OK, let's see if we can break down the problem and look for solutions:
You have confirmed that the print head is capable of delivering all the
colors of ink to the paper, and that a proper colored image will get
printed as long as you use a low quality paper.
Then you put in a better quality paper and the image goes very off
color, as if it is missing some ink colors completely.
There are only a few possible causes for this.
1) The better quality paper is too think and is somehow contacting and
clogging or otherwise preventing the ink from getting to the paper.
Fix: correct the paper thickness adjustment so the head is slightly
higher or the paper is dropped slightly lower. Usually, there is either
a lever or mechanical device to increase the space between head and
paper, or, there is a menu item which electronically moves the head or
platen via the software driver.
2) Some HP printers actually "read" the type of paper in the printer, by
reflecting an LED light off the surface and a sensor reads the
reflective quality of the paper, to determine if it is matte, semi-matte
or glossy, and that changes the paper profile used.
Other printers require you to select the paper type/profile to use.
Papers do respond differently to inks and amounts of ink and color.
Some papers can shift the color somewhat to a bias, so the profile will
correct for this. Usually we are speaking about slight tints, but the
amount of ink a paper can handle can be quite different, so one paper
may need much less ink to get a certain density than another. That's
where paper profiles come in.
If your printer has an automated paper profile selection, and the
results are extremely off, even when using the recommended HP papers
that the printer "supports" then something is wrong.
Fix: test with HP recommended paper(s) for that printer model. Make sure
you are placing the correct side up on the paper, and not printing to
the rear side. If your printer has automatic paper detection let it try
to print, and see what happens. If you have to select the profile, make
sure you use the correct paper profile from the choices. If you still
have very "off" colors, I suggest you make sure the driver you are using
for the printer is the most current and correct for your operating
system. If it is, try uninstalling the driver(s) and then reinstall.
It is possible they may have become corrupted from installation of
several printer drivers, or just a conflict with other software, or just
a damaged file.
3) How many cartridges does the Photosmart 7550 use, and which colors
does each contain? Are you losing color from one complete cartridge or
only one cartridge? (just the dense colors or just the low density
colors?). This may prove some defective or dirty connections between
the cartridge and the head. Make sure those contact surfaces are clean
and don;t have either play that might allow the cartridge to vibrate, or
contamination of the contacts on either the printer or cartridge side.
Fix: make sure the connections are clean and the cartridge is sitting
snugly in the clamp.
It is possible there is a firmware problem internal to the printer
which I have no answers for. But perhaps you can start with some of the
suggestions and eliminate them as possible causes one by one.
Art
If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:
http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/
DManzaluni said:
I have had this printer for a few years and it has never really worked
properly
Sometimes it manages to print properly and with proper colours but
consistency NEVER lasts, with the ink carts often drying out if left
for more than a few days
Recently however it has become even more infuriating. I can do any
number of tests I like, whenever I put photo paper in it (HP or
generic, it isnt choosy as to what it ruins), everything turns a
mostly monochrome lurid green colour. Somehow it senses that I have
put expensive paper in it and it wrecks every single photo I try to
make. I can then put in ordinary paper and run a head clean which
shows that all the nozzles are functioning properly (though the blacks
are a bit, slightly, faded??) and run a test page which can come out
flawlessly. The I try to print the pic again (on cheapie normal paper
this time) and everything is severely blue cast. But NOT that lurid
green monochrome. When the photos do do a test print before putting
expensive paper in it, for some reason it prints at about 50 DPI even
though I am careful to make sure it is printing in BEST mode! (But I
dont think this is related)
I have pretty much given up on this printer, which is unfortunately
the only seven colour printer I have. Does anyone agree that I should
give it the old heave ho?
[No, I dont refill the cartridges]
two points: are you sure you have the right printer drivers properly
installed; and what are you printing from. Back in the W98 days I had
the XP version of Picassa, it worked on screen but did this sort of
thing with my HP printer. I had to revert to the earlier version to make
any prints.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
I'd like to move on with my life and get proper prints made but as
say, this is the only six/seven colour printer I have. I am printing
from Photoshop and it ruins generic paper as well as HP paper. Surely
the generic papers are attuned to take in the inks which are shot out
at it? If, for example, red is shot out to the paper, how would the
paper prevent any red printing on it (howver badly)? Put another way,
where would the red ink (or the blue for that matter) go? Then there
is this business of the ordinary plain paper having this slight blue
cast?
I remember back in the late 1990s, I had to use the wrong driver to
get proper printing as the right one was some WIndows stipped down one
and another printer's driver worked better as it was an HP driver.
This cant still be the case and how can I figure out which driver is
best for the Photosmart 7550?
On the first point, is there a printer out there yet which doesnt rip
you off on the ink and which has enough tanks to make reasonable
colours? Someone said Easyshare was best for photos but i have yet to
find one which wasnt a 3 tank all-in-one
