HP (Hewlett-Packard) printer manual

print media guide hp La serJet pr in ter f amily *5963-7863* *5963-7863* 5963-7863 Printed on at lea st 50% T otal R ecycled Fiber with at leas t 1 0% P ost-C onsumer Paper copy righ t  2000 Hew let t -P ack ard C ompan y prin ted in US A english[...]

Contents i Contents Overview Introductio n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 How HP Laser Jet printers work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Alternate so urces of infor mation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 General Information Guidelines fo r purchasin [...]

ii Contents Common pa per grades and basis we ights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Weight equiv alence table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Print media specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 What the sp ecifications m ean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Paper .[...]

Chapter – Ov erview 3 Overview Introduction HP LaserJet printers quickly and quietly produce d ocume nts with excellent pr int quality. A v ariety of print media, includ ing paper , envelopes, labels, and overhea d transparencies can be used in your HP LaserJet printer. However, to ensur e consistent pe rforma nce and long-term reliability, the p[...]

4 How HP LaserJet printers work How HP LaserJet printers work HP LaserJet printers u se laser and elect rophotographic techn ologies. To print a page in a laser printer, t he print media m ust be picked from the input tray on e sheet at a time and tr ansported th rough the paper path. While passing through the p aper path, a scanning laser be am wr[...]

Chapter – Genera l Information 5 General Information Guidelines for purchasing and using print media HP LaserJet printers are designed to be fle xible in the types of print media they can use. However, it is advisable to use goo d qualit y media, and specifica lly, HP paper that is designed to work wit h your HP LaserJet printers (see "Purch[...]

6 Guidelines for purcha sing and using print media Types of print media to avoid The following characte ristics can affect the per fo rmance of your HP LaserJet print er unless the paper o r other print media you a re using is specifically designed to work with your HP LaserJet printer. l Print media that is very ro ugh, highly textured , or heavil[...]

Chapter – Genera l Information 7 Testing small amounts of print media If you are planning a large purchase of print med ia, first print a sm all quantity in yo ur printing environmen t. Subject the pr int media to the temperature, humidity, and printing ap plications in which the print media will be used. Hewlett-Packard recommends that you ask y[...]

8 Guidelines for purcha sing and using print media Paper “ Plain paper ” is a misnomer. All paper s are designed and manufactur ed for a specific use. Pap ers designed for the electrophotog raphic process used by laser printe r and copy machines are usually called laser, photocop y, or xerog raphic grade papers. High quality laser and photocopy[...]

Chapter – Genera l Information 9 Reading a ream label A ream label is placed on t he outside of the pap er wrapping . The ream label usually indicates ba sis weight, size, number of shee ts, grain dire ction , an d g ra de. T he pr int ing sur fa ce of th e pape r migh t be indicated by an arrow on the ream label, although some manufactur er s do[...]

10 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media P aper types This section describe s the following paper type s: Recycled pape r Recycled paper is a combina tion of unused fiber s and pre- and post- consumer wast e paper. Print e d waste paper is usu ally washed to remove most of th e inks and ot he r co ntami nants. A recycled sheet of paper [...]

Chapter – General I nformation 11 you are using, it cannot adjust t he outp ut co lors for colored pap er. T o manually adjust the ou tput colors, see the service ma nua l for your printer. Coated paper Clay or other pigment-coat ed papers must be specifically desig ne d for laser printer s. The electrical pr operties must be cont rolled and the [...]

12 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media Cutout : The area wh er e material has been removed b y punching or die-cutting. Cutouts can int eract with paper path sensors or can result in contamination from toner if printing is too close to a cutout location. Perforations : A series of holes or slits made in media to pr ovide a controlled [...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 13 Preprinted forms a nd letterhea d To avoid multiple-feed and jamming problems wh en using preprinted forms, embossed paper, and letterhead pap er, observe the followin g guidelines: l Avoid using low-temp erature inks (t he kind used wit h some ty pes of thermog raphy). l Use forms and lett erh ead paper printed [...]

14 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media Envelopes CA UTION HP Color LaserJet and HP Color LaserJet 5 printers do not support envelopes. Printing envelo pes can dam age the prin ter. See th e user guide that came with you r printer fo r detailed instr uctions abou t printing envelopes. You can print many sizes an d styles of envelopes o[...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 15 Envelope construction Because of their construction, some envelopes will not feed through the printer dependa bly. Observe the following guidelines when purchasing and using envelopes: l Make su re the env elope ’ s leading edge, which ente rs the printer first, is straig ht, with a sharp, well-c reased fold th[...]

16 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media Many envelopes will feed through your HP Las erJet printer without problems. Howe ve r, some envelope constru ctions (as shown in the figure below) will not feed reliably. Problems can occur when the envelopes a re folded mo re tightly than nor mal, causing a thick leading edge ne ar a corner. Fo[...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 17 Results of en velope testing HP tests many types of envelo pe s to de te rm in e wh ich on e s prin t acceptably in an HP LaserJet pr inter. Some of the test results are listed below. l Commercial or Official envel opes (also called Business or Regular), with diago n al se am s an d sta n da rd gum m e d flap s, [...]

18 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media Adhesive labels Labels are multiple- layer media typically consisting of a face sh eet (the printable su rface), pressure-sensitive adh esive, and a liner (a carrier sheet coated with a rele ase agent). Labels used in your HP LaserJet printer must be specifically designed for laser printers. If l[...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 19 Liner The liner is the carrier sheet for the label material. This must prov ide stability for the reliable pick-up and transport of the label stock through the p rinter. Recommendations l Regularly inspect your labels after printing for any indication of label edges lifti ng or adhesive contamination on the prin [...]

20 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media Overhead transparencies Overhead transpare ncy film must be designed specifica lly for use with laser printers. Photocop y transparency film might no t be compatible with laser print ers because of higher te mperature and stiffness requirements. Color laser printers also require different film th[...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 21 Conditioning print media After purchasing pr int media, you might have to prepare it for usage. Print media needs some time to stabiliz e in a new environment. To prepare print media , ke ep it in its prot ec tive packaging an d sto re it in the environment in which it will be used. For small quantities, such as [...]

22 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media Manual duplexing Manual duplex pri nt ing, in which sheets that alre ady have been printed are ref ed int o th e pr inter , r equ ires b ot h opera to r an d softwar e intervention. (See the software application user guide f or more information.) Hewlett-Packard recommends manually refeeding shee[...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 23 4 Pre-bar code an d presort all e nvelopes. Meter the envelopes or use precan ce led sta mp s. (In addition to he lpin g in the ov erall performance of the laser-printed docu ment, bar coding and presorting can offer ad vantageous po stal charges. Please contact your USPS business office to find out more about th[...]

24 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media Purchasing HP print media In the United States yo u can purchase HP Paper and Tran par encies through HP ’ s website at http://www.hp.com/ljsupplies/ or contact your local reseller. To order outside of the U.S., please contact your local sales office. This section lists the current HP paper s a[...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 25 HP LaserJet Soft Gloss Paper Type : 32 lb weight, coated pap er Compatible with : HP Color LaserJet printe rs and HP LaserJet black and white printers Suggested use : Documents with photographic images or graphics and charts, engine ering designs, brochures, sales ma terial, pamphlets, and calenda rs HP Premium C[...]

26 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media A4 210 by 297 mm (8.3 by 11.7 in) 250 sheets per ream 8-ream c arton CHP415 A3 297 by 420 mm (11.7 by 16.5 in) 500 sheets per ream 4-ream c arton CHP420[...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 27 HP LaserJet P aper Type : 24 lb weight / 96 brightness Compatible with : HP Color LaserJet printe rs and HP LaserJet black and white printers Suggested use : Letter head, high -value mem os, legal do cuments, and direct mail or correspon den ce Size Quantity HP part number Letter 216 by 279 mm (8.5 by 11 in) 500 [...]

28 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media HP Printing P aper Type : 22 lb weight / 92 brightness Compatible with : HP Color LaserJet printers, HP La se rJet black and white printers, an d HP I nkJet printers Suggested use : Correspondence, and all documents p rinted with HP LaserJet and InkJet technology Size Quantity HP part number Lett[...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 29 HP MultiPurpose P aper Type : 20 lb weight / 90 brightness Compatible with : HP Color LaserJet printers, HP La se rJet black and white printers, copie rs, and fax machines Suggested use : Copier and fax needs, correspon dence, drafts, memos, and e-ma ils Size Quantity HP part num ber Letter 216 by 279 mm (8.5 by [...]

30 Guidelines for purchasing and u sin g print media HP Office P a per Type : 20 lb weight / 84 brightness Compatible with : All office equipment, such as lase r and inkjet printers, copi ers, and fax mach ines Suggested use : Copier and fax needs and high volume print i ng Size Quantity HP part number Letter 216 by 279 mm (8.5 by 11 in) 500 sheets[...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 31 HP Office Recyc led Paper Type : 20 lb weight / 84 brightness Compatible with : All office equipment, such as Laser and inkje t printers, copi ers, and fax mach ines Suggested use : Copier and fax needs and high volume print i ng Size Quan tity HP part number Letter 216 by 279 mm (8.5 by 11 in) 500 sheets per rea[...]

32 Guidelines for shippin g and storing print media Guidelines for shipping and storing print media The perform ance of HP LaserJet printe rs depends on t he condition of the print media used . Th is se ctio n co nt ain s recomme nd at ion s for shipping and storing media , and provides information abo ut environmental effects on me dia. Shipping m[...]

Chapter – General Inform ation 33 Environmental considerations HP LaserJet printers are design ed to operate in a wide range of environmental conditions. For best performance, store and use media at 20 ° to 24 ° C (68 ° to 75 ° F), with a relative humidity of 45 to 55 percent. Follow these guidelines when me dia is used in an environment outs[...]

34 Guidelines for shippin g and storing print media[...]

Chapter – Troubleshooting 35 Troubleshooting Introduction Print-quality and media-handling problems usually result from print media that does not m eet the sp ecifications de scribed in t his guide, has been store d impr op er ly, or is not in go od c ondit ion . The following s ections fu rther expla in the po ssible causes of and solutions to p[...]

36 Troubleshootin g ch ecklist Troubleshooting checklist Ask the following questions to det ermine if the print media is causing print-quality pr oblems: l Does your m edia meet th e specificatio ns outlined in t his document? (See "T ypes of print media to avoid " and "Print media specifications".) l Is the media in good co ndi[...]

Chapter – Troubleshooting 37 Basic troubleshooting If you cannot det er mine the ca us e of your print defe cts by using information fro m the previous section, try the followin g procedures: 1 Try print media f rom another lot or from a diff erent manufactu rer. 2 Flip the pape r over in th e input tra y, or turn it from front to rear (both, if [...]

38 Paper problems Paper problems This section provides inform ation about conditions that can indicate paper problems. These con ditions include high occurren ce s of jams, high numbers of multiple feeds, and post-image curl. CA UTION Do not reuse jammed paper. Doing so can damage the printe r. Frequent paper jams The following table lists po ssibl[...]

Chapter – Troubleshooting 39 Frequent multiple paper feeds The following table lists possibl e causes of frequent mult iple paper feeds and sugg e ste d ac tio ns. Cause Action(s) Paper is added in small amou nts to the input tray. l Add only large amounts of paper to the input tray, and avoid mixing paper types in the input tray. Paper is too dr[...]

40 Paper problems Reducing post-image curl When an HP LaserJet printer prints a sheet of p aper, the sheet develops a curvatur e called post-image curl. Gene rally, the higher the moisture co ntent of th e paper, th e greater the curl. Both the paper an d the printer affect th e amount of post-image curl. In the papermaking proce ss, stresses that [...]

Chapter – Troubleshooting 41 Envelope problems High rates of jams, gray areas printi ng on envelopes, or wrinkling can indicate problems with en velopes. Frequent envelope jams Overfilling the envelope tray and misadjusting its guides are the most common caus es of jams . However , if the enve lope tray is p roperly loaded, the envelope s mig ht [...]

42 Envelope pr oblems Gray areas on envelopes Wrinkling Wrinkles that form in envelopes after prin ting usually are caused by the following envelope conditions: Cause Action(s) Envelope has seams or multiple layers. l Avoid printing over seams or other multiple layer a reas. The toner density setting in the printing software might be too light. l R[...]

– Technical specification tabl es 43 Technical specification tables U.S. paper grades The U.S. paper gradin g system has evolved fro m custom and usage, resulting in similar pap er s ha vin g diff er e ntly stat ed weight s. Fo r example, a 24-lb bon d pap er is exactly the same weight as a 60-lb book paper, or a 60-lb t ext, or a 33-lb cover. Th[...]

44 U.S. paper grade s Common paper grades and basis weights The following table helps cla rif y differences in weights among paper grades. No te the differ ence in bas ic size for eac h grade, wh ich affects the weight of 500 sheets of that grade . Note The specifications in the f ollowing table are general and ma y not be optimal for yo ur HP Lase[...]

– Technical specification tabl es 45 Weight equivalence table The following table shows equ ivalen t weights for diffe rent grades of paper. A bolded value indicates a commonly available standard weight for that gra de. Note Text and book grad es marked with an asterisk (*) actua lly calculate to 51, 61, 71, and 81 but are rounded t o standard bo[...]

46 Print media specifications Print media specifications This section contains specificatio ns for the following types of print media: l Paper l Envelopes l Adhesive labels l Overhead tr anparencies Some of the specifications are explained in the "Wha t the specifications mean" section. What the specifications mean The following specifica[...]

– Technical specification tabl es 47 print quality. If electrical resistivit y is too low, poor im age transfer and low density can result. Generally, paper has very high resist ance, so paper manufact ur ers add salts or other mat erials to lower the resistivity. Moisture content Paper is hygroscopic; that is, it will absorb or give up moisture [...]

48 Print media specifications Surface roughness Surface roughness of papers can affect print qualit y, feeding, and fusing (toner a dhesion). If paper is very smooth, ba ckground particl es are more easily seen and sheet s tend to stick together and crea te multiple fe eds. Very ro ugh pape rs can degr ade transf er of tone r onto the page, cau sin[...]

– Technical specification tabl es 49 Curl is typically measur ed by laying the sheet of paper on a flat surface and measuring the height of the corne rs. There are two types of curl: l In-ream cu rl is the am ount of cur l in a sheet of paper b efore printing. In -ream curl results from the paper-m anufacturin g process or from expos ure to the e[...]

50 Print media specifications Paper The table be low summarizes the paper specifications that provide the best performa nce. Note The specifications listed in this section generally apply to all HP LaserJet printers bu t check the user documen tation that came with your printer for product specific information. Property Spec ifications Basis weight[...]

– Technical specification tabl es 51 Envelopes The table belo w summarizes th e envelope specifications that provide the best perfor m an c e . Note The specifications listed in this section generally apply to all HP LaserJet printers bu t check the user documen tation that came with your printer for product specific information. Property Specifi[...]

52 Print media specifications Adhesive labels The table below summarize s t he ad hesive label specifications that provide the best performance . Note The specifications listed in this section generally apply to all HP LaserJet printers bu t check the user documen tation that came with your printer for product specific information. CA UTION Not all[...]

– Technical specification tabl es 53 Overhead tranparencies The table below summar izes the overhead tranparenc y specifications that provide the best per formance. Note The specifications listed in this section generally apply to all HP LaserJet printers bu t check the user documen tation that came with your printer for product specific informat[...]

54 Standard media sizes used in laser pr int ers Standard media sizes used in laser printers This section lists the English and Metric dime nsions of the most commonly used paper , envelope, and card stock size s. See the user documentation that came with your printer for specific informat ion about the media suppo rted by your HP LaserJet printer.[...]

– Technical specification tabl es 55 Envelopes Card stock Size English dimension Metric dimension US #6 3/4 envelope 3.63 by 6.50 in 92.1 by 465.1 mm US #9 envelope 3.88 by 8.88 by in 98.4 by 225 mm US #11 envelope 4.50 by 10.38 in 114 .3 by 263.5 mm Commercial #10 4 .13 by 9.50 in 104.9 by 241.3 mm #5 1/2 baronial envelope 4.38 by 5.75 in 111 by[...]

56 Comparisons of paper smoothn ess Comparisons of paper smoothness Smoothness typically is exp ressed in term s of Sheffield , Gurley, Bekk, or Bendtsen units. HP LaserJet printers generally require a smoothness of bet wee n 100 and 200 Sheffie l d. The figure below compa res t he different types of smoothne ss.[...]

– Glossa ry 57 Glossary brightness Refe rs to the reflectan ce and whiteness of a sheet of paper. Higher brightness papers are mor e expensive to produce and are usually associated with higher quality. caliper The thickne ss of a sh eet of pap er or othe r print med ia. carrier sheet The sheet to which labels are temporar ily attached. Usually th[...]

58 – Glossary toner adh esion prope rties. It is important t o purchase labels fro m a knowledgeable converter who is familiar with these processes and with laser printing. finish/smoothness Char acterizes a pape r ’ s finish. T extured paper causes inconsistent or blot chy print and can wrinkle. Glossy-smooth paper tends t o hig hlight defects[...]

– Glossa ry 59 paper weight Paper weight is meas ured on a metric scal e (called basis weight or grammage ) as the weight in grams of one square meter of paper . Basis weight is an important chara cteristic of paper. Paper that is too light or t oo heavy can cause misfeeds, misst acking, jams, poor print qualit y, or excessive mechanical wear to [...]

60 – Glossary[...]

61 Index A acclimating media 22, 34 accuracy specifications, dimensional 51 acidity specifications 12 acrylic-based adhesives 20 adding paper. See loading paper additives, specifications 48 adhesive labels. See labels, adhesive adhesives clearing deposits of 21 envelopes, specifications 17 temperature specifications 54 types of 20 adjusting output [...]

62 curl definition 49, 59 in-ream 49 maximum, specifications 51, 53 post image, troubleshooting 38 post-image, definition 49 preventing 34 curvature. See curl customer support 6 cut edge condition, definition 59 cut problems, troubleshooting 37, 38 cutouts avoiding envelopes with 17 definition 59 using papers with 13, 14 D damaged paper discarding [...]

63 fibers composition 48 grain orientation 4 7 fillers, specifications 48 film, transparency. Se e transparencies finish definition 60 specifications 49 finishing precision, definition 60 flaps, specifications for 18, 53 flattening, embossed images 15 flimsy paper properties of 46 troubleshooting 37 folders, vinyl avoiding 33 forms multipart, avoid[...]

64 I index cards, sizes of 57 index grade 43, 45 InkJet papers 29, 32 inks, heat-resistant 15 input tray, loading 10, 38 in-ream curl 49 inserting paper. See loading pape r irregular media, avoiding 8 J jams See also feeding problems duplexing 23 envelopes 40 paper 37 preprinted papers 15 L labels, adhesive die-cut 14 peeling 21 printing 21 selecti[...]

65 O Office Paper, HP 31 Office Recycled Paper, HP 32 offset media, avoiding 8 offset powders, avoiding 15 offset, definition 61 oil-based inks 15 onion skin inserts, using 24 opacity, definition 61 opening paper reams 23 operations, HP LaserJet printers 5 optional envelope feeder 16 ordering HP print media 26 orientation grain 47 landscape 39 load[...]

66 rollers, swelling of 13 roughness definition 62 paper specifications 48, 51 S Sales and Service Offices, HP 6 scanning laser beam, operations of 5 scattered toner, causes of 48 sealers, envelopes 17 seasonal changes, affects of 47 selecting media archival 12 avoiding types of 8 characteristics of 10 coated 13 colored 12 converted 13 die-cut 13, [...]

67 T tabloid size papers HP LaserJet 28 HP MultiPurpose Paper 30 HP Office Paper 31 HP Premium Choice 27 HP Printing Paper 29 tag grade 43, 45 tears, avoiding papers with 10 temperature specifications printing 8 storing media 34 tenting, preventing 14 terms, definitions 46, 59 testing media disclaimer 7 envelopes 18 recommendations for 8 text grade[...]

68[...]

print media guide hp La serJet pr inter f amily *5963-7863* *5963-7863* 5963-7863 copy righ t  2000 Hew let t -P ack ard C ompan y english[...]