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