HP OfficeJet 145 Black/color ink old. 8 days to expire. Printing will stop.

[Orak Listalavostok]

My HP OfficeJet d145 all-in-one printer suddenly reports:
Black ink old. Color ink old.
8 days to expire. 8 days to expire.
Printing will stop. Printing will stop.
Press enter to continue. Press enter to continue.

This is an HP lie.

The ink isn't old. I replaced it just last week. Actually, since a
5-year supply of ink (for me) costs less than 20 bucks in bulk at
costco, I've been re-filling the four HP OJ 145 ink tanks (some call
them cartridges but the jets are separate) successfully since January
of 2003. Once a quarter or so, I refill the ink tanks with a few drops
of ink, always keeping the sponges wet and turning off the Hewlett
Packard paper-counting checks which HP uses as a lousy substitute for
ink level checking.

Questions for printer experts:
Q1: How do I bypass this "8 days to expire" HP ink tank setting?
Q2: Is an HP ink tank really timed to shut down in 18 months?
Q3: Do I just replace the tanks or do I have to replace the jets?

Please help,
Orak Listalavostok

 

[Shawn Hearn]

My HP OfficeJet d145 all-in-one printer suddenly reports:
Black ink old. Color ink old.
8 days to expire. 8 days to expire.
Printing will stop. Printing will stop.
Press enter to continue. Press enter to continue.

This is an HP lie.

The ink isn't old. I replaced it just last week. Actually, since a
5-year supply of ink (for me) costs less than 20 bucks in bulk at
costco, I've been re-filling the four HP OJ 145 ink tanks (some call
them cartridges but the jets are separate) successfully since January
of 2003. Once a quarter or so, I refill the ink tanks with a few drops
of ink, always keeping the sponges wet and turning off the Hewlett
Packard paper-counting checks which HP uses as a lousy substitute for
ink level checking.

Questions for printer experts:
Q1: How do I bypass this "8 days to expire" HP ink tank setting?
Q2: Is an HP ink tank really timed to shut down in 18 months?
Q3: Do I just replace the tanks or do I have to replace the jets?

Please help,
Orak Listalavostok

Try posting your question on a printer newsgroup

 

[Travis Jordan]

My HP OfficeJet d145 all-in-one printer suddenly reports:
Black ink old. Color ink old.
8 days to expire. 8 days to expire.
Printing will stop. Printing will stop.
Press enter to continue. Press enter to continue.

This is an HP lie.

The ink isn't old. I replaced it just last week. Actually, since a
5-year supply of ink (for me) costs less than 20 bucks in bulk at
costco, I've been re-filling the four HP OJ 145 ink tanks (some call
them cartridges but the jets are separate) successfully since January
of 2003. Once a quarter or so, I refill the ink tanks with a few drops
of ink, always keeping the sponges wet and turning off the Hewlett
Packard paper-counting checks which HP uses as a lousy substitute for
ink level checking.

Questions for printer experts:
Q1: How do I bypass this "8 days to expire" HP ink tank setting?
Q2: Is an HP ink tank really timed to shut down in 18 months?
Q3: Do I just replace the tanks or do I have to replace the jets?

Please help,
Orak Listalavostok

HP isn't lying. The printer cannot use an expired ink cartridge. I
don't know of any software hacks or tools that will let you get around
it.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=9220

HP will give their customers all kinds of technical reasons why they
designed their printer this way, but in the end it was a marketing
decision to put this 'feature' in the product. Product feature
decisions are ALWAYS made by marketing.

Welcome to the brave new world of software-controlled obsolence.
Demonstrate your support for this concept with your feet. If you buy
another vendor's product be sure to send your old HP printer with a love
noe back to Carly Fiorina's personal attention.

 

[Bob Parnass]

HP isn't lying. The printer cannot use an expired ink cartridge. ...
Welcome to the brave new world of software-controlled obsolence.
Demonstrate your support for this concept with your feet...

Amen. I found out about Hewlett-Packard's built-in ink cart
obsolence *after* buying a $1000+ HP 2500c color ink jet printer.

I bought a different brand of printer the next time because
of this and won't be buying HP printers again unless their
policy changes.

 

[Margaret Vonet]

HP isn't lying. The printer cannot use an expired ink cartridge. I
don't know of any software hacks or tools that will let you get around
it. http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=9220

While the cartridge may be expired the ink apparently is not old.
The ink according to the poster, is actually new ink (for that tank anyway).
Only the tank is what is old (print heads are separate in an HP OJ d145).

The interesting link you posted picqued my interest. Specifically the
line that says "that has led to the discovery that the only fix for
this cunning [HP lie about the ink being old] is to ... set systems to
dates in the past."

Does anyone know if setting the printer date to the past will solve the
users' problem? Is it easy or hard to set the printer date back a year?

 

[Orak Listalavostok]

The printer cannot use an expired ink cartridge.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=9220

Great article!

Given that, I think we can finally figure out how to use so-called
soon-to-expire HP ink cartridges past this fake 8-day expiration date.

First, the HP printer ink level is NEVER monitored by HP.
This link http://www.valueshop.co.uk/printer-ink-links.asp
kindly sent to me by a helpful reader clearly says so:
"The [smart] chip [embedded in each HP printer cartridge] doesn't
indicate the amount of ink left in the cartridge ... but stops
[the HP printer] after a number of print runs, even if there is
[plenty of] ink available"

From your article, it appears there are three dates of concern:
"... the date printed on the ink cartridge is not the expiry
date [which] is determined either by a cartridge being in the
HP printer for 30 months, or the cartridge is 4.5 years old,
whichever comes first. The date on the cartridge, which you'd
every reason to think was the expiry date if you didn't know,
is 2.5 years after it was manufactured."

Therefore, the 3 Hewlett Packard ink cartridge dates appear to be:
- The date the cartridge was manufactured
(+ 2.5 years = printed date).
- The date the cartridge expires
(death occurs on the printed date + 2 years)
- The length of time the cartridge is in the printer
(2.5 years maximum)

Given the date printed on my HP c5010a tri-color ink cartridge is:
- 2004/06/10
(deriving an HP ink cartridge manufacture date of 2001/12/10)
And the date printed on my HP c5011a black ink cartridge is:
- 2004/04/29
(deriving an HP ink cartridge manufacture date of 2001/10/29)

This would seem to indicate the true HP ink expiration date is:
- 2006/06/10
(HP c5010a tri-color ink cartridge true expiration date)
- 2006/04/29
(HP c5011a black ink cartridge true expiration date)

Hmmmm .... so my HP ink cartridges are NOT expiring after all!
Then why do I see officejet d145 "Black ink old. 8 days to expire"
& HP OJ d145 "Color ink old. 8 days to expire" error messages?

Hewlett Packard all-in-one officejet warning messages?

Assuming the true HP ink cartridge expiration date is two years
hence, the HP OfficeJet d145 must be calculating the 30 months
in service expiration date instead. Now the HP error messages
begin to make sense.

Given I was presented with the HP OJ d145 printer as a birthday
gift from my lab mates in January of 2002, we calculate:
- 2002/01/14
(the 30 months in-service HP expiration date is then 2004/07/14)

That is, the 30-month contigious service date is what the HP
office-jet d145 printer must be complaining about!

So it's NOT the printer cartridge which is expiring; it's the
HP 30-months continuous service barrier which is hurting me.
I still have until 2006 for the HP ink cartridges to expire.

How can I recover the two years I am entitled for these cartridges?

Someone kindly emailed me this link which describes HP ink
rotation steps:
http://www.alotofthings.com/supportforrefillers/resettingthehpC5010A5011A.html
"Since Hewlett Packard multifunction printers only retain the
information of the last two cartridges, you can alternatively
swap cartridges in and out. This of course requires that you
have a total of three HP ink cartridges that are not date expired."

So, one possibility, if I can find them, is to borrow from a friend
two HP ink cartridges (HP c5011a & hp C5010a) and simply rotate them.
This, based on the information you kindly provided me, might overcome
the bug in the HP OfficeJet d145 all-in-one printer setup which
prevents an ink cartridge from being in service for more than 30
consecutive months.

Do HP printing experts have any other suggestions to overcome
HP OfficeJet d145 printer ink cartridge expiration messages?

Orak Listalavostok

 

[Orak Listalavostok]

The printer cannot use an expired ink cartridge.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=9220

Great article!

Given that, I think we can finally figure out how to use so-called
soon-to-expire HP ink cartridges past this fake 8-day expiration date.

First, the HP printer ink level is NEVER monitored by HP.
This link http://www.valueshop.co.uk/printer-ink-links.asp
kindly sent to me by a helpful reader clearly says so:
"The [smart] chip [embedded in each HP printer cartridge] doesn't
indicate the amount of ink left in the cartridge ... but stops
[the HP printer] after a number of print runs, even if there is
[plenty of] ink available"

From your article, it appears there are three dates of concern:
"... the date printed on the ink cartridge is not the expiry
date [which] is determined either by a cartridge being in the
HP printer for 30 months, or the cartridge is 4.5 years old,
whichever comes first. The date on the cartridge, which you'd
every reason to think was the expiry date if you didn't know,
is 2.5 years after it was manufactured."

Therefore, the 3 Hewlett Packard ink cartridge dates appear to be:
- The date the cartridge was manufactured
(+ 2.5 years = printed date).
- The date the cartridge expires
(death occurs on the printed date + 2 years)
- The length of time the cartridge is in the printer
(2.5 years maximum)

Given the date printed on my HP c5010a tri-color ink cartridge is:
- 2004/06/10
(deriving an HP ink cartridge manufacture date of 2001/12/10)
And the date printed on my HP c5011a black ink cartridge is:
- 2004/04/29
(deriving an HP ink cartridge manufacture date of 2001/10/29)

This would seem to indicate the true HP ink expiration date is:
- 2006/06/10
(HP c5010a tri-color ink cartridge true expiration date)
- 2006/04/29
(HP c5011a black ink cartridge true expiration date)

Hmmmm .... so my HP ink cartridges are NOT expiring after all!
Then why do I see officejet d145 "Black ink old. 8 days to expire"
& HP OJ d145 "Color ink old. 8 days to expire" error messages?

Hewlett Packard all-in-one officejet warning messages?

Assuming the true HP ink cartridge expiration date is two years
hence, the HP OfficeJet d145 must be calculating the 30 months
in service expiration date instead. Now the HP error messages
begin to make sense.

Given I was presented with the HP OJ d145 printer as a birthday
gift from my lab mates in January of 2002, we calculate:
- 2002/01/14
(the 30 months in-service HP expiration date is then 2004/07/14)

That is, the 30-month contigious service date is what the HP
office-jet d145 printer must be complaining about!

So it's NOT the printer cartridge which is expiring; it's the
HP 30-months continuous service barrier which is hurting me.
I still have until 2006 for the HP ink cartridges to expire.

How can I recover the two years I am entitled for these cartridges?

Someone kindly emailed me this link which describes HP ink
rotation steps:
http://www.alotofthings.com/supportforrefillers/resettingthehpC5010A5011A.html
"Since Hewlett Packard multifunction printers only retain the
information of the last two cartridges, you can alternatively
swap cartridges in and out. This of course requires that you
have a total of three HP ink cartridges that are not date expired."

So, one possibility, if I can find them, is to borrow from a friend
two HP ink cartridges (HP c5011a & hp C5010a) and simply rotate them.
This, based on the information you kindly provided me, might overcome
the bug in the HP OfficeJet d145 all-in-one printer setup which
prevents an ink cartridge from being in service for more than 30
consecutive months.

Do HP printing experts have any other suggestions to overcome
HP OfficeJet d145 printer ink cartridge expiration messages?

Orak Listalavostok

 

[Bob Headrick]

First, the HP printer ink level is NEVER monitored by HP.
This link http://www.valueshop.co.uk/printer-ink-links.asp
kindly sent to me by a helpful reader clearly says so:
"The [smart] chip [embedded in each HP printer cartridge] doesn't
indicate the amount of ink left in the cartridge ... but stops
[the HP printer] after a number of print runs, even if there is
[plenty of] ink available"

There is a misunderstanding here. The printer does not stop after a number of
prints or pages, it counts the individual drops fired. Based on the amount of
ink put in the supply and the individual drop size the printer can calculate
how much ink is left. There is some margin to keep the supply from running out
and introducing air into the printhead. Allowing the printhead to run dry
would result in damage to the printhead.

From your article, it appears there are three dates of concern:
"... the date printed on the ink cartridge is not the expiry
date [which] is determined either by a cartridge being in the
HP printer for 30 months, or the cartridge is 4.5 years old,
whichever comes first. The date on the cartridge, which you'd
every reason to think was the expiry date if you didn't know,
is 2.5 years after it was manufactured."

Therefore, the 3 Hewlett Packard ink cartridge dates appear to be:
- The date the cartridge was manufactured
(+ 2.5 years = printed date).
- The date the cartridge expires
(death occurs on the printed date + 2 years)
- The length of time the cartridge is in the printer
(2.5 years maximum)

Given the date printed on my HP c5010a tri-color ink cartridge is:
- 2004/06/10
(deriving an HP ink cartridge manufacture date of 2001/12/10)
And the date printed on my HP c5011a black ink cartridge is:
- 2004/04/29
(deriving an HP ink cartridge manufacture date of 2001/10/29)

This would seem to indicate the true HP ink expiration date is:
- 2006/06/10
(HP c5010a tri-color ink cartridge true expiration date)
- 2006/04/29
(HP c5011a black ink cartridge true expiration date)

Hmmmm .... so my HP ink cartridges are NOT expiring after all!
Then why do I see officejet d145 "Black ink old. 8 days to expire"
& HP OJ d145 "Color ink old. 8 days to expire" error messages?

The expiration is the *earlier* of 30 months from date of insertion into the
printer or 4.5 years from date of manufacture. The ink supplies are cheap
compared to the printheads, and the expiration is enforced to protect the
printhead.

Assuming the true HP ink cartridge expiration date is two years
hence, the HP OfficeJet d145 must be calculating the 30 months
in service expiration date instead. Now the HP error messages
begin to make sense.

Given I was presented with the HP OJ d145 printer as a birthday
gift from my lab mates in January of 2002, we calculate:
- 2002/01/14
(the 30 months in-service HP expiration date is then 2004/07/14)

That is, the 30-month contigious service date is what the HP
office-jet d145 printer must be complaining about!

So it's NOT the printer cartridge which is expiring; it's the
HP 30-months continuous service barrier which is hurting me.
I still have until 2006 for the HP ink cartridges to expire.

How can I recover the two years I am entitled for these cartridges?

The printer is designed to allow an ink cartrdige to be in the printer for 2.5
years. There is not an "entitlement". Once the seal of the supply has been
broken and the supply installed in the printer you have 30 months to use up the
cartrdige. Over time normal vapro losses will cause the ink to thicken and
become less suitable. Once again, the printer limits the allowable age of ink
supplies to avoid damage to the semi-permanent printheads.

Someone kindly emailed me this link which describes HP ink
rotation steps:
http://www.alotofthings.com/supportforrefillers/resettingthehpC5010A5011A.html
"Since Hewlett Packard multifunction printers only retain the
information of the last two cartridges, you can alternatively
swap cartridges in and out. This of course requires that you
have a total of three HP ink cartridges that are not date expired."

This applies to the low on ink indicator in the printers with integrated
cartridges containing both the ink supply and printhead. In these pritners the
toolbox and printer will indicate a low on ink condition but will not stop
printing, since there is not an external printhead to protect there is no need
for the pritner to limit printing in this case.

Do HP printing experts have any other suggestions to overcome
HP OfficeJet d145 printer ink cartridge expiration messages?

Put a fresh ink supply in the printer....

The HP printers with separate ink and printheads are designed for relatively
heavy usage home users or small office applications. If you do not print much
you should probably get a different printer. The PSC 2210 or 2410 or Officejet
6110 may be a better fit for your needs.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

 

[The Real Bev]

Put a fresh ink supply in the printer....

I think the intent was to avoid doing that when there's clearly ink in
the cartridge.

The HP printers with separate ink and printheads are designed for relatively
heavy usage home users or small office applications. If you do not print much
you should probably get a different printer. The PSC 2210 or 2410 or Officejet
6110 may be a better fit for your needs.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

Is the cartridge expiration a windows thing? What happens if you're
running linux?

I'm pretty pissed about the 2 HP printers my mom (win 98) has had -- the
last one started printing purple 3/4" color bands at random times and
now prints all photos with a purple cast, although text printing in b+w
and colors comes out fine. She's printed 1500 pages, which sure doesn't
seem like a proper lifetime for a printer.

 

[Orak Listalavostok]

Does anyone know if setting the printer date to the past will solve the
users' problem? Is it easy or hard to set the printer date back a year?

I do not know how to change the date in an HP officejet d145 printer.

 

[iskowitzsa]

First, the HP printer ink level is NEVER monitored by HP.
This link http://www.valueshop.co.uk/printer-ink-links.asp
kindly sent to me by a helpful reader clearly says so:
"The [smart] chip [embedded in each HP printer cartridge] doesn't
indicate the amount of ink left in the cartridge ... but stops
[the HP printer] after a number of print runs, even if there is
[plenty of] ink available"

There is a misunderstanding here. The printer does not stop after a number of
prints or pages, it counts the individual drops fired. Based on the amount of
ink put in the supply and the individual drop size the printer can calculate
how much ink is left. There is some margin to keep the supply from running out
and introducing air into the printhead. Allowing the printhead to run dry
would result in damage to the printhead.

From your article, it appears there are three dates of concern:
"... the date printed on the ink cartridge is not the expiry
date [which] is determined either by a cartridge being in the
HP printer for 30 months, or the cartridge is 4.5 years old,
whichever comes first. The date on the cartridge, which you'd
every reason to think was the expiry date if you didn't know,
is 2.5 years after it was manufactured."

Therefore, the 3 Hewlett Packard ink cartridge dates appear to be:
- The date the cartridge was manufactured
(+ 2.5 years = printed date).
- The date the cartridge expires
(death occurs on the printed date + 2 years)
- The length of time the cartridge is in the printer
(2.5 years maximum)

Given the date printed on my HP c5010a tri-color ink cartridge is:
- 2004/06/10
(deriving an HP ink cartridge manufacture date of 2001/12/10)
And the date printed on my HP c5011a black ink cartridge is:
- 2004/04/29
(deriving an HP ink cartridge manufacture date of 2001/10/29)

This would seem to indicate the true HP ink expiration date is:
- 2006/06/10
(HP c5010a tri-color ink cartridge true expiration date)
- 2006/04/29
(HP c5011a black ink cartridge true expiration date)

Hmmmm .... so my HP ink cartridges are NOT expiring after all!
Then why do I see officejet d145 "Black ink old. 8 days to expire"
& HP OJ d145 "Color ink old. 8 days to expire" error messages?

The expiration is the *earlier* of 30 months from date of insertion into the
printer or 4.5 years from date of manufacture. The ink supplies are cheap
compared to the printheads, and the expiration is enforced to protect the
printhead.

Assuming the true HP ink cartridge expiration date is two years
hence, the HP OfficeJet d145 must be calculating the 30 months
in service expiration date instead. Now the HP error messages
begin to make sense.

Given I was presented with the HP OJ d145 printer as a birthday
gift from my lab mates in January of 2002, we calculate:
- 2002/01/14
(the 30 months in-service HP expiration date is then 2004/07/14)

That is, the 30-month contigious service date is what the HP
office-jet d145 printer must be complaining about!

So it's NOT the printer cartridge which is expiring; it's the
HP 30-months continuous service barrier which is hurting me.
I still have until 2006 for the HP ink cartridges to expire.

How can I recover the two years I am entitled for these cartridges?

The printer is designed to allow an ink cartrdige to be in the printer for 2.5
years. There is not an "entitlement". Once the seal of the supply has been
broken and the supply installed in the printer you have 30 months to use up the
cartrdige. Over time normal vapro losses will cause the ink to thicken and
become less suitable. Once again, the printer limits the allowable age of ink
supplies to avoid damage to the semi-permanent printheads.

Someone kindly emailed me this link which describes HP ink
rotation steps:

http://www.alotofthings.com/supportforrefillers/resettingthehpC5010A5011A.html

"Since Hewlett Packard multifunction printers only retain the
information of the last two cartridges, you can alternatively
swap cartridges in and out. This of course requires that you
have a total of three HP ink cartridges that are not date expired."

This applies to the low on ink indicator in the printers with integrated
cartridges containing both the ink supply and printhead. In these pritners the
toolbox and printer will indicate a low on ink condition but will not stop
printing, since there is not an external printhead to protect there is no need
for the pritner to limit printing in this case.

Do HP printing experts have any other suggestions to overcome
HP OfficeJet d145 printer ink cartridge expiration messages?

Put a fresh ink supply in the printer....

The HP printers with separate ink and printheads are designed for relatively
heavy usage home users or small office applications. If you do not print much
you should probably get a different printer. The PSC 2210 or 2410 or Officejet
6110 may be a better fit for your needs.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

Thanks Bob for a thorough explanation of the expiration dates. I at
least understand the purpose of the expiration dates on cartridges and
printers with the built in print heads. makes too me. That helps
explain a few things to me. I appreciate your Relpy. Stu

 

[Bob Headrick]

Thanks Bob for a thorough explanation of the expiration dates. I at
least understand the purpose of the expiration dates on cartridges and
printers with the built in print heads. makes too me. That helps
explain a few things to me. I appreciate your Relpy. Stu

You are welcome. I may not have made things clear for the case of the
cartridges with built-in printheads. These cartridges have an "install by"
date printhead on the package and a "warranty date" printed on the cartridge
body. The integrated print cartridges do not have an expiration date and the
printer will not stop printing because it thinks the cartridges are tool old or
too empty.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP
MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[Bob Headrick]

I'm pretty pissed about the 2 HP printers my mom (win 98) has had -- the
last one started printing purple 3/4" color bands at random times and
now prints all photos with a purple cast, although text printing in b+w
and colors comes out fine. She's printed 1500 pages, which sure doesn't
seem like a proper lifetime for a printer.

It sounds like she has a cartridge that is running out of yellow. Text is a
very low duty cycle of printing compared to photo printing. A cartridge that
still ahs a bit of yellow ink left could print colored text OK but fail to
deliver enough yellow when trying to print graphics.

What is the mode of the printer? Most likely a fresh color cartridge would
solve the problem.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP
MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[The Real Bev]

It sounds like she has a cartridge that is running out of yellow. Text is a
very low duty cycle of printing compared to photo printing. A cartridge that
still ahs a bit of yellow ink left could print colored text OK but fail to
deliver enough yellow when trying to print graphics.

It's an 882C. When printing a photo it chugs along properly for 3" and
then prints a 3/4" band of photograph with a distinct purple cast. Then
it goes along properly for another few inches (these distances are
pretty much random) and then prints another 3/4" band. Sometimes it
will print a whole photo properly, sometimes with one band, sometimes
with two or three. Occasionally it will print an entire page with one
of the rows of dots lagging behind, which really looks cheesy. This may
have stopped when the cartridges were replaced last time, but perhaps
not.

A third failure mode: consider a photo of a flat wall lit from one
end. The wall will shade evenly from light to dark across the picture,
right? That's what happens most of the time. Every once in a while,
such a picture will exhibit stair-stepped blocks of color, as if the
resolution were suddenly cut to 1/4 or 1/8 the proper value. Especially
annoying when it's a person's face instead of a smooth wall or the sky.
A second attempt at printing the same picture may or may not print
properly. Likewise with the purple banding. All intermittent.

What is the mode of the printer? Most likely a fresh color cartridge would
solve the problem.

This happened both before and after replacing the cartridges. I doubt
if the new one (third set of cartridges, possibly) has printed more than
100 pages. Went through the test process, cleaned the print surfaces
with a damp Q-tip per instructions. No difference.

What do you mean 'mode'? If you mean draft/ordinary/high-res, she
prints 'ordinary' because 'high-res' takes longer but makes no
difference discernible under 10x magnification.

--
Cheers,
Bev
*****************************************
"Don't force it, use a bigger hammer!"
--M. Irving

 

[Anthony Matonak]

The Real Bev wrote:
....

A third failure mode: consider a photo of a flat wall lit from one
end. The wall will shade evenly from light to dark across the picture,
right? That's what happens most of the time. Every once in a while,
such a picture will exhibit stair-stepped blocks of color, as if the
resolution were suddenly cut to 1/4 or 1/8 the proper value. Especially
annoying when it's a person's face instead of a smooth wall or the sky.
A second attempt at printing the same picture may or may not print
properly. Likewise with the purple banding. All intermittent.

....

It's called posterization. It happens when you decrease the number of
colors. Sounds like time to write the printer off as a lost cause and
find something that works reliably.

Anthony

 

[The Real Bev]

The Real Bev wrote:
...
...

It's called posterization. It happens when you decrease the number of
colors. Sounds like time to write the printer off as a lost cause and
find something that works reliably.

What really bothers me is that HP is supposed to be the gold standard.
This printer was $300 or so when she bought it a couple of years ago.
Everybody is always happy with HP and says they're reliable. So how
come she got so unlucky? The previous one just stopped working a few
months out of warranty.

 

[Steve J]

What really bothers me is that HP is supposed to be the gold standard.
This printer was $300 or so when she bought it a couple of years ago.
Everybody is always happy with HP and says they're reliable. So how
come she got so unlucky? The previous one just stopped working a few
months out of warranty.

Sometimes you get a 'dog' as it were. Perfectly good manufacturers
make a batch of machines that fail. I have noticed however, that HP's
manufacturing quality has been declining over the last few years.

What are you choices? Brother, Canon, Epson, Lexmark and one or two
others? I have had misery with Epson (besides their truly irritating
tendancy to spend a whole minute clunking and whirring when switched
on), and Lexmark.

The ink running out thing is a pshychological ruse to make you go and
buy more ink. I have a deskjet 960c and it bitched at me for 6 months!
before the ink ran out, and it worked 100% all that time with moderate
use.

Use BLACKLIST to automatically shut down the error message window.

SteveJ

 

[SoCalMike]

Sometimes you get a 'dog' as it were. Perfectly good manufacturers
make a batch of machines that fail. I have noticed however, that HP's
manufacturing quality has been declining over the last few years.

What are you choices? Brother, Canon, Epson, Lexmark and one or two
others? I have had misery with Epson (besides their truly irritating
tendancy to spend a whole minute clunking and whirring when switched
on), and Lexmark.

The ink running out thing is a pshychological ruse to make you go and
buy more ink. I have a deskjet 960c and it bitched at me for 6 months!
before the ink ran out, and it worked 100% all that time with moderate
use.

Use BLACKLIST to automatically shut down the error message window.

if color isnt a necessity, i bought a samsung laser printer at sams for
$98. fires right up, no ink to dry out, no nozzles to clog, no program
telling me i need to buy another overpriced cartridge. and supposedly
the "starter" toner cart it came with is good for 1200 pages, more than
ill do in 5 years. replacement carts are supposedly good for 5000 pages.
and all carts are *supposedly* refillable. even if not, a new cart is
$80- the same price as a couple ink carts.

 

[dan]

if color isnt a necessity, i bought a samsung laser printer at sams for
$98. fires right up, no ink to dry out, no nozzles to clog, no program
telling me i need to buy another overpriced cartridge. and supposedly
the "starter" toner cart it came with is good for 1200 pages, more than
ill do in 5 years. replacement carts are supposedly good for 5000 pages.
and all carts are *supposedly* refillable. even if not, a new cart is
$80- the same price as a couple ink carts.

Couldn't agree more. After fighting my 3rd POS inkjet printer buying
ridiculously priced cartriges and learning the messy art of filling
them, I gave up on color to get a cheap laser printer. Now I get page
after page after page of cheap troublefree pages.

 

[SoCalMike]

Couldn't agree more. After fighting my 3rd POS inkjet printer buying
ridiculously priced cartriges and learning the messy art of filling
them, I gave up on color to get a cheap laser printer. Now I get page
after page after page of cheap troublefree pages.

i see inkjets dying a slow death, market-wise. companies have milked the
refill costs for all theyre worth.