My copies have incorrect or faint colors. What should I do?

• If your copies have incorrect, uneven, smeared, or faint colors, try these solutions:

  • Run a print head nozzle check to see if any of the nozzles are clogged. Then clean the print head, if necessary.
  • Do not press too hard on the original or the document cover when you copy from the scanner glass.
  • Clean the scanner glass with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth or use a small amount of glass cleaner on the cloth, if necessary. Paper towels are not recommended.

    Caution:
    Do not spray glass cleaner directly on the scanner glass.

  • Clean the ADF.
  • Wipe any dirt or dust off of your originals.
  • If the colors are smeared, try lowering the copy density setting on the LCD screen.
  • Make sure your paper is not curled.
  • If the original is folded or wrinkled, use the scanner glass. Flatten any folds or wrinkles in the original and try using another sheet or card to keep the original in contact with the scanner glass.
  • When horizontal banding appears or the top or bottom of the paper is smeared, load paper in the correct direction and slide the edge guides to the edges of the paper.
  • When copying on thick paper, select a Thick Paper setting from the control panel (Settings > General Settings > Printer Settings > Thick Paper). When this setting is enabled, copy quality may decline and copy speed may decrease.
  • If you see a ripple pattern in your printout and your original is a printed document, such as a magazine or catalog, change the Reduce/Enlarge setting. If the ripple pattern still appears, place the original at a slightly different angle.
  • If the back of the original appears in your printout, place a piece of black paper on the back of the original and copy it again. You can also try lowering the Density setting.
  • When thin lines in an original are not copied, set the Remove Background setting (Copy > Advanced > Image Quality > Remove Background) to -2.
  • Depending on the original, red color may not be completely erased when using the Erase Red Color feature. Try setting Remove Background (Copy > Advanced > Image Quality > Remove Background) to +3 or +4 on the control panel.
  Related tasks
  Checking the Nozzles Using the Product Control Panel
  Cleaning the Print Head Using the Product Control Panel
  Cleaning the Scanner Glass
  Cleaning the Automatic Document Feeder