If you're new to printing photos at home–or trying it again for the first time in a few years–you'll be surprised and delighted by how new "goof-proof"
HP features, like touchscreens and media Auto Sense technology, help you make fewer printing missteps so you save paper, ink, and money.
Mistake #1: Not using the right ink and paper
A blurry or fuzzy image may indicate you're not using the right ink and paper for your photo printing.
HP Photo Value Packs offer paper and ink that are designed to work together for the highest quality prints.
Using the wrong right ink and paper when printing photos can leave your images fuzzy, blurry, grainy or dull. The key to high-quality prints is using specially designed HP photo paper and inks.
The right paper
Regular copier paper doesn't absorb ink the way that photo paper can, and is prone to bleeding, smearing, and fading. Images printed on HP photo paper will last for generations*.
Mistake #2: Printing on the wrong side of the paper
Auto Sense symbols on HP photo paper indicate which side is the back of your paper.
Many photo papers have printing and non-printing sides. Printing on the wrong side can jeopardize the quality of your photo.
HP printers and papers featuring Auto Sense technology can prevent you from printing your photos on the wrong side of the paper.
Auto Sense-enabled HP printers are able to alert you if your paper hasn't been loaded in the tray correctly. The little Auto Sense arrows printed on the backside of the paper make it easy to know you're printing on the right side, too.
Low ink levels can result in your photo being printed in grayscale instead of color.
If your printer is low on ink, you may get photos with uneven colors, faded patches, horizontal streaks, or even printed in grayscale.
(When the printer runs out of cyan, magenta, or yellow, it can print only in grayscale.)
Most new HP printers alert you when you are running low on ink. Some have ink level gauges, and others, like the HP Photosmart D7560 Photo Printer,
allow you to check ink levels using your printer's touchscreen. Of course, it's still a good idea to keep a replacement cartridge(s) available.
Ink cartridges only need to be replaced when print quality becomes unacceptable. Many HP printers, such as the HP Photosmart D5460 Photo Printer, now use
individual ink cartridge systems, which is a great way to save ink and money since you only need to replace the individual cartridges that run out of ink.
Mistake #4: Using the wrong print quality/paper settings
Select your printer's Best print quality option for vivid, lab-quality results.
You can designate the quality of the print based on the HP media you are using. Paper settings essentially decide how much ink to use on your paper.
Printing on "draft" or "fast" mode will save ink–but your pictures won't be as vivid.
Use "Best quality" or choose the setting that matches your paper type to ensure lab-quality prints.
If you use media featuring HP Auto Sense technology, such as HP Advanced Photo Paper, your printer will be able to identify the paper type and adjust the printer settings automatically!
Mistake #5: Printing a low-resolution, low-quality image
If your photo doesn't have enough resolution, individual pixels will become visible in the printed image.
It's important to make sure that your photo has enough resolution to be printed in the size you'd like. If not, the individual pixels become visible and the whole image will appear blurry.
While it's best to start with the highest-quality digital image, you can also easily improve your picture on the printer using your HP Photosmart printer's touchscreen.
Crop, remove red-eye, adjust contrast and color, and perform other basic photo editing tasks–all without a PC! Find out more about
how touchscreens make home photo printing easy.
*Based on light fade testing under glass using HP Vivera Inks on HP Premium Plus photo paper and HP Premium photo paper, according to Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc.
Printable version
