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 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.

  • Make sure your paper is not curled.
  • 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 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.
  Related concepts
  
  • Print Head Nozzle Check
  Related tasks
  
  • Cleaning the Scanner Glass
  • Cleaning the Automatic Document Feeder
  • Loading Paper in the Paper Cassettes and Rear Paper Tray