Bad Photo Quality

[Angelinemooi]

Hi hp,

me too have the same problem,

im amazed by this little printer but cant seems to recommended to others due to its quality,

please advise,

thank you.

Angeline.

[IPGRicky]

Hi,

This is vignesh B.

Welcome to HP Consumer Support Forum. I am happy to assist you!

I am glad to help you with this issue. Please make sure you have the blue color paper at the top of the stack when you load the papers. It will help the printer to align it properly. On your mobile device, open the HP Sprocket app and go to menu -> sprocket -> Printers; A ‘blue’ firmware update link will be present or a pop-up message will appear if an update is available. Updating the firmware also helps you to gain better print quality.

Please contact 1-800-474-6836 for any assistance. We work 24*7.
Thank you for choosing HP. Have a wonderful day ahead.

Please click the "Thumbs Up", to say thanks for helping!
Also, please consider marking my post as “Accept as Solution" if you feel my post solved your issue.

I am an HP Employee.

[Dhruv_SECblr]

Hello Angeline,

We would suggest updating the Sprocket firmware. That should fix most of the print quality issues that you are experiencing with the printer.

Cheers!

[Jesyka]

Hi Angelinemooi,

I can help you improve the print quality for your HP Sprocket Photo Printer. Please try the following and let me know if it works for you.

Step 1: Use genuine HP ZINK® Photo Paper

ZINK® makes custom photo paper for a variety of printers, such as Polaroid, LG, and HP. HP recommends using HP ZINK® Sticky-Backed Photo Paper for best results. HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP ZINK® Photo Paper. If you do not use genuine HP ZINK® Photo Paper, the steps in this document might not resolve the issue.

To purchase genuine HP ZINK® Sticky-Backed Photo Paper, go to the #NEW#HP Sprocket#NEW# homepage. You can also purchase genuine HP ZINK® Sticky-Backed Photo Paper from other retailers.

If using genuine HP ZINK® Photo Paper did not resolve the issue, continue to the next step.

Step 2: Charge the printer

A low battery can cause poor print quality. Check the printer battery level using the HP Sprocket app to determine if the printer needs charged.

1. On your mobile device, open the HP Sprocket app.
2. Tap the Menu icon , and then tap your printer in the list.

The printer information screen displays.

1. Under the Status section, locate Battery.
• If the battery charge is 50% or higher, continue to the next step.
• If the battery charge is 49% or lower, charge the printer.

The printer is fully charged when the Indicator light is solid and green.

1. After the printer is fully charged, try to print.

If the print quality is unacceptable, continue to the next step.

Step 3: Upgrade the printer firmware

HP regularly releases printer updates. Upgrading the printer firmware might resolve the issue.

1. Make sure the printer is on and your mobile device is connected to the Internet.
2. On your mobile device, open the HP Sprocket app.
3. Tap the Menu icon , and then tap your printer in the list.

The printer information screen displays.

1. Look for a printer firmware upgrade.
• If a firmware upgrade displays, tap Get Firmware Upgrade, and then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update.
• If a firmware upgrade option does not display, the printer firmware is up to date. Continue to the next step.
2. After updating the printer firmware, try to print.

If the print quality is unacceptable, continue to the next step.

Step 4: Clean the output rollers

Dirt and debris on the output rollers can cause print quality issues. Use the blue HP ZINK® Smartsheet from the same pack of photo paper currently in the printer to clean the output rollers.

NOTE:

To avoid print quality issues, do not use an HP ZINK® Smartsheet from a different pack of HP ZINK® Sticky-Backed Photo Paper. Each pack contains one blue HP ZINK® Smartsheet that calibrates the printer to provide the best print quality for each specific pack.

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Remove the top cover by sliding it away from the output slot, and then set it aside.
3. Remove the stack of photo paper from the input tray, and then inspect the photo paper. Discard any wrinkled or curled photo paper.
4. Place the Smartsheet in the input tray with the bar-code facing down, and then reload the stack of photo paper with the print side facing up.
5. Align the top cover with the tracks on the outside of the printer, and then slide the top cover toward the output slot until it is firmly seated.
6. Turn on the printer.
7. Send a print job.

The printer calibrates and cleans the output rollers with the blue HP ZINK® Smartsheet, and then prints the photo.

If the print quality is unacceptable, continue to the next step.

Step 5: Other things to try

If the print quality is still unacceptable, the following tips might help improve print quality.

• Make sure images have a minimum resolution of 818 x 1258 pixels per inch (ppi) for optimal print quality. Screen-captured images from your mobile device might not have sufficient resolution for optimal print quality. See your mobile device manufacturer for more information.

• Allow the printer a few minutes to cool down between print jobs.

When the printer becomes too warm, a "Cooling down... Sprocket needs to cool down before printing another job. Wait to send another photo." message might display on the HP Sprocket app. Tap OK to clear the message.

• Store the photo paper in a cool, dry place and avoid contact with water. If water spills on the photo paper, wipe it away as soon as possible to prevent damaging the photo paper.
• Use the editing features in the HP Sprocket app to adjust brightness and contrast to improve photo quality before printing.

[ChaoT]

Hi Angeline,

2 things you can do to help improve the printing quality.

1. Always update to the latest firmware, which is easy to understand that we are keeping improving our product.

2. Do remember to put the blue color smart sheet (the one come together with your Zink photo meida, which has some bar code at one side) inside your Sprocket before you put the media inside. The Smart Sheet contains the information of the media, because each lot of the media is actually different. When you put the smart sheet inside, the Sprocket will read the information from the Smart Sheet and make adjustment accordingly. Beisides, the smart sheet can clean the printhead.

If the printing quality is still unaccptable after you have done the 2 things above, maybe there is something wrong with your Sprocket and you may look for the customer service for help.

However, to be honest, due to Sprocket uses a different technology from the other HP inkjet printer. I have to say the printing quality of Sprocket is not as good as the photos you print by other HP inkjet printers. However, as a portable instant printing device which is just a harddisk size, Sprocket's performance is quite good~

We are still keeping improving ourselves.

Hope you can enjoy printing use Sprocket.

Regards

[Tasmiah]

Hi 

My HP sprocket 2 in 1 just arrived today.

M having 2problems.

1) as I switched it on..the red light started blinking. 

I put it on charge..n it's been charging for n hour now. But it stil shows red light. What's going on ? Is it defected ?

2) I tried printing while it was on charge..but most of my pics were really bad quality..like too many vertical n horizontal lines. N in some pics the lines are colored...what do I do ? Pls help

[Arthur-c]

Hello,

Thank you for posting in this thread. Unfortunately based on when the last response was made, I have closed this thread to help keep comments current and up to date. We recommend starting a new thread for your issue by clicking here.
To be more helpful with your post, you can add key information if you desire: 
1. Product Name and Number (please do not post Serial Number)
• Example: HP Pavilion DV2-1209AX or HP Deskjet 3000 Printer CH393A
2. Operating System installed (if applicable)
• Example: Windows XP, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows 7 64-bit
3. Error message (if any)
• Example: ""Low disk space"" error in Windows
4. Any changes made to your system before the issue occurred
• Examples: Upgrading your Operating System or installing a new software; or installing new hardware like a printer, modem, or router.
If you have any other questions about posting in the community, please feel free to send me a private message!

Thank you