Learn all about your HP Photosmart Printer

Visit HP Printer Manuals online and enter your product name/number.

• Visit HP Total Care online to access all of HP's many customer service options for printers both in and out of warranty.
• Get e-mail support for HP Photosmart printers.
• Get e-mail support for HP Photosmart All-in-Ones.
• Call 1-800-474-6836. (Charges may apply if your product is out of warranty.)

Check your user manual to find out whether your HP Photosmart can generate a Self-test page or printer status report, which can provide useful information.

To print a self-test page or Printer Status report:

1. Press Setup
2. Select Tools
3. Select the report you want to print.

With or without the pages above, have the following information available when you contact HP:

1. Product name
2. Serial number (located on the back or bottom of the product)
3. Any lights or messages that appear on the printer or computer when the situation occurs
4. Whether or not you've experienced this situation before or can re-create it
5. Anything that may have changed with your system prior to the situation (new software, hardware, or product location or power outage)

The cartridge you're replacing often has a number on it, which indicates what to purchase as a replacement.

The HP ink and toner site allows you to shop for ink and toner by entering either your printer model or cartridge number.

The HP Sure Supply software utility takes ink management one step further, alerting you when you're low on ink and taking you to the appropriate shopping page on HP.com for the ink you need, often with free shipping offers. The site offers the option to compare prices and shop from other online retailers, too.

Learn the basics of sharing a printer on a network at HP's Everyday Printing website. For more, click on the Networking your printer tab above or consult your user manual.

NOTE: If you are connecting a printer via USB, do not connect the USB cable to the printer until prompted to do so by your software installation wizard.

Get started with wireless with help from the HP Everyday Printing website. For more, click on the Networking your printer tab above or consult your user manual.

Your manual should be able to tell you what wireless capabilities, if any, your printer has. Also, look for the Bluetooth logo on your hardware or product literature to indicate whether or not your device supports Bluetooth.

Bluetooth Logo

If your printer is Bluetooth capable, but is not yet enabled, the HP Bluetooth adapter is an easy solution for adding Bluetooth functionality.

Learn the basics of how to Create wireless connections with HP's Bluetooth adapter.

1. Press Setup on the Control Panel.
2. Press Basic Fax Setup, and then press Fax Header.
3. Enter your personal or company name using the numeric keypad, and then press OK.
4. Enter your fax number using the numeric keypad, and then press OK.

To test the information on your header and the status of your fax connection, Test Fax Setup:

1. From the Control Panel, press Setup.
2. Select Tools, and then select Run Fax Test.
3. The device displays the status of the test on the display and prints a report.

When you've just purchased a new printer, HP offers a hardware recycling program that accepts both HP and non-HP machines to help you recycle the old one. For details, visit HP Planet Partners Hardware recycling services.

Get more "dos and don’ts" about Recycling your hardware and printing supplies.

There are two primary steps you can take to ensure that you're getting the most from your HP printer.

1. Update your printer driver
   The printer driver is the software responsible for the communication between your computer and printer. It’s a good idea to check HP Support & Drivers once every few months to make sure you’re working with the latest driver.
   
   Find out more about what this essential software does and get instructions for Downloading and installing a printer driver.
   
   
2. Use HP Original inks
   To get the most consistent, vibrant results from your printer, use HP ink.
   While remanufactured ink may cost less per unit at the outset, in a recent QualityLogic study, over 33% of refilled and remanufactured cartridges were either unusable out of the box or stopped working with a substantial amount of ink left in the cartridge. None of the Original HP ink cartridges tested failed in the study¹.

• Use Original HP ink
  To get the most consistent, vibrant results from your printer, use HP ink especially for photos.

  Printing on HP photo papers with HP inks not only delivers better image quality than photos processed by conventional labs or non-HP retail kiosks, but also creates prints that are more resistant to fading caused by light or heat².

  While remanufactured ink may cost less per unit at the outset, in a recent QualityLogic study, over 33% of refilled and remanufactured cartridges were either unusable out of the box or stopped working with a substantial amount of ink left in the cartridge. None of the Original HP ink cartridges tested failed in the study¹.

• Get a simple reminder
  To find out what ink your printer takes and to conveniently restock online, get HP Sure Supply , a utility that alerts you when your ink levels are low and takes you to the appropriate shopping page on HP.com for the ink you need, often with free shipping offers. The site offers the option to compare prices and shop from other online retailers, too.

• While ink cartridge status lights vary between models, as a general rule, a Print Cartridge Status light will appear when an ink cartridge is running low. It will begin to flash when you need to replace an ink cartridge.
  
  HP Photosmarts with color graphic displays and touchscreens provide icons representing ink levels.
  
  You can also check your ink levels through the Printer Toolbox of your printer software or the HP Solution Center.
  
  Visit your user manual for details.
  
  
• The HP Sure Supply software utility takes it one step further, alerting you when you're low on ink and taking you to the appropriate shopping page on HP.com for the ink you need, often with free shipping offers. The site offers the option to compare prices and shop from other online retailers, too.

• HP inkjet papers
  HP makes photo papers and a wide variety of additional papers–from everyday to professional to iron-on transfers in a variety of sizes–that are especially designed to work with HP inks to provide the longest lasting results.
• Papers to avoid
  Avoid papers designed exclusively for lasers, heavily textured papers, multipart forms that could separate, envelopes with clasps or windows, or papers that exceed the weight or dimensional specs indicated in your user manual.
• Specialty papers
  Get more tips for Printing on unique media types, such as vellum, iron-on transfers, and more.

• HP has resources to help you recycle both ink cartridges and hardware. Check out the HP supplies recycling program to find out how you can get free pre-paid shipping envelopes to send in your used cartridges.
• Learn more about Recycling your hardware and printing supplies

• A surprising amount of the time, an "Error" or "Critical Error" message can be alleviated by powering off your machine by pressing the Power button and then restarting your machine after unplugging.
• If restarting your printer doesn't solve the problem, please refer to the Troubleshooting section of your user manual.

Visit HP Product Manuals online and enter your product name/number.

In recent years, home photo printing has come a long way, with even entry-level photo printers delivering excellent quality.

To get the high-quality, lasting prints your HP Photosmart can deliver, it's especially important to use the right combination of HP photo paper and Original HP ink.

Many HP ink and photo paper combinations are water-resistant and engineered to resist damage from everyday handling.

Get all the details about HP print permanence and durability.

And find a vast collection of useful information on printing, editing, and sharing digital photos at HP's Digital Photography website.

All you need for high-quality photo prints is HP Photo Paper and HP ink:

• HP Photo Papers are designed to work with HP inks—whether photo-specific or not—to deliver the most vibrant, lasting images from your printer.
• To get the most consistent, vibrant results from your printer, use HP ink. Learn more about how HP designs and tests all of its ink and photo paper combinations for optimal print durability.

A Bluetooth-enabled printer will allow you to print directly from a Bluetooth-enabled phone or PDA.

If your printer is Bluetooth capable, but not yet enabled, plug in with the HP Bluetooth adapter. On the other end, check your phone or PDA's user manual to see how to enable your handheld device to recognize the enabled printer. Get details on using the HP Bluetooth adapter to Create instant wireless connections.

HP offers an incredibly simple-to-use photo printing app for the iPhone called HP iPrint. Visit the iPhone App Store to download a free copy.

You can print directly from a camera without using your PC by plugging it into the PictBridge port.

Visit HP's Digital Photography website to learn more about Printing digital photos from your memory card.

For high-quality photo prints, use HP Photo Papers and HP inks:

• HP Photo Papers are designed to work with HP inks—whether photo-specific or not—to deliver the most vibrant, lasting images from your printer.
• To get the most consistent, vibrant results from your printer, use HP ink. While remanufactured ink may cost less per unit, its high failure rate means that your best bet is to use the HP inks especially designed to work with your printer.

Also, HP has an entire Digital Photography website packed with useful information on printing, editing, and sharing the best digital photos possible.

• Discover simple suggestions on printing high-quality photos with Quick tips for perfect prints.

1. In order to get started with your All-in-One's scanner, you'll need to have the printer software installed on your computer and the computer must be on.
2. Load the original on the scanner glass.
3. Press the Scan button on the printer.
4. Edit the previewed image on your computer software.
5. Click Accept on the computer to store the scan to your computer.
6. Press Cancel on the printer's control panel to stop the scan.

1. Press Setup on the Control Panel.
2. Press Basic Fax Setup, and then press Fax Header.
3. Enter your personal or company name using the numeric keypad or visual keyboard, and then press OK.
4. Enter your fax number using the numeric keypad, and then press OK.

To test the information on your header and the status of your fax connection, Test Fax Setup:

1. From the Control Panel, press Setup.
2. Select Tools, and then select Run Fax Test.
3. The device displays the status of the test on the display and prints a report.

You can print directly from a camera without using your PC by plugging it into the PictBridge port. With a Bluetooth-enabled printer, you can also print from Bluetooth-enabled phones or PDAs without a computer.

You can also make copies and send and receive faxes without the aid of your PC.

1. Press Setup on the Control Panel.
2. Select Tools.
3. Select Reprint Faxes in Memory. (Note that the faxes are printed in the reverse order from which they were received with the most recently received printed first.)
4. If you want to stop reprinting the faxes in memory, press Cancel.

Yes! Avoid time-consuming re-typing by using the optical character recognition (OCR) software included with many HP Photosmart All-in-Ones, and available for all others.

(Note: If you cannot find OCR software on your computer, try re-inserting your software disc and selecting it as a Custom software installation option.)

To get how-tos for this useful capability, see OCR: The most important scanning feature you never knew you needed.

Learn the basics of sharing a printer on a network. For greater detail, visit your user manual, or keep reading.

There are two types of wireless capabilities included with some HP printers.

• A Wi-Fi-enabled machine can print from devices located up to 300 feet away.
• Bluetooth-enabled printers offer a much shorter range and are usually used for printing directly from phones, mobile printers, or PDAs.

Your manual should be able to tell you which of these capabilities, if any, your printer has. Also, look for the following logos (Bluetooth, WiFi, and HP’s wireless enabled) on your hardware or product literature to indicate whether or not your device is Wi-Fi capable or enabled.

Bluetooth Logo		Universal Wi–Fi capable logo		HP’s Wi-Fi enabled logo

If you find that your printer is Bluetooth capable, but not yet enabled, the HP Bluetooth adapter is an easy solution for adding Bluetooth functionality.

For devices without built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, the HP Wireless G Print Server makes it simple to deliver wireless functionality for most HP Photosmart models.

For the basics, read about Getting started with wireless. For more, view this straightforward demo on Connecting your wireless printer to a wireless network or consult your user manual.

For devices without built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, the HP Wireless G Print Server makes it simple to deliver wireless functionality.

If you find that your printer is Bluetooth capable, but not yet enabled, the HP Bluetooth adapter is an easy solution for adding Bluetooth functionality.

Find more information on using the HP Bluetooth adapter to Create instant wireless connections.

A Bluetooth-enabled printer will allow you to print directly from a Bluetooth-enabled phone or PDA.

If your printer is Bluetooth capable, but not yet enabled, plug in with the HP Bluetooth adapter. On the other end, check your phone or PDA's user manual to see how to enable your handheld device to recognize the enabled printer. Get details on using the HP Bluetooth adapter to Create instant wireless connections.

HP offers an incredibly simple-to-use photo printing app for the iPhone called HP iPrint. Visit the iPhone App Store to download a free copy.

• Use Original HP supplies
  Though refilled and remanufactured ink might seem like a bargain, Original HP inks produce 65% more pages than bargain ink, while refilled and remanufactured cartridges often stop working with a lot of ink left in them¹. And that's no value.
  
  
• Buy supplies online
  Order supplies such as paper and ink online in larger quantities at one time to save gas money, separate shipping costs for multiple orders, precious time, and energy. Another plus: you're always prepared for any print job.
  
  
• Use high-capacity ink cartridges
  Many HP Photosmarts support the use of high-capacity ink cartridges, which have the same numbers as standard cartridges, followed by the letters, "XL."

  These cartridges offer a lower per-page cost than the regular-sized HP ink cartridges.

  Another option is to purchase dual packs (denoted with the letter "D") to save on the per-cartridge cost.

• Print double-sided
  Printing on two sides of the paper (also referred to as duplexing) means you use half as much paper to print. If your printer is already outfitted with an automatic duplexer (or if you're interested in adding an Automatic duplexing accessory), you can learn more about Automatic two-sided printing: Save money and time.

  However, you don't need a duplexer to print double-sided; get tips for Manual double-sided printing made easy.

• Print multiple pages per sheet
  -Windows: Open the Printer Properties dialog box, click the Finishing tab, and select the number of pages you want to print on a single sheet from the Pages Per Sheet and Posters drop down list.

  -Macintosh: Open the Print dialog box, select Layout from the drop-down menu of printing options, and select from the Pages Per Sheet Menu.

• Print a draft copy
  A draft copy uses less ink and takes less time than printing at higher quality print settings, but it will give you a perfectly good idea of how your finished document will look.
  1. Open the document that you want to print.
  2. On the File menu, click Print, and then click Setup, Properties, or Preferences. (The options vary, depending on the application that you are using. Some Properties menus even have a Shortcuts tab with a setting called Fast/Economic Printing.)
  3. In the pull-down menu called Quality or Print Quality, select Draft and then click OK, Print, or a similar command.
  
  
• Print in grayscale
  Color ink is more expensive per unit than black, so if you are just checking the layout of the piece or don’t really need color, opt to print in Grayscale.
  1. Open the document that you want to print.
  2. On the File menu, click Print, and then click Setup, Properties, or Preferences.
     (The options vary, depending on the application that you are using.)
  3. Look for a Color tab or a place to set color options, and select Grayscale and then click OK, Print, or a similar command.

• Print double-sided
  Printing on two sides of the paper (also referred to as duplexing) means you use half as much paper to print. If your printer is already outfitted with an automatic duplexer (or if you’re interested in adding an Automatic duplexing accessory), you can learn more about Automatic two-sided printing: Save money and time.

  However, you don’t need a duplexer to print double-sided; get tips for Manual double-sided printing made easy.

• Print multiple pages per sheet
  -Windows: Open the Printer Properties dialog box, click the Finishing tab, and select the number of pages you want to print on a single sheet from the Pages Per Sheet and Posters drop down list.

  -Macintosh: Open the Print dialog box, select Layout from the drop-down menu of printing options, and select from the Pages Per Sheet Menu.

• Use Original HP supplies
  In a recent study by QualityLogic, over 33% of refilled and remanufactured cartridges were either unusable out of the box or stopped working with a substantial amount of ink left in the cartridge. How many of the Original HP ink cartridges failed in the study? None¹.

  Using reliable Original HP ink cartridges means less time shopping for ink, changing cartridges, and cleaning up leaks.

• Buy supplies online
  
  • Order supplies such as paper and ink online in larger quantities per order to save gas money, separate shipping costs for multiple orders, precious time, and energy. Another plus: you’re always prepared for any print job.
  • The HP Sure Supply software utility takes care of ink management for you, alerting you when you’re low on ink and taking you to the appropriate shopping page on HP.com for the ink you need, often with free shipping offers. The site always offers the option to compare prices and shop from other online retailers, too.
  
  
• Use high-capacity ink cartridges
  Many HP Deskjets support the use of high-capacity ink cartridges, which have the same numbers as standard cartridges, followed by the letters, "XL." These cartridges often get more than twice as many pages than their standard-sized counterparts.

  With a high-capacity cartridge, you'll spend less time shopping for, changing, and thinking about your ink cartridges.

• Print double-sided automatically
  Printing on two sides of the paper (also referred to as duplexing) means you use half as much paper to print, And if your printer is already outfitted with an automatic duplexer (or if you’re interested in adding an Automatic duplexing accessory), you save time flipping pages manually, as well. You can learn more about Automatic two-sided printing: Save money and time.
  
  
• Print multiple pages per sheet
  -Windows: Open the Printer Properties dialog box, click the Finishing tab, and select the number of pages you want to print on a single sheet from the Pages Per Sheet and Posters drop down list.

  -Macintosh: Open the Print dialog box, select Layout from the drop-down menu of printing options, and select from the Pages Per Sheet Menu.

• Print a draft copy
  A draft copy uses less ink and takes less time than printing at higher quality print settings, but it will give you a perfectly good idea of how your finished document will look.
  1. Open the document that you want to print.
  2. On the File menu, click Print, and then click Setup, Properties, or Preferences.
     (The options vary, depending on the application that you are using. Some Properties menus even have a Shortcuts tab with a setting called Fast/Economic Printing)
  3. In the pull down menu called Quality or Print Quality, select Draft and then click OK, Print, or a similar command.

• Choose an energy-efficient printer
  The best way to use less energy printing is to use an ENERGY STAR® qualified printer. Explore HP’s ENERGY STAR® qualified products and ways they use less energy.
  
  Find HP Deskjet printers and All-in-Ones with an Eco Highlights label that details energy savings and recycled materials information for particular models.
• Conserve printing resources
  
  • Get tips for Managing your paper usage., which helps cut down on the energy making and transporting this resource.
  • Use high-capacity XL ink cartridges in order to use fewer cartridges (and resources needed to produce and transport them).
• Power down an idle printer Several HP Deskjet models have an Auto-off feature you can set to reduce an idle printer's energy use. To use even less energy on a printer that's not in use, manually power it off when you are done.

  And to completely eliminate power use, unplug your unit after manually turning it off.

HP Smart Web Printing is a free software download that allows you to take only the pieces you want from any Web page, gather them together, and print them.

After downloading, a small HP Smart Web icon will appear in your browser's toolbar. Clicking on this icon will allow you to select exactly what you want to print, eliminating wasted pages and irrelevant material.

• You can always be prepared with the perfect greeting: HP’s Creative Studio offers a huge variety of beautifully designed cards and stationery for all occasions that you can customize to make personal.
• Get more inspiration, instruction, and ideas for Printing your own greeting cards.

• Watch a fun video demo and get detailed instructions on how to Print your own iron-on transfers.
• Before you begin, stock up on enough HP iron-on transfers to get creative!
• Find fun iron-on templates for kids and adults at HP’s Creative Studio. The Creative Studio is your source for fun, useful, simple projects you can customize for any occasion.

From calendars to customized greetings cards to photo books, there's so much you can do with your photo prints:

• Visit HP's Digital Photography website to See all the possibilities of one photo. There, you'll find tips, inspiration, and step-by-step how-tos for Getting creative with your photos.
• Check out HP's Creative Studio and find free templates you can use to create gifts, party kits, invitations, greeting cards, frames, scrapbooks, and more with your photos.

1. Adjust paper width and length guides on paper tray and load envelopes.
2. Adjust settings in Printer Properties or Page Setup dialog box, selecting your chosen envelope size under Paper size.

Get more detailed step-by-step instructions and ideas for Printing on envelopes.

Explore HP's resources for using your printer to give even the smallest business great marketing muscle.

• For free designed business marketing identity kit templates that you can customize with your own business information, visit the Creative Studio for Business. You'll find a wealth of helpful resources there for branding and marketing your business.
• HP's Everyday Printing website is full of useful articles and demos on printing for your business. Get started with an article that will tell you what you need to know to Create your own marketing materials.

• Get all the tips you need to Print on specialty media from HP’s Everyday Printing website.
• From iron-on templates and wedding invitations to all-occasion cards and vellum lanterns, find beautiful ideas and templates for working with a variety of papers at HP’s Creative Studio for Home.
• See ideas to help you Print on specialty paper for those times when you want to buy something unique to print on.
• For photos, use HP Photo papers, especially designed to work with HP inks to create long-lasting prints.
• HP offers a wide variety of papers especially designed for inkjet printers. From papers designed for brochures to fine art papers, HP non-photo papers have you covered.

Visit the online HP Photosmart photo printer buying guide to compare models and learn about various features they offer.