Scanner has started to shift colors horizontally

[FritzMills]

Recently the scanner has started to shift colors horizontally. The initial (correct) scan is repeated 1/2" to the right in red and the an additional 1/2" further to the right in blue and then a further 1/2" to the right in green. At first it was only happening to the bottom half of an 8-1/2" x 11" scan, but now it affects the entire scan from top to bottom. When I run the diagnostic procedure in the HP Smart application it does not find any problem..

[Deep_World]

Hi  @FritzMills 
 
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thank you for reaching out, and I appreciate the detailed description of the scanning behaviour. I understand that the scanned image is showing repeated color shifts (red, blue, and green) across the page, and that the issue has gradually expanded from part of the scan to the entire document. I'll be glad to help you check on this further.

To better understand the situation, could you kindly sahre the below details :

• Whether the issue occurs when scanning from: 
  • HP App
  • Apple Image Capture
  • Another scanning application
• If possible, could you kindly share a sample scan showing the color separation effect?

In the meantime, I recommend trying the below steps and confirm : 

1. Clean the scanner glass and backing
   • Turn the printer off.
   • Clean the scanner glass using a soft, lint-free cloth slightly dampened with glass cleaner or distilled water.
   • Also clean the white backing underneath the scanner lid, as debris or residue can impact scan quality.
2. Perform a standalone scan test
   • Scan the same document using both: 
     • HP App
     • Apple Image Capture (built into macOS)
   • This can help determine whether the issue is related to the scanner hardware or the scanning software.
3. Reset the printing system and re-add the printer
   • On your Mac, go to System Settings -Printers & Scanners.
   • Remove the printer.
   • Restart the Mac.
   • Add the printer again and test scanning.
4. Test different scan settings (Link for further information - Click here )
   • Try scanning in: 
     • Color
     • Grayscale
     • Black & White
   • If the issue only appears in Color mode, that information will help narrow down the cause.
5. Run HP Smart diagnostics
   • Since the diagnostics completed successfully, kindly note whether any warnings or informational messages were displayed during the test.
     
     You can also find this link here for resolving scan quality problems on HP printers - click here 

I hope this helps. 

[FritzMills]

The printer is an Envy 6000. The printing function still works fine. Since leaving my earlier message, the scanning function has stopped working altogether. When I run the macOS HP Smart diagnostics, it doesn't find any problems. However when I try to perform a scan from within the macOS HP Smart app, it tells me the scanner is busy. I tried unplugging it for 2 minutes, and plugging it back in. I got the same results. When I used the HP Smart app on an iPad, it presented the scan button when I opened it (if it detects an issue, it won't do that), and when I pushed the scan button, it acted like it was conducting a scan, but after a few seconds it just went back to presenting the scan button. Nothing was scanned. When I tried Preview on the Mac, it said the scanner failed to complete the overview scan (whatever that means). I have VueScan and it acts like everything is okay, but nothing is scanned. It doesn't return an error though. Here are scans (from when it still worked) that shows the color shift. Note that the problem started when the scan was about halfway through the page and on the second (more recent one), it bled all the way down the page, past the bottom of the image: 

[Deep_World]

Hi @FritzMills,
 

Thanks for your response. 

Thank you for the update and for sharing the scan sample. The image clearly shows significant RGB color separation and horizontal shifting, and based on your latest description, the issue has now progressed from degraded scan quality to the scanner no longer functioning at all.

This indicates a hardware failure within the scanner assembly (scanner sensor/CIS module, scanner carriage electronics, or scanner control circuitry), rather than a software or driver problem.

Given the progression from partial color separation to complete scan failure, there is a high likelihood that the scanner hardware requires repair.

If the printer is still under warranty, To get you the best assistance, we need to take this conversation to a private chat. We're inviting you to a private message to protect your privacy and ensure that any sensitive information remains confidential. 

To access your private message, just click the little blue envelope icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile, next to your profile name. Alternatively, you can click on this link. 

You can use this link as well: 

Private Messages - HP Support Community

We're looking forward to helping you resolve this issue! 

Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience! 

Regards,

Deep_World