -Post the Print Quality Diagnostic page here so we can help you further. 

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but all the diagnostic pages have the same random chance of coming out missing lines and lite text as a regular document.

---

I've interspersed responses. 

If this were my old DeskJet 812C printer, I'd say the paper thickness was set to a thicker paper than what I am using, but I can't find any such control on the OfficeJet 5610.

What I get is lines are missing and/or the print quality is light or both. Then another page will print just fine. Sometimes the printer will grab two sheets at once. Sometimes it will "print" but nothing shows up on the page.

I'm wondering if the printer is just broken and needs to be replaced.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @SlickRCBD,

Thank you for your response, I really appreciate your efforts. As the issue still persists, 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.

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!

[SlickRCBD]

I get this:

[quote]You do not have sufficient privileges for this resource or its parent to perform this action.

Click your browser's Back button to continue.

Return to my original page[/quote]

I do not see any way to turn on PMs in the settings.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @SlickRCBD,

Thank you for your response, I really appreciate your efforts. As the issue still persists, 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.

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!

[SlickRCBD]

NOW the icon is appearing (unlike yesterday), but I have no messages.

Is there some reason why you can't just post in the forum?

[Nal_NR]

Hi @SlickRCBD,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd like to help!

Apologies. There seems to be a technical glitch. I've sent you a private message once again, with further instructions. In order to access your private messages, click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile Name or simply click on this link.

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution button, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!