Extremely Poor Scan Quality

[nhf7170]

Scans from this printer are completely unusable.  I can't even describe how bad they are. I have tried everything that has been suggested on these forums to no avail. I have even had the printer replaced, since the call center tech refused even to look at the output, preferring to take control of my machine and tinker with settings that I already tried. I have already removed, uninstalled and reinstalled the drivers and used both HP's scan software(s), VueScan and IrfanView, and the result has always been the same. This can't be intentional. It's like requesting a courtoom illustrator and being sent a 5-year-old with fingerpaints. Below are some examples of the same original with my old Epson printer and the HP. 

 HP @ 600dpi

Epson @ 600dpi

HP @1200dpi

 Epson @ 1200dpi

[Jay_G24]

Hi @nhf7170,

I'd like to help!

Try the below suggestions -

Clean the scanner glass and parts

Fingerprints, smudges, dust, or debris on the scanner glass, under the scanner lid, or in the document feed slot can cause lines and color bands. Clean these parts with a soft, lint-free cloth sprayed with glass cleaner.

Callout

Description

1.Printer with flatbed scanner glass and lid

2.Printer with a document scan feeder

Clean a flatbed scanner

Clean the scanner glass and underside of the scanner lid with a soft, lint-free cloth sprayed with glass cleaner.

1. Turn off the printer, and then disconnect the power cord.

2. Lift the scanner lid.

3. Spray a soft, lint-free cloth with glass cleaner, and then wipe the scanner glass, glass strip (if present), the white backing under the scanner lid, and the white strip under the lid (if present) until clean, dry, and streak-free.

   CAUTION: 

   To protect the interior printer parts, do not spray the cleaner directly on the glass or on the underside of the lid.

   

   Callout

   Description

   1White scanner lid backing

   2.White ADF scanner lid strip (if present)

   3.Glass ADF scanner strip (if present)

   4.Main scanner glass

4. Reconnect the power cord, turn on the printer, and then close the scanner lid completely.

Clean a document scan feeder

Clean the plastic and glass strips inside the document feeder with a soft, lint-free cloth sprayed with glass cleaner.

NOTE: 

Some printers ship with a document feeder cleaning cloth. If you have the cloth, load it into the document feeder and start a scan job to clean the scanner mechanism.

1. Turn the printer off, disconnect the power cord, and then remove the rechargeable battery if your printer has one.

2. Depending on your printer model, open any top cover, document feeder tray, and scan document feeder cover.

3. Remove any debris such as bits of paper or paper clips from inside the document feeder.

4. Spray a soft, lint-free cloth with glass cleaner, and then wipe the scanner glass and the white strip on the underside of the document feeder until clean, dry, and streak-free.

   CAUTION: 

   To protect the interior printer parts, do not spray the cleaner directly on or into the printer.

5. Completely close any covers and trays that you opened.

6. Reconnect the power cord, reinstall the battery if necessary, and then turn on the printer.

Reset the product

• With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
• Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
• Wait at least 60 seconds.
• Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet.
• Reconnect the power cord to the printer.
• Turn the printer on. HP recommends plugging the printer directly into a wall outlet.

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

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

And, Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

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

[nhf7170]

This is an insult, not a solution. It is obvious from the images I uploaded that this is not an issue with dirty scanner glass. The printer has the latest drivers and firmware. LOOK at the images I uploaded. Nothing on these forums addresses this issue, nor does the copy paste response.

[Jay_G24]

Does the issue even when copying?

Make sure to keep the printer plugged into the wall outlet, when making the copy lift the scanner lid and check if the scanner bar lights up and moves.

Hope this helps!

Keep me posted!

[nhf7170]

Yes, the issue occurs when copying. My printer is plugged directly into the wall socket, and the scanner bar lights up and moves when scanning. The issue is not that a scan is not created, but is of poor quality. PLEASE read my inital post in detail and look at the images attached to my post.  None of the "solutions" provided thus far even remotely address the issue. They are just generic troubleshooting tips, and I have already tried them all long before posting in this forum.

[Jay_G24]

I’d recommend you contact HP Phone Support in your region for assistance

Follow the instructions below to reach them:

1) Click on this link - https://support.hp.com/us-en/contact-hp

2) Select your product type below.

3) Enter the serial of your device. 

4) Select the country from the drop-down. 

5) Select the chat or get phone number options based on your preferences. 

6)Fill the web-form and proceed further.

If you are having trouble navigating through the above options, it's most likely because the device is out of warranty. If yes? please send me a private message with the region you are contacting us from. Check next to your profile name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it.  

Have a great day! 

[nhf7170]

I've already contacted phone support. They were beyond useless. They just sent a replacement printer, which had the same problem, and I had the hassle of having to ship the old one back. The "tech" (really just a call center drone reading a script with absolutely no knowledge of printers nor of English) also refused to look at the pictures I have uploaded and refused to address the specific issue I was having. I don't see why anyone can even bother to try to understand the issue. HP support is the absolute worst I have ever encountered. I am reuploading the sample scans from my post in the hopes that SOMEONE will bother to look at them

Epson @600 dpiepson @1200 dpiHP @600 dpiHP @1200 dpi

[BettyJons]

Hello sir, I'm sorry you had a problem. I usually get quality images with high resolution (DPI) settings in my scanner's software. I was wondering what caused the problem. I will follow this thread.

[Jay_G24]

Let's try a power reset on the printer

Reset the product

• With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
• Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
• Wait at least 60 seconds.
• Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet.
• Reconnect the power cord to the printer.
• Turn the printer on. HP recommends plugging the printer directly into a wall outlet.

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

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

[Jay_G24]

Hi @BettyJons,

I'd like to help!

 May I have the exact model name of the product? Refer to this document for steps to find the product details. Do not share any of your personal information such as serial, phone number, email ID, etc.

Keep me posted. 

And, Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

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