HP Color LaserJet CP2025x User Manual

							General print quality issues
The following examples depict Letter-size paper that has passed through the product short-edge first.
These examples illustrate problems that would affect all of the pages that you print, whether you print
in color or in black only. The topics that follow list the typical cause and solution for each of these
examples.
ProblemCauseSolution
Print is light or faded.The media might not meet
HP specifications.Use media that meets HP specifications.
One or more print cartridges might be
defective.Print the Supplies status page to check
the remaining life. See 
Information pageson page 68.
Replace any low print cartridges. See
Replace print cartridges on page 82.
The product is set to override the
Replace  cartridge message
and to continue printing.Replace any low print cartridges. SeeReplace print cartridges on page 82.
The print density settings may have been
changed.Set the print density setting to 0.
The product may need to be calibrated.Run a calibration. See Calibrate theproduct on page 118.
Toner specks appear.The media might not meet
HP specifications.Use media that meets HP specifications.
The paper path might need cleaning.Clean the paper path. See Clean theproduct on page 90.
One or more of the cartridges may be
leaking.Try to verify the color of the toner specks
and check the cartridge for leaks.
The cartridge waste tank may be
overfilled.Check for error code 10.98.XX in the
event log. See Event log on page 70. The
XX portion of the code identifies the
cartridge (00 is black, 01 is cyan, 02 is
magenta, 03 is yellow). If the error was
logged, replace the affected cartridge.
Dropouts appear.A single sheet of print media might be
defective.Try reprinting the job.
The moisture content of the paper is
uneven or the paper has moist spots on
its surface.Try different paper, such as high-quality
paper that is intended for color laser
printers.
The paper lot is flawed. The
manufacturing processes can cause
some areas to reject toner.Try different paper, such as high-quality
paper that is intended for color laser
printers.
ENWW Solve image-quality problems 111
 
						

							ProblemCauseSolution
Vertical streaks or bands appear on the
page.
A
A
A
A
AB
B
B
B
BC
C
C
C
Ca
a
a
a
ac
c
c
c
cb
b
b
b
b
One or more print cartridges might be
defective.Print the Supplies status page to check
the remaining life. See 
Information pages
on page 68.
Use HP ToolboxFX to troubleshoot the
problem.
Replace any low print cartridges. See
Replace print cartridges on page 82.
The product is set to override the
Replace  cartridge message
and to continue printing.Replace any low print cartridges. See
Replace print cartridges on page 82.
The amount of background toner
shading becomes unacceptable.Very dry (low humidity) conditions can
increase the amount of background
shading.Check the device environment.
One or more print cartridges might be
defective.Replace any low print cartridges. See
Replace print cartridges on page 82.
The product is set to override the
Replace  cartridge message
and to continue printing.Replace any low print cartridges. SeeReplace print cartridges on page 82.
Smooth media shows more background
than plain mediaConsider using rougher media.
Toner smears appear on the media.The media might not meet
HP specifications.Use media that meets HP specifications.
If toner smears appear on the leading
edge of the paper, the media guides are
dirty, or debris has accumulated in the
print path.Clean the media guides.
Clean the paper path. See 
Clean the
product on page 90.
The toner smears easily when touched.The device is not set to print on the type
of media on which you want to print.In the printer driver, select the Paper tab
and set Type is to match the type of
media on which you are printing. Print
speed might be slower if you are using
heavy paper.
The media might not meet
HP specifications.Use media that meets HP specifications.
The paper path might need cleaning. Clean the paper path. See Clean the
product on page 90.
112 Chapter 10   Solve problems ENWW
 
						

							ProblemCauseSolution
Marks repeatedly appear at even
intervals on the printed side of the page.The device is not set to print on the type
of media on which you want to print.In the printer driver, select the Paper tab
and set Type is to match the type of
paper on which you are printing. Print
speed might be slower if you are using
heavy paper.
Internal parts might have toner on them.The problem typically corrects itself after
a few more pages.
The paper path might need cleaning.Clean the paper path. See Clean the
product on page 90.
The fuser might be damaged or dirty.To determine if the fuser has a problem,
open the HP ToolboxFX and print the
print-quality diagnostics page. See 
Open
HP ToolboxFX on page 69.
Contact HP Customer Care. See 
Service
and support on page 127 or the support
flyer that came in the box.
A print cartridge may have a problem.To determine which cartridge has a
problem, open the HP ToolboxFX and
print the print-quality diagnostics page.
See 
Open HP ToolboxFX on page 69.
Marks repeatedly appear at even
intervals on the unprinted side of the
page.Internal parts might have toner on them.The problem typically corrects itself after
a few more pages.
The paper path might need cleaning.Clean the paper path. See Clean the
product on page 90.
The fuser might be damaged or dirty.To determine if the fuser has a problem,
open the HP ToolboxFX and print the
print-quality diagnostics page. See 
Open
HP ToolboxFX on page 69.
Contact HP Customer Care. See 
Serviceand support on page 127 or the support
flyer that came in the box.
The printed page contains misformed
characters.The media might not meet
HP specifications.Use a different paper, such as high-
quality paper that is intended for color
laser printers.
If characters are incorrectly formed so
that they produce a wavy effect, you may
need to calibrate the product or the laser
scanner might need service.Verify that the problem also occurs on
the Configuration page. If so, contact
HP Customer Care. See 
Service and
support on page 127 or the support flyer
that came in the box.
ENWW Solve image-quality problems 113
 
						

							ProblemCauseSolution
The printed page is curled or wavy.The device is not set to print on the type
of media on which you want to print.In the printer driver, select the Paper tab
and set Type is to match the type of
paper on which you are printing. Print
speed might be slower if you are using
heavy paper.
The Service menu item Less paper
curl is set to Off.Use the control-panel menus to change
the setting. See 
Control-panel menus
on page 9.
The media might not meet
HP specifications.Use a different paper, such as high-
quality paper that is intended for color
laser printers.
Both high temperature and humidity can
cause paper curl.Check the device environment. Adjust
curl modes from the control panel or
HP ToolboxFX.
Text or graphics are skewed on the
printed page.The media might be loaded incorrectly.Make sure that the paper or other print
media is loaded correctly and that the
media guides are not too tight or too
loose against the stack. See 
Load paperand print media on page 50.
The media might not meet
HP specifications.Use a different paper, such as high-
quality paper that is intended for color
laser printers.
The printed page contains wrinkles or
creases.The media might be loaded incorrectly.Verify that the media is loaded correctly
and that the media guides are not too
tight or too loose against the stack. See
Load paper and print media on page 50.
Turn over the stack of paper in the input
tray, or try rotating the paper 180° in the
input tray.
The media might not meet
HP specifications.Use a different paper, such as high-
quality paper that is intended for color
laser printers.
Toner appears around the printed
characters.The media might be loaded incorrectly.Turn over the stack of paper in the tray.
If large amounts of toner have scattered
around the characters, the paper might
have high resistivity.Use a different paper, such as high-
quality paper that is intended for color
laser printers.
114 Chapter 10   Solve problems ENWW
 
						

							ProblemCauseSolution
An image that appears at the top of the
page (in solid black) repeats farther
down the page (in a gray field).Software settings might affect image
printing.In your software program, change the
tone (darkness) of the field in which the
repeated image appears.
In your software program, rotate the
whole page 180° to print the lighter
image first.
The order of images printed might affect
printing.Change the order in which the images
are printed. For example, have the lighter
image at the top of the page, and the
darker image farther down the page.
A power surge might have affected the
device.If the defect occurs later in a print job,
turn the device off for 10 minutes, and
then turn on the device to restart the print
job.
  Use non-glossy media to help reduce the
severity of the defect
Solve issues with color documents
This section describes issues that can occur when you print in color.
ProblemCauseSolution
Only black is printing when the document
should be printing in color.Color mode is not selected in your
program or printer driver or the restric
color setting is on..Select color mode instead of grayscale
mode or turn off the restrict color setting.
The correct printer driver might not be
selected in the program.Select the correct printer driver.
The device might not be correctly
configured.Print a Configuration page (see
Information pages on page 68). If no
color appears on the Configuration page,
contact HP Customer Care. See 
Service
and support on page 127 or the support
flyer that came in the box.
The color supply is out and the Color
Supply Out menu setting is set to
Continue Black.Replace the color supply.
ENWW Solve image-quality problems 115
 
						

							ProblemCauseSolution
One or more colors are not printing, or
are inaccurate.Sealing tape might be on the print
cartridges.Verify that the sealing tape has been
completely removed from the print
cartridges.
The media might not meet
HP specifications.Use a different paper, such as high-
quality paper that is intended for color
laser printers.
The device might be operating in
excessively humid conditions.Verify that the device environment is
within humidity specifications.
One or more print cartridges might be
defective.Replace any low print cartridges. See
Replace print cartridges on page 82.
The product is set to override the
Replace  cartridge message
and to continue printing.Replace any low print cartridges. See
Replace print cartridges on page 82.
One or more of the cartridges may not
have been engaged properly by the print
engine.Remove and reinstall the cartridges.
A color is printing inconsistently after you
load a new print cartridge.Another print cartridge might be
defective.Remove the print cartridge for the color
that is printing inconsistently and reinstall
it.
The product is set to override the
Replace  cartridge message
and to continue printing.Replace any low print cartridges. See
Replace print cartridges on page 82.
The colors on the printed page do not
match the colors as they appear on the
screen.
AaBbCc
AaBbCc
AaBbCc
AaBbCc
AaBbCc
The colors on your computer monitor
might differ from the device output.See Match colors on page 62
If extremely light colors or extremely dark
colors on screen are not printing, your
software program might interpret
extremely light colors as white or
extremely dark colors as black.If possible, avoid using extremely light or
extremely dark colors.
The media might not meet
HP specifications.Use a different paper, such as high-
quality paper that is intended for color
laser printers.
The finish on the printed color page is
inconsistent.The media might be too  rough. Use a smooth paper or print media, such
as a high-quality paper that is made for
color laser printers. Generally, smoother
media produces better results.
116 Chapter 10   Solve problems ENWW
 
						

							Use HP ToolboxFX to troubleshoot print-quality problems 
NOTE:Before proceeding, print a Supplies status page to see the approximate number of pages
remaining for each print cartridge. See 
Information pages on page 68.
From the HP ToolboxFX software you can print a page that helps identify whether a specific print
cartridge is causing the problem, or if the problem is with the product itself. The print-quality
troubleshooting page prints five bands of color, which are divided into four overlapping sections. By
examining each section, you can isolate the problem to a particular cartridge.
SectionPrint-cartridge
1Yellow
2Cyan
3Black
4Magenta
This page helps identify four general issues:
●Streaks in only one color: This is most likely a cartridge issue. Remove the cartridge and look
for debris on it. If no debris is found and the defect continues after the cartridge is reinstalled,
replace the cartridge.
●Streaks in all colors (in same location): Clean the printer and call for service if the problem
continues.
●Repeating defect in multiple colors:
Repeating dot in multiple colors: If the dot repeats at roughly 57 or 58 mm, run a cleaning page to
clean fuser and run several white pages of paper to clean the roller. If defect does not repeat at 57
or 58 mm, replace the cartridge of the color of the dot.
Repeating band in multiple colors: Contact HP Support.
●Single dot or Single band in one color: Print three or four additional troubleshooting pages. If
the band or dot is only in one color on most of the pages, replace the cartridge of that color. If the
band or dot moves to a different color, contact HP Support.
For more troubleshooting information, try the following:
●See 
Solve image-quality problems on page 110 in this guide.
●Go to 
www.hp.com/support/ljcp2020series.
●Contact HP Customer Care. See 
Service and support on page 127..
ENWW Solve image-quality problems 117
 
						

							Print the print-quality troubleshooting page
1.Open HP ToolboxFX. See 
Open HP ToolboxFX on page 69.
2.Click the Help folder, and then click the Troubleshooting page.
3.Click the Print button, and then follow the directions on the printed pages.
Optimize and improve print quality
Always make sure that the Type is setting in the printer driver matches the type of paper that you are
using.
Use the print-quality settings in the printer driver to prevent print-quality problems.
Use the Device Settings area in HP ToolboxFX to adjust settings that affect print quality. See 
Open
HP ToolboxFX on page 69.
Also use HP ToolboxFX to help troubleshoot print-quality problems. See 
Use HP ToolboxFX to
troubleshoot print-quality problems on page 117.
Calibrate the product
If you experience any print-quality problems, calibrate the product.
Calibrate the product using HP ToolboxFX
1.Open HP ToolboxFX. See 
Open HP ToolboxFX on page 69.
2.Click the Device Settings folder, and then click the Print Quality page.
3.In the area for Color Calibration, select the Calibrate Now check box.
4.Click Apply to calibrate the product immediately.
Calibrate the product from the control panel
1.On the control-panel menu, press OK.
2.Use the Left arrow (
) or the Right arrow () button to select System setup, and then press
OK.
3.Use the Left arrow (
) or the Right arrow () button to select Print quality, and then press OK.
4.Use the Left arrow (
) or the Right arrow () button to select Calibrate color, and then press
OK.
5.Use the Left arrow (
) or the Right arrow () button to select Calibrate now, and then press
OK to calibrate the product.
118 Chapter 10   Solve problems ENWW
 
						

							Performance problems
ProblemCauseSolution
Pages print but are totally blank.The sealing tape might still be in the print
cartridges.Verify that the sealing tape has been
completely removed from the print
cartridges.
The document might contain blank
pages.Check the document that you are printing
to see if content appears on all of the
pages.
The product might be malfunctioning.To check the product, print a
Configuration page.
Pages print very slowly.Heavier media types can slow the print
job.Print on a different type of media.
Complex pages can print slowly.Proper fusing may require a slower print
speed to ensure the best print quality.
Paper type not set correctly.Select the type to match the paper.
Pages did not print. The product might not be pulling media
correctly.Make sure paper is loaded in the tray
correctly.
If the problem persists, you might need
to replace the pickup rollers and the
separation pad. See 
Service and support
on page 127.
The media is jamming in the device.Clear the jam. See Clear jams
on page 101.
The USB cable might be defective or
incorrectly connected.●Disconnect the USB cable at both
ends and reconnect it.
●Try printing a job that has printed in
the past.
●Try using a different USB cable.
Other devices are running on your
computer.The product might not share a USB port.
If you have an external hard drive or
network switchbox that is connected to
the same port as the product, the other
device might be interfering. To connect
and use the product, you must
disconnect the other device or you must
use two USB ports on the computer.
ENWWPerformance problems 119
 
						

							Product software problems
ProblemSolution
A printer driver for the product is not visible in the Printer folder●Reinstall the product software.
NOTE:Close any applications that are running. To
close an application that has an icon in the system tray,
right-click the icon, and select Close or Disable.
●Try plugging the USB cable into a different USB port on
the computer.
An error message was displayed during the software
installation●Reinstall the product software.
NOTE:Close any applications that are running. To
close an application that has an icon in the task bar, right-
click the icon, and select Close or Disable.
●Check the amount of free space on the drive where you
are installing the product software. If necessary, free up
as much space as you can, and reinstall the product
software.
●If necessary, run the Disk Defragmenter, and reinstall the
product software.
The product is in Ready mode, but nothing prints
●Print a Configuration page, and verify the product
functionality.
●Verify that all of the cables are correctly seated and within
specifications. This includes the USB and power cables.
Try a new cable.
120 Chapter 10   Solve problems ENWW