printer is not printing top half of some sentences.

[Jim345]

printer is not printing top half of some sentences.

[Riddle_Decipher]

@Jim345 Welcome to HP Forums!

Note: Please ensure the complete product name/number for a quicker response from the community, as we need to know what we are dealing with to provide an accurate solution: Click here for steps on finding the information we need!

Remember: Do not share any of your personal information such as serial, phone number, email ID, etc.

While you respond to that, here's what you need to do:

• Check print preview and paper size
• Set Preserve Layout to 'No'
• Save settings, restart the device and check if it works.

Let me know how that pans out,

If you feel I was helpful, simply click on Accept as Solution to help the community grow,

That said, I will have someone follow-up on this to ensure you've been helped,

Just in case you don't get back to us within 24 - 48hrs, and have a good day, ahead.

[Jim345]

My printer is HP deskjet 6940, Model C8970A - 002,  Serial Number [edit]  Sorry I forgot to put that in.

I see no settings to do what you are suggesting. Also sometimes it is the bottom of the sentences that does not print clearly.

   Jim345

[Riddle_Decipher]

@Jim345 I appreciate the details and here's what I recommend you do:

Check the paper to make sure you are using the correct paper type for the project. If the paper is too fibrous, the ink applied by the printer might not fully cover the print surface.

Step 2: Check your printer settings

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

2. Make sure your printer is selected and then click Properties. The printer Properties dialog opens.

3. Under "What do you want to do?" on the Printing Shortcuts tab, select a task.

4. The "What do you want to do?" drop-down menu covers most printing needs, but you might need to modify some of the options.

   Options on the Printing Shortcuts tab:

   • Print quality - if you are unhappy with the quality of your printouts, try increasing the print quality. To print more quickly, try decreasing the print quality.

   • Paper type - if one of the options matches your paper type exactly, choose it rather than Automatic.

   • Paper size - make sure this matches the paper in the printer.

   • Orientation - select Landscape or Portrait.

   • Real Life Digital Photography - select from a variety of settings to improve the quality of printed photos.

   Additional options: click the Advanced tab. The Advanced Settings dialog box displays.

   • Overspray - when printing a borderless photo, the image might be slightly resized so that it fits on the photo paper without a white border. If part of the image that is printed on the borderless photo is cut off, use the overspray options to control how much of the original image extends past the edge of the paper.

   • Dry time - provides extra drying time for slow-drying printouts. Drag the slider to the left for less drying time, or to the right for more drying time. The printer will hold on to the printout until the dry time has elapsed.

   • Ink volume - adjusts the amount of ink printed on a page. For lighter images (less ink), drag the slider to the left. For darker images (more ink), drag the slider to the right. The lighter the ink volume, the faster the printout will dry.

If the steps above have not helped, print and evaluate a diagnostic page to see if the cartridges or the printer is causing the problem.

1. Make sure the printer is on and loaded with unused, plain, white paper.

2. Press and hold the Power button and then press the Cancel button. Release both buttons. The diagnostic page prints.

You must identify which cartridge printed which part of the diagnostic page so that if you find defects on the page, you will know which cartridge is the problem.

However, you can install different combinations of print cartridges in your printer, and different cartridge combinations print different diagnostic page patterns. Your diagnostic page may not look exactly like the picture below, but the right and left cartridges will print in the same areas of the page no matter which cartridges are installed.

NOTE: 

If you have installed a refilled or remanufactured ink cartridge, or a cartridge that has been used in another product, the ink level indicator is inaccurate or unavailable.

Look in the middle of the diagnostic page. The bars with "E" (for "empty") and "F" (for "full") at each end show the ink levels in the cartridges. As ink is used, the solid color changes to a faded color.

Figure : Left (tri-color) cartridge almost full - right cartridge empty

Figure : Both left and right cartridges almost full

In general, if the printer and print cartridges are working properly, the patterns (which look like grids of lines) should contain few or no missing lines. Also, the colors of the patterns and bars should be approximately the same as the color dots on the print cartridge label.

NOTE: 

Do not compare the colors on your diagnostic page to the colors on this Web page. Unless your monitor is calibrated, the colors will not be correct. Instead, compare the colors on the page to the colors dots on the print cartridge label. While the color dots may not be perfectly accurate, they are likely to be more accurate than the colors on the monitor.

Missing lines or streaked bars

If a pattern shows more than a few missing lines, or a bar is streaked, that print cartridge is not functioning properly.

To help you further I'd like to know if your device is under warranty? If not, please send me a private message with the region you are contacting us from, here's how private messages work: 

Click here for details. 

Good luck & Take care.

[Jim345 · Accepted solution]

Thanks. The problem appears to have gone away although I have no reason why. I will keep your detailed recomendations in case the problem returns. Jim 345

[Riddle_Decipher]

@Jim345 That's awesome, please make use of them in case the issue re-occurs although, I hope it doesn't fingers crossed!

Perhaps, an update installed recently did the trick, however, I'd keep these steps handy to be on a safer side.

If you would like to thank us for our efforts to help you, 

Give us a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon below, followed by clicking on the "Accept as solution" on the post you feel, helped you the most, 

Have a great day!