Weird print pattern, exact every time on same document

[Bree12frogs]

HP OfficeJet Pro 6968.  (Shows up as 6960 when selecting printers, always has, although HP Smart Print App does recognize it as 6968)

I'm on a laptop with Windows 10.  I also used my iPhone 8 to print the same document from Google Drive and I got very similar results.

My document has color and a picture at the top which always has the same chunk of misprinted color in all the same areas every time.  The same color is used throughout the document but is ONLY affected in specific areas every time.  Other colored documents do not print with this same pattern.

The document looks crisp on the screen (laptop or phone) but always prints with chunks of ink missing (very faint rectangular chunks instead of rich color).

I am up to date and cannot find any new updates available for the printer or the laptop.

I know this ink (902) has complaints with their cyan from other customers, and of course, blue is a staple in our business colors.  I have replaced all ink cartridges with new ones and tried cleaning the heads, and the test print looks good, but the document still prints the same.  The color on the test print is in a different spot than the missing color on my document.

This same document can be printed just fine on other OfficeJet Pros.

I have no idea how to resolve this.  Any help would be great! 

[Jay_G24]

Hi @Bree12frogs

Welcome to the HP Support Community. I'd be happy to assist you with the  "print quality" issue. 

To better assist you - 

1) Does the copy print out the same way? 

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

Officejet 6968 is a series of the Officejet 6960,and they use the same drivers.

Hence on the drivers it does show up as Officejet 6960.

While you respond to that, let's print a Print Quality Diagnostic page -

1. Load plain white paper in the input tray.

2. From the printer control panel, open the Setup  menu.

3. Open the Reports or Tools menu.

4. Touch Print Quality Report

Post the Print Quality Diagnostic page here so we can help you further. 

Try changing the printer quality from draft to best and check the quality of the document -

Check the print settings for your print job in Windows.

1. In the software application you are trying to print from, click File, and then click Print.

   The Print window opens.

2. Open the Properties dialog box.

   Depending on the software application, the button might be Properties, Options, Printer Setup, Printer, or Preferences.

3. Depending on your print job, you might consider modifying the following settings:

   • Paper Type: If you are printing on photo paper, select the type of photo paper you are attempting to print on.

   • Print Quality: If you are dissatisfied with the quality of your printouts, increase the print quality. To print more quickly, decrease the print quality. These options typically include Best, Normal, and Draft modes.

   • Paper Size: If you are printing on a different size of paper than you normally print on, select the correct paper size.

   • Black and White: If you want to print in black and white only, select the grayscale option.

4. After selecting the print settings, click OK to apply the settings, and then click Print.

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

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

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