How to calibrate a HP Printer

Knowing how to calibrate an HP printer is crucial when it comes to producing and maintaining high-quality artwork. When a printer needs calibration, it can affect the visual outcome and standard of your work. Perhaps you already own an HP printer and need some calibration support, or you’re thinking of purchasing an HP printer and are keen to find out more about calibration before you commit. Whatever your situation, we’ve got you covered, and have compiled some advice on how to calibrate an HP printer to help.

What is printer calibration?

Calibrating a printer ensures that the inkjet cartridge nozzles and printer paper are properly aligned with each other. This process ensures that colours stay rich, clear, and the finished result is of the highest quality.

Successful printer calibration also avoids what is commonly known as ‘device drift’. This occurs when the printer itself and the ink, toner, or paper fall ‘out of sync’ with one another. This can happen even when the same consumables, such as ink, are used with the printer consistently.

Printer calibration also involves setting up your printer to conform to a specific manufacturing standard, industry standard or your own business specification. In this case, we will be running through HP-specific printer calibration.

If your printer isn’t calibrated properly, it can dramatically impact the quality of your print, which will drastically degrade if this is not looked after.

When should I calibrate my HP printer?

There are a handful of tell-tale signs that indicate when your HP printer needs to be calibrated:

• When lines start to appear slightly unclear and fuzzy in your printed artwork.
• If the printed images in areas with colour start or stop before they should.
• If you suspect ‘device drift’ is occurring between your printer and inks.

Aside from when you notice an issue or error, it’s also recommended that you calibrate your machine every time there’s a significant change to the layout or function of the printer. Good examples include:

• Every time you replace one or more of the printheads.
• When you use a new paper type and print quality combination for the first time.
• In humid conditions, where the environmental temperature has changed in your home or place of work.

For those who want to be extra diligent, checking the calibration of a printer every three months is a smart way to ensure that it will continue to function at full ability.

Common HP printing issues

It’s normal for printers to experience issues. This can happen because of specific functionality issues, as well as natural wear and tear from years of use. The best way to handle any issues you might be experiencing is to understand what’s causing them, as well as how they can be fixed.

Print quality issues

Streaky prints and faded colours are normal issues for printers. They can sometimes be caused by something as simple as low levels of ink. If your ink supplies are topped up, a dirty print head might be the problem.

If you’ve checked both and neither seems to be the cause, it might be that you have a leaking cartridge. While this is less likely, it's simple to fix by replacing the cartridge to stop the quality issues when you print.

Paper jams

Paper jams happen because of either a misaligned tray (usually from scraps of paper), the pages are sticking together, or an overfilled paper tray. There are some quick fixes:

• Open or pull out the paper tray and remove the scrap paper causing the jam.
• Remove excess paper from the tray when printing to ensure it’s not overfull.
• Use a dehumidifier if the room has a high level of moisture.

If none of those solutions work, remove the tray, and make sure that the rollers don’t have any other kind of blockage causing them to jam up.

Ink or toner issues

Your ink and toner are what keep the quality of your printing high. If you run a calibration test and find that the colour of your print isn’t as vibrant as you’d like, you might need to consider replacing your cartridges.

This is usually a straightforward process, but it can be more complex with some HP printers, which require a specific cartridge that uses an HP chip. If you use a non-chip cartridge on a chip printer, they won’t work. Making sure you’re using the right kind of ink and cartridges is something you should check before purchasing any replacements.

Printer being unresponsive

Sometimes, an HP printer might just not want to play ball. This is common for any kind of tech or printing device, but it can be frustrating if you need something printed off quickly. If a printer is not responding properly to commands, any of the following can be attempted:

• Turn the printer off, wait a few seconds, then restart it.
• Check all wires to ensure they’re fully attached and plugged in.
• Restart the computer you’re using to give the printer commands, as the fault might not be with the printer itself.

If it still doesn’t work, it might be time to turn to a professional. There could be issues with the printer’s hard drive or any other technical component, which you’ll need professional support to fix.

Connectivity issues

Computers can be connected either with cables or wirelessly to modern HP printers. If you’re experiencing connection issues with a wired printer, make sure that all cables are properly attached and aren’t damaged.

Things are a little more varied with a wireless model. Looking at the printer’s WiFi menu is a smart place to start. This will show you whether the printer is connected to the right network or not. It could be that it simply isn’t connected properly.

Issues might also arise from a full queue, compatibility issues between the computer and printer, or even just a poor wireless signal. Troubleshoot all of these before reaching out for help from a software expert.

What is a calibration page?

Numerous HP printers use a calibration page to ensure the print cartridge is properly aligned. This page is used to review any issues with formatting or to assess print quality.

When calibration is taking place, an HP printer will automatically attempt to print this page when a new ink cartridge is inserted into the printer for the first time. Make sure there’s paper in the tray.

Ultimately, the calibration page is a measure of how well the printer is aligned and the quality of the print itself (such as the colour and whether or not it’s streaking). There’s a four-step process to assess the printer’s functionality:

1. The chart is printed, containing patches of every kind of ink used in the printer.
2. The chart dries and the colours on it begin to stabilise.
3. The chart is scanned and measured by the printer.
4. Using this scan, the printer can work out what calculations need to be done to improve the quality of the printing job. It can also work out the maximum amount of ink which can be added to each sheet of paper.

How to calibrate a HP Printer

How a HP printer will be calibrated depends on what interface or system you’re using. Here are some of the most common systems, as well as what you need to do for each.

Calibration on a Windows PC

• Open Control Panel > Devices & Printers, then find your HP printer.
• Right-click on it and select Printer Properties.
• Navigate to the Maintenance tab and choose “Calibrate to align printheads and optimise colour distribution”.

Calibration on Mac

• Open ColorSync Utility, which sits in the Applications folder.
• Select Devices > HP Printer to view colour profile settings.
• Adjust the colour accuracy and alignment to improve print quality and colour reproduction.

Calibration using an in-built printer menu

• Navigate to Setup > Tools > Printer Maintenance on a printer’s control panel.
• Find the calibration option to begin adjusting alignment, colour accuracy, and print quality.
• You can then select either “Colour Calibration" or “Align Printhead”, depending on which aspect you’re looking to improve on.
• The printer will then produce a test page to see if the quality has improved.

Calibration using a printer’s web interface

• Enter the printer’s IP address in a web browser to access EWS settings.
• Then navigate to Settings > Tools > Calibration to find alignment and colour calibration options.
• Choose between “Colour Calibration" or “Align Printhead” depending on what aspect of the printer you are trying to calibrate.

HP Latex Printers from Perfect Colours

If you’re thinking about investing in an HP Latex printer, you’re in luck. At Perfect Colours, we have a wide array of high-quality units which can cater to your specific needs. Be sure to check out our full range below to find the model that’s perfect for you.

HP Latex R530

The HP Latex R530 is a compact, versatile large-format printer designed for both rigid and flexible media. It features HP’s High Control Belt System for direct-to-board printing, water-based odourless inks certified by UL ECOLOGO®, and a remotely-managed workflow via HP PrintOS. It’s ideal for signage, retail graphics and vehicle wraps, offering high quality, sustainability and streamlined operation.

HP Latex R1000

The HP Latex R1000 is a professional-grade hybrid printer capable of handling both rigid and flexible substrates with a single ink set, including high opacity white and a full HP Latex colour gamut. It delivers up to 6.4 indoor or 12 outdoor boards per hour, features automatic maintenance (such as white ink recirculation and nozzle checks) and is designed for usage in signage, retail graphics and other industrial applications.

HP Latex 3600

A true production workhorse, the HP Latex 3600 handles 3.2 m-wide media at up to 120 m²/hr (and up to 180 m²/hr in billboard mode) with sharp image quality and excellent banding control. It uses operator-friendly, water-based inks (which are safer than solvent/UV), supports heavy-duty rolls and 10-L ink supplies for long unattended runs, and is designed for high-volume environments.

HP Latex 700W

The HP Latex 700W features white-ink capability alongside full-colour output, allowing direct printing to coloured or transparent media for high-impact indoor/outdoor graphics. It delivers up to 105 m²/hr (334 ft²/hr) in 1-pass mode, supports water-based, low-odour inks, and offers smart connectivity via HP PrintOS for remote job access and management.

Find out more today

So, whether you are a small business or larger enterprise looking to find out more about how to calibrate an HP printer, or you’d like some advice, please get in touch today - we’re always happy to help.