HP 1230 Plain Paper Inkjet Fax Machine Users Manual

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45
troubleshooting help
This chapter provides tips for solving problems and for improving the quality of 
your fax and copy jobs. 
paper jams
problem solution
The paper has 
jammed where it 
enters the 
HP Fax.Open the top, take the edge of the paper, and gently pull the paper out of 
the HP Fax. 
The paper has 
crumpled and 
jammed in the 
back of the 
HP Fax.Remove the back door by pushing the tabs inward. Gently pull the paper out 
of the rollers. Replace the back door.  
						

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46
tips to avoid paper jams 
• Make sure the input tray is not overfilled. The input tray capacity varies 
depending on the type of paper you are using. 
• Check that the input tray is in place. 
• Do not add paper to the input tray while the HP Fax is printing. 
• Use recommend paper types, see recommended papers on page 7.
• Do not let paper stack up in the output tray. The paper type and the 
amount of ink used affect the output tray’s capacity.
print cartridge problems
The paper has 
jammed where it 
exits the HP Fax. Grasp the leading edge of the paper and pull the paper out through the 
output tray. 
Note:If you turned the HP Fax off before clearing the paper jam, turn it 
back on, and then restart your output job. 
problem solution
problem resolution
The self-test report 
shows streaking 
or white lines 
through one or 
more of the 
colored bars.Clean the print cartridges.
1Press Setup until 5:Maintenance appears, and then press Enter.
2Press  until 1:Clean Print Cartridges appears, and then press Enter.
If copy or print quality still seem poor after you clean the print 
cartridges, replace the print cartridge that is affected. For information, 
see replace the print cartridges on page 40. 
						

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47
The status 
message 
continues to ask 
me to replace the 
cartridge after I 
have already 
replaced it.The contacts may need to be cleaned. Make sure you have the following 
materials available: 
• Cotton swabs or any soft material that will not come apart or leave fibers 
(for example, use a scrap piece of clean cotton cloth). 
• Distilled, filtered, or bottled water (Tap water may contain contaminants 
that can damage the print cartridges). 
Caution!Be careful not to get ink on your hands or clothing. 
1Turn the HP Fax on and open the print-cartridge access door. The print 
cartridges will move to the access area.
2After the print cartridges have stopped moving, unplug the power cord 
from the back of the HP Fax. 
3Lift the latch to release the black print cartridge, and then pull it toward 
you out of its slot.
4Clean the black print cartridge: 
– Dip a clean cotton swab into 
distilled water and squeeze any 
excess water from the swab. 
– Hold the black print cartridge by 
sides or top. 
– Clean the contacts as shown. Do 
not remove the gold contacts. 
– Place the black print cartridge 
back into the holder. The black 
(#15) cartridge goes on the right.
5Clean the color print cartridge: 
Repeat step 3 and 4 to clean the 
color print cartridge. Use a clean, 
moistened cotton swab to avoid any contamination. Place the tri-color 
(#78) print cartridge back into the holder on the left.
6Close the print-cartridge access door. 
problem resolution 
						

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48
output problems
problem solution
A blank page 
came out while 
copying or faxing.Check to see if the print cartridges are low or out of ink. For information, 
see print a self-test report on page 39.
– If black text is printing, and a blank page comes out of your 
HP Fax, your black cartridge is empty. For information on 
replacing print cartridges, see replace the print cartridges on 
page 40.
– If a color document is printing, and the color does not print 
correctly, one or more of the colors in the color cartridge are low. 
For information on replacing print cartridges, see replace the print 
cartridges on page 40.
– If the self-test report shows gaps or streaks, clean the print 
cartridges. For information, see clean the print cartridges on 
page 41. 
Colors are 
printing differently 
than I expected.Print a self-test report to make sure all six colors are available (CYAN, 
MAGENTA, YELLOW, VIOLET, GREEN, and RED). For information, see print 
a self-test report on page 39.
– When colors are completely wrong (for example, when green 
prints as blue or yellow or gray prints as purple), the color 
cartridge might have run out of one or more colors of ink. 
– If a color is missing, try cleaning the print cartridge contacts. If the 
problem persists, replace the color print cartridge.
For information on cleaning the print cartridge, see clean the print 
cartridges on page 41 and for information on replacing print cartridges, 
see replace the print cartridges on page 40.
The printout is 
slanted or skewed.Check the following:
• Is the paper loaded correctly? Make sure the paper is feeding properly 
from the input tray. Also check to make sure that the paper is sitting 
properly in the input tray. Slide the paper-width and paper-length guides 
against the sides of the paper to ensure that it feeds straight through. 
Make sure the paper can move easily under the guides. For more 
information, see load paper on page 6.
• Is the paper type suitable for the HP Fax? For information on 
recommended paper types, see recommended papers on page 7. 
• Is there more than one paper type loaded in the input tray? Load only 
one type of paper at a time.
• Was the fax sent correctly? Check with the sender; the original may not 
have been loaded correctly into the sending fax machine. 
						

							quality problems
49
quality problems
The printout is 
blank. Check the following:
• Did you place the original print-side down? Make sure that you placed 
your original print-side down in the automatic document feeder (ADF). 
For information on loading originals, see load originals on page 5.
• Print a self-test report to determine the problem. For information, see 
print a self-test report on page 39.
– If the report has missing colors, clean the print cartridges. For 
information, see clean the print cartridges on page 41.
– If you are printing black text and a blank page comes out of the 
HP Fax, your black cartridge is empty. For information on 
replacing print cartridges, see replace the print cartridges on 
page 40.
– If you are printing a color document and the color does not print 
correctly, one or more of the colors in the color cartridge are low. 
For information on replacing print cartridges, see replace the print 
cartridges on page 40.
• Do you need to adjust the copy settings? If you are making a copy, 
check the lighter/darker feature. For information on adjusting the copy 
settings, see make copies lighter or darker on page 34.
problem solution
Colors are 
bleeding into 
each other.Check the setting for the type of document you are copying. Color documents 
may use excess ink.
–Try using the Normal setting or use HP Premium Papers. For 
information, see increase copy speed or quality on page 34.
– Check to see that the paper type is suitable for this HP Fax. For 
information, see recommended papers on page 7.
Ink is not filling 
the text or 
graphics 
completely when 
printing.Check the following:
• Is the paper type set correctly? When copying on transparencies or other 
special paper types, select the corresponding paper-type setting. For 
information, see recommended papers on page 7 and set the paper 
type on page 8.
• Print a self-test report to check if the print cartridges need to be cleaned 
or replaced. For information, see print a self-test report on page 39.
– If ink is not filling the patterns completely, clean the print cartridges. 
For information, see clean the print cartridges on page 41.
– If cleaning does not help, replace the print cartridges. For 
information on replacing print cartridges, see replace the print 
cartridges on page 40.
problem solution 
						

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50
There are 
horizontal streaks 
on the copy or 
fax.• Check to see that you are using the highest possible print quality. Use a 
high print quality (Best) for your project. For information, see increase 
copy speed or quality on page 34.
• Print a self-test report to check the print cartridges. For information, see 
print a self-test report on page 39.
– If ink is not filling the patterns completely, clean the cartridges. For 
information, see clean the print cartridges on page 41. After 
cleaning, try copying or printing the fax again. To reprint the fax 
from memory, see reprint faxes in memory on page 27.
– If cleaning does not help, replace the print cartridges. For 
information, see replace the print cartridges on page 40.
The copy or fax is 
faded, or the 
colors are dull.• Check to see that you are using the right type of paper for your project. If 
the paper you are using is too fibrous, the ink applied by your HP Fax 
may not fully cover the print surface. Make sure you are using a paper 
that is appropriate for your HP Fax. For information, see recommended 
papers on page 7.
Note:Your HP Fax is designed to work well on most paper types. Test a 
variety of paper types before buying large quantities. Find a paper type 
that works well and is easy to purchase. HP Premium Papers are 
designed for the best quality results.
• Adjust the contrast of the copy or fax. For information on adjusting the 
contrast for copy jobs, see make copies lighter or darker on page 34. 
For information on adjusting the contrast for fax jobs, see change contrast 
on page 21.
• Print a self-test report to check the print cartridges. For information, see 
print a self-test report on page 39.
– If the colors do not appear correct on the self-test report, clean the 
print cartridges. For information, see clean the print cartridges on 
page 41. After cleaning, try copying or printing the fax again. To 
reprint the fax from memory, see reprint faxes in memory on 
page 27.
– If cleaning does not help, replace the print cartridges. For 
information, see replace the print cartridges on page 40.
The copy or fax is 
fuzzy or blurry.• Check to see if you are using the right type of paper for your project. If 
the paper you are using is too fibrous, the ink applied by your HP Fax 
may not fully cover the print surface. For most documents, plain paper 
works well. For documents with dense output, such as high-contrast 
graphics or photographs, use HP Premium paper for best results. For 
information, see recommended papers on page 7 and recommended 
paper-type settings for copying on page 9.
• Check to make sure you are using the highest possible copy quality. For 
information, see increase copy speed or quality on page 34.
problem solution 
						

							quality problems
51
The copy or fax 
has vertical 
streaks or is 
missing vertical 
lines.• Check to see if your original contains thin lines. If your original contains 
lines that are too thin, they may disappear in places when you copy or 
fax it. Try darkening the lines on your original, and then copy or fax it 
again.
• Check to see if your original is wrinkled. If your original is heavier than 
24 lb. and is wrinkled, some lines could be missed during copying or 
faxing. Flatten the original document, and copy or fax it again.
problem solution 
						

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52
copy problems
problem solution
Nothing happens 
when I try to copy.• Make sure the HP Fax is turned on. If the front-panel display is blank, the 
HP Fax is turned off. Make sure the HP Fax is connected to a power 
outlet. For information on turning on and connecting your HP Fax to a 
power outlet, see the Setup Poster.
• Make sure your original is fully inserted into the automatic document 
feeder (ADF). When you place your original into the ADF, Original 
Loaded displays on the front panel. If this message does not appear, 
remove your original and re-insert it. For information, see load originals 
on page 5.
• When you are copying several pages or documents, you must wait until 
the HP Fax completes the current copy job before starting a new copy 
job.
• The HP Fax may be busy receiving a fax. Review the front-panel display 
for any status messages.
• Check to see that you loaded the correct paper type in the input tray. For 
information, see recommended papers on page 7 and recommended 
paper-type settings for copying on page 9.
Caution!Do not use the HP Fax to copy onto envelopes.
• Check to see if there is a paper jam. For more information on clearing a 
paper jam, see avoid jams on page 10 and paper jams on page 45.
Parts my original 
do not appear or 
are cut off.• Verify that you are copying onto the same size paper as the original. This 
problem is most common when trying to copy a legal-size paper onto 
letter-size paper. 
• Verify that you have selected the proper paper size for your project. For 
information on setting the paper size, see set the paper size on page 10.
• Make sure that you have correctly loaded the paper in the input tray and 
that the input tray is properly installed. For information, see load paper 
on page 6.
• Make sure the document guides are adjusted properly. The guides should 
be close to the edges of the paper in the input tray, but must not bend the 
paper. For information on loading originals, see load originals on 
page 5.
• If you are copying from an original with no margins, reduce the copy to 
make sure the text or images are not cropped. For information, see 
reduce or enlarge a copy on page 35.
Copies are too 
dark or too light.Adjust the contrast of the copy. For information, see make copies lighter or 
darker on page 34. 
						

							fax problems
53
fax problems
problem solution
Fax transmission 
is slow.• If your fax contains a lot of graphics, it will take longer to send.
• If the phone line connection is “noisy,” it may cause the fax transmission 
to be slow.
• If you selected a high resolution, consider using the standard resolution to 
send the fax faster. For information, see change resolution on page 21.
• If you are you faxing in color it will take longer to send. Consider sending 
the fax in black and white.
• Contact the recipient to find out if something is wrong with the receiving 
fax machine. The receiving fax machine may have a problem. Or, the 
receiving fax may not be able to receive data at the same rate you are 
sending data. If the receiving fax modem speed is slower, it will take 
longer to send.
Pa g e s  of  a  f a x  I  
received are 
missing.•  Check to make sure there is paper in the input tray. For information, see 
load paper on page 6.
• Check to see if the fax was sent correctly. Check with the sender to find 
out how many pages were sent. The sending fax machine may have 
failed to feed each page of the original.
Faxes are 
received, but are 
not printing.• Check to see if you are out of paper. If the HP Fax runs out of paper, 
incoming faxes are stored in memory. For information on loading paper, 
see load paper on page 6. For information on faxes stored in memory, 
see set backup fax reception on page 27 and reprint faxes in memory 
on page 27.
• Check to see if you have a paper jam. If the HP Fax is unable to print 
because of a paper jam, incoming faxes are stored in memory. For 
information on paper jams, see avoid jams on page 10 and paper jams 
on page 45. For information on faxes stored in memory, see set backup 
fax reception on page 27 and reprint faxes in memory on page 27.
Pa g e s  of  a  f a x  I  
sent are missing.• Make sure each page of your original was picked up separately from the 
ADF. Sometimes pages are missing because two or more pages of your 
original fed into the ADF at the same time. Try re-sending the fax and 
make sure each page feeds separately. 
• Check with the recipient to see if there is a problem with the receiving fax 
machine. 
						

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54
The HP Fax does 
not answer after 
the correct 
number of rings.• Check to see if you have you selected the desired number of rings and 
check to make sure Auto Answer is on. For information on setting the 
number of rings, see set the rings to answer setting on page 23. For 
information on turning on Auto Answer, see receive a fax automatically 
on page 14.
• If you have a telephone answering machine connected to your phone 
line, see answer fax calls when you use an answering machine on the 
same line on page 30 for information on setting up your HP Fax for use 
with an answering machine.
• If you are using a voice mail system with your HP Fax, see answer fax 
calls when you use voice mail on the same phone line on page 30 for 
information on using the HP Fax with voice mail.
• Check to see if you have the ring pattern set correctly. If you subscribe to 
a distinctive ring service through your telephone company, check that the 
HP Fax ring pattern is set correctly. If you do not subscribe to a distinctive 
ring service or do not have this service available in your area, make sure 
that the ring pattern is set to All Rings. For information on setting the ring 
pattern, see change the answer ring pattern (distinctive ringing) on 
page 26.
problem solution