HP Photosmart A520 Series - Help
Contents 1 HP Photosmart A520 series Help............................................................................................5 2 Get started How do I?....................................................................................................................................7 Find more information.................................................................................................................8 The HP Photosmart at a glance....................................................
Change the print settings for the print job.................................................................................27 Change the print quality......................................................................................................28 Change the paper type.......................................................................................................28 Change the paper size.......................................................................................................
Contents 10 Specifications System requirements................................................................................................................65 Printer specifications................................................................................................................65 11 Regulatory and environmental information Regulatory notices....................................................................................................................67 FCC statement....................
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1 HP Photosmart A520 series Help Welcome to the HP Photosmart A520 series Help! For more information about the HP Photosmart printer, see: • • • • • • • • • “Get started” on page 7 “Paper basics” on page 15 “Print without a computer” on page 17 “Print from a computer” on page 23 “Maintenance” on page 37 “Shop for ink supplies” on page 59 “HP support and warranty” on page 61 “Specifications” on page 65 “Regulatory and environmental information” on page 67 You can print information at any time from the HP
Chapter 1 6 HP Photosmart A520 series Help
2 Get started This section provides introductory information about the HP Photosmart A520 series printer. This section contains the following topics: • • • • • How do I? Find more information The HP Photosmart at a glance Control panel buttons and indicator lights Printer menus How do I? Click any of the following links to get more information on how to perform creative and common tasks using the HP Photosmart printer and software.
Chapter 2 Find more information Your new HP Photosmart A520 series printer comes with the following documentation: Setup instructions: The setup instructions explain how to set up the printer, install the HP Photosmart software, and print a photo. Read this document first. This document may be called Quick Start Guide or Setup Guide, depending on your country/region, language, or printer model.
The HP Photosmart at a glance Figure 2-1 Printer parts Label Description 1 Control panel: Control the basic functions of the printer from here. 2 Output tray (closed): Open this to print, insert a memory card, connect a compatible digital camera, or access the print cartridge area. 3 USB port: Use this port to connect the printer to a computer using the supplied USB cable. 4 Power cord connection: Connect the power cord here.
Chapter 2 Label Description 1 Power: Press to turn the printer on or off. The power button will glow when the power is on. When the printer is idle, the button will pulse softly. 2 Color graphic display: View photos and menus here. 3 Red Eye: The Red Eye feature reduces the red-eye effect you sometime see in flash photos. This feature is on by default. Press this button to turn the feature on or off. 4 Print: Press to print the currently viewed image from a memory card.
How to use the Printer menu The Printer menu gives you many print options, allows you to change the printer defaults, provides maintenance and troubleshooting tools, and provides how-to information for common printing tasks. 1 Navigation arrows 2 Print 3 Cancel TIP: The menu contains many useful commands and options, but common functions, such as printing, are usually available with a single button press on the printer control panel.
Chapter 2 1. Press or to open the Printer menu. 2. Pressing will move to the next option and pressing will move to the previous menu option. 3. Press Print to select an option. Menu options that are not accessible are dimmed. 4. To exit a menu, press the Cancel button. NOTE: For a list of printer menu options, see “Printer menu options” on page 12.
• • • • • Dry Time: Select to turn the dry time feature On (default) or Off. If the dry time feature is turned off the dry time dialog will not be displayed. Demo: Select to put the printer into the demo mode. Set Language: Select to change the language or country/region setting. Choose from Select language and Select country/region. The printer screen displays text in the language you choose. The menu lists paper sizes and other options specific to the chosen language.
Chapter 2 14 Get started
3 Paper basics Learn how to choose the right paper for your print job and how to load it into the input tray for printing. • • Choose the best paper for the job Load your paper Choose the best paper for the job Use HP Advanced Photo Paper. It is especially designed to work with the inks in your printer to create beautiful photos. Other photo papers will produce inferior results. For a list of available HP-designed inkjet paper, or to purchase supplies, go to: • • • • www.hpshopping.com (U.S.) www.
Chapter 3 To load paper 1. Open the output tray. The input tray opens automatically. 2. Load up to 20 sheets of photo paper with the print side or glossy side facing the front of the printer. If you are using tabbed paper, load the paper so tab feeds in last. When loading, slide the paper to the left side of the input tray and push the paper down firmly until it stops. 3. Adjust the paper-width guide to fit close to the edge of the paper without bending the paper.
4 Print without a computer This section contains information on the following topics: Print from a memory card without a computer Print from a PictBridge-certified camera or device Print from a Bluetooth device Enhance your photos • • • • Print from a memory card without a computer This section explains how to print digital photos that are stored on a memory card.
Chapter 4 (continued) Label Description 3 Memory Stick 4 Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard (MMC) Print photos from a memory card Important: Your photos are instantly dry, and can be handled immediately after they are printed. However, HP recommends that you leave the printed surface of your photos exposed to the air for 3 minutes after printing to allow the colors to fully develop before you stack them with other photos or place them in albums. To print a single photo 1.
Print from a PictBridge-certified camera or device This section describes the procedure for printing from a PictBridge digital camera. The procedure for printing from other PictBridge devices—such as camera phones and other image capture devices—is very similar. Review the documentation that came with your PictBridge device for specific information. NOTE: If you disconnect the camera while printing, all print jobs are cancelled. To print using a PictBridge-certified camera 1.
Chapter 4 Configure Bluetooth To use Bluetooth wireless technology, you must configure both the printer and your computer. The way you configure Bluetooth depends on the Bluetooth software you use. This section provides Bluetooth instructions using the Widcomm software. NOTE: Before you configure the printer, verify that Bluetooth connectivity functions correctly on the device you want the printer to communicate with. Refer to the documentation that came with the Bluetooth device for instructions.
Print photos from a Bluetooth device The basic procedure for printing from any device with Bluetooth wireless technology is the same. For more detailed instructions, see the documentation that came with your Bluetooth device. To print from a Bluetooth device 1. Connect the Bluetooth adapter to the camera port on the printer. Figure 4-1 Control panel 1 Bluetooth adapter 2. Have the device search for available Bluetooth printers. 3.
Chapter 4 Photo Fix remains off until you turn it on again.
5 Print from a computer This section describes how to print photos when the HP Photosmart A520 series printer is connected to a computer, and you want to print an image from an imaging application such as Photosmart Essential.
Chapter 5 What's This? help Use What's This? help to learn more about the available printing options. To use What's This? help 1. Move the cursor over the feature that you want to learn more about. 2. Click the right mouse button. The What's This box is displayed. 3. Move the cursor over the What's This? box, and then click the left mouse button. An explanation of the feature is displayed.
printer must be connected to your computer with an appropriate USB cable. In addition you must have installed the HP Photosmart software. You need to transfer the photos to your computer to use them in image editing software, including the HP Photosmart software that came with the printer. To transfer photos to a computer 1. Connect the printer to the computer with a USB cable. 2. Turn off the camera if it is on. 3.
Chapter 5 3. icon in the Windows taskbar, and Right-click the HP Digital Imaging Monitor select HP Photosmart A520 series > Open E. NOTE: E may not be the drive letter the computer assigns. Windows Explorer opens and shows the contents of the card. 4. Drag and drop files from the memory card to a location on the computer. NOTE: You can also use Windows Explorer to copy files from the computer to the memory card.
You can change the setting to Full if the images that you print are under exposed or over exposed, contain dark areas or red eye, or have colors that appear washed out. You can also select the Off setting if you prefer to edit the image manually in a software program such as HP Photosmart software. To change the HP Real Life technologies setting 1. Open the Printer Properties dialog box. For more information, see “Printer Properties dialog box” on page 23. 2. Click the Features tab. 3.
Chapter 5 Change the print quality Choose the print quality and speed to optimize your photo printing. To select a print quality and speed 1. Open the Printer Properties dialog box. For more information, see “Printer Properties dialog box” on page 23. 2. Click the Features tab. 3. In the Paper Type drop-down list, select the type of paper that you have loaded. 4. In the Print Quality drop-down list, select the appropriate quality setting for your project.
Change the paper size Use the Printer Properties dialog box instead of the software application's Page Setup dialog box to select a paper size. Some software applications do not list all the paper sizes the printer supports. To select a paper size 1. Open the Printer Properties dialog box. For more information, see “Printer Properties dialog box” on page 23. 2. Click the Features tab. 3. Select a paper size from the Size drop-down list.
Chapter 5 3. You can adjust the following settings: • Adjust the Brightness, Saturation, and Color Tone to affect how overall colors are printed. • Adjust the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black sliders to specify the level of each color that is used in printing. NOTE: When you adjust color settings, the changes are reflected in the Preview box. 4. After specifying the color settings, click OK. 5. Select any other print settings that you want, and then click OK.
Print preview You can preview a document on the computer before printing it. If the print preview does not look the way you want it to, close the preview window and make the necessary adjustments to the document or to the print settings. For more information on changing the print settings, see “Change the print settings for the print job” on page 27. To preview a printed document 1. Open the Printer Properties dialog box. For more information, see “Printer Properties dialog box” on page 23. 2.
Chapter 5 Print NOTE: If your software program includes a photo printing feature, follow the instructions that are provided with the software program. Otherwise, follow these instructions. 1. Open the photo in a software program that allows editing, such as HP Photosmart software. 2. Open the Print Properties dialog box. For more information, see “Printer Properties dialog box” on page 23. 3. Click the Printing Shortcuts tab. 4.
Print photos with a border Guidelines • To learn how to use the photo printing features, see the “photo enhancing” on page 26 page. • Verify the photo paper you are using is not rippled or curled. • Do not exceed the paper tray capacity when loading media. For more information, see “Printer specifications” on page 65. Prepare to print 1. Verify that the printer is turned on. 2. Load photo paper. For more information, see “Paper basics” on page 15.
Chapter 5 Print postcards Guidelines • Use only cards and small media that meet the printer paper-size specifications. For more information, see “Printer specifications” on page 65. • Do not exceed the paper tray capacity when loading media. For more information, see “Printer specifications” on page 65. Prepare to print 1. Verify the printer is turned on. 2. Load cards. For more information, see “Paper basics” on page 15. Print 1. Open the Print Properties dialog box.
Print panoramic photos For true panoramic printing, you must have taken a panoramic photo. Also, use HP panorama paper 10 x 30 cm (4 x 12 inch). Guidelines • To learn how to use the photo printing features, see “photo enhancing” on page 26. • Verify that the photo paper you are using is not rippled or curled. • Do not exceed the paper tray capacity when loading media. For more information, see “Printer specifications” on page 65. • For maximum fade resistance, use HP Advanced Photo Paper.
Chapter 5 Print on index cards and other small media Guidelines • Use only cards and small media that meet the printer paper-size specifications. • Do not exceed the paper tray capacity when loading media. For more information, see “Printer specifications” on page 65. • Print quality decreases when printing on plain paper such as index cards. This is to be expected and does not indicate a problem. Printing on plain paper is useful for print jobs, such as drafts, where print quality is not important.
6 Maintenance This section contains basic maintenance procedures that can help keep your printer performing well and producing top-quality photos.
Chapter 6 Align the print cartridge The printer automatically aligns the print cartridge after a new one is installed. You can also align the print cartridge at other times to ensure optimal print quality. Indications that you need to align the print cartridge manually include documents that print at an angle, colors not printing satisfactorily, or poor print quality. To align the print cartridge from the printer 1. Remove any memory card, if inserted. 2. Press or to highlight Align cartridge. 3.
View estimated ink levels You can view the estimated ink level of the print cartridge installed in the printer either from a connected computer or on the printer itself. The printer screen displays an inklevel icon that shows the approximate amount of ink remaining in the cartridge (100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and nearly empty): 100% 75% 50% 25% Low on ink (less than 25%).
Chapter 6 For best print quality, HP recommends that you install all retail print cartridges before the date stamped on the box. To insert or replace a print cartridge 1. Make sure the power is on and you have removed the cardboard from inside the printer. 2. Open the print cartridge door of the printer. 3. Remove the bright pink tape from the cartridge. NOTE: Do not touch the copper-colored contacts on the print cartridge. 4.
Get print cartridge ordering information To view print cartridge ordering information and order cartridges online 1. Open the Toolbox dialog box. For more information, see “Toolbox dialog box” on page 37. 2. Click the Estimated Ink Levels tab. 3. Click Print Cartridge Information. If you are connected to the Internet, you can click the Shop Online button to order cartridges online. To order HP papers and other supplies, go to www.hp.com/buy/supplies.
Chapter 6 4. Click Print A Sample Page. 5. Click Print Page. HP Digital Imaging Monitor icon After you install the printer software, the HP Digital Imaging Monitor icon appears in the Windows taskbar. This icon helps you perform a variety of tasks. The HP Digital Imaging Monitor icon shows the status of the printer: The HP Digital Imaging Monitor icon has a green check mark when the printer is in an idle state. The HP Digital Imaging Monitor icon has an exclamation mark when there is an error.
Store the print cartridges When you store the printer, always leave the active print cartridges inside the printer. The printer stores the print cartridges in a protective cap during the power-down cycle. CAUTION: Make sure the printer completes its power-down cycle before you unplug the power cord. This allows the printer to store the print cartridges properly.
Chapter 6 44 Maintenance
7 Troubleshooting Before contacting HP support, read this section for troubleshooting tips or go to the online support services at www.hp.com/support. Before you begin, make sure: • • All the cable connections between the printer and computer are secure. You are using the most recent version of the printer software. TIP: HP recommends using a USB cable 3 meters (10 feet) or less in length. Using a longer USB cable may cause errors.
Chapter 7 Solution: • Unplug the USB cable from the computer, then plug it in again. • Make sure the cable is securely attached to the computer and to the USB port on the back of the printer. • Restart the computer. If this does not resolve the issue, follow these steps: 1. Disconnect the USB cable from the printer. 2. Uninstall the printer software: a. From the Windows Start menu, go to Programs > HP > HP Photosmart A520 series > Uninstall Devices. b. Follow the onscreen instructions. 3.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • A small red circle appeared on the HP Digital Imaging Monitor icon in the Windows taskbar An Unknown device message appeared The document or photo did not print using the selected default print settings The printer did not print borderless photos Could not save photos from the computer to the memory card Printing is very slow The printout is rippled or curled A blank page came out of the printer The printer ejected the paper when preparing to print.
Chapter 7 • • If you cannot grasp the edge of the jammed paper to remove it, try the following: • Turn off the printer. • Turn on the printer. The printer checks for paper in the paper path and will automatically eject the jammed paper. Press OK to continue. The computer and printer lost communication Cause: • The computer might not be connected to the printer. • The printer might be turned off. • The printer might not be connected to a power source.
7. Click Continue to uninstall the files created when you connected the printer to the computer. 8. Click Restart. When the computer restarts, remove the HP Photosmart CD and follow the installation instructions in the setup instructions that came in the box with the printer.
Chapter 7 4. Disconnect all USB devices (including the hub) from the computer. 5. Turn on the computer. 6. Try printing again. If the problem persists, repeat steps 1–5 using a different USB port on the computer. A small red circle appeared on the HP Digital Imaging Monitor icon in the Windows taskbar Cause: There is a connection or communication problem between the printer and the computer. Solution: 1. Connect the printer directly to a USB port on the computer. 2.
The document or photo did not print using the selected default print settings Cause: The printer default settings may be different than those in the software application. The software application print settings override any that you set on the printer. Solution: From the software application's File menu, select Print, then click Properties and choose the desired print settings. The printer did not print borderless photos Cause: The printer cannot print borderless photos on all sizes of paper.
Chapter 7 • • See “Download printer software updates” on page 24 for information on updating the printer software. To check the version of the software, select About from the HP Digital Imaging Monitor icon in the taskbar. Remove the wet page and simply wait. Printing continues when the page is dry. To improve the system resources, close all open programs except Windows Explorer and Systray, then try printing again: 1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete. 2. Select all programs except Windows Explorer and Systray.
Parts of the printed document are missing or are in the wrong place Cause: • You may have selected the incorrect paper orientation. • You may have selected an incorrect paper size. Solution: • Make sure you have selected the correct orientation on the Features tab of the Printer Properties dialog box. • Make sure you have selected the correct paper size. For more information, see “Change the paper size” on page 29. Print quality is poor Cause: • You may have magnified the photo too much.
Chapter 7 Solution: Select paper size and type from the Features tab of the Printer Properties dialog box. The printout does not appear as it should Cause: The paper may be marked, scratched, or wrinkled, or the paper may be dark in color or contain metallic fibers. Solution: If the paper is damaged, dark in color, or contains metallic fibers, the sensor may not detect paper type and size accurately.
• • The passkey (PIN) that the device with Bluetooth wireless technology is using for the printer may be incorrect. Make sure the correct passkey for the printer is entered in the device with Bluetooth wireless technology. You may be too far from the printer. Move the device with Bluetooth wireless technology closer to the printer. The maximum recommended distance between the device with Bluetooth wireless technology and the printer is 10 meters (30 feet). No page came out of the printer.
Chapter 7 • • • • • • • • • The print carriage has stalled The printer is out of paper There is a paper jam The paper loaded does not match the paper size selected The memory card has been inserted upside down The memory card is not inserted properly Insert only one memory card at a time There was a problem with the memory card Communication with the printer has been lost Low on ink Cause: The print cartridge is estimated to be low on ink and may need to be replaced soon.
The print carriage has stalled Solution: There is an obstruction blocking the path of the print carriage or the cartridge service station. Contact HP support for help, or go to the online support services at www.hp.com/support. The printer is out of paper Solution: Check that paper has been loaded in the correct paper tray. See “Paper basics” on page 15 and refer to the setup instructions that came with your printer for more information on loading paper.
Chapter 7 Insert only one memory card at a time Solution: The printer has two or more different types of memory cards inserted simultaneously. Alternatively, a memory card may be inserted while a digital camera is connected to the camera port. Remove memory cards or disconnect the camera until only one card is in the printer or only the camera is connected. There was a problem with the memory card Solution: There was a problem with the memory card.
8 Shop for ink supplies For a list of print cartridge numbers, see the printed documentation that came with the HP Photosmart. You can also use the software that came with the HP Photosmart to find out the reorder number for all the print cartridges. You can order print cartridges online from the HP Web site. Additionally, you can contact a local HP reseller to find out the correct print cartridge reorder numbers for your device and purchase print cartridges.
Chapter 8 60 Shop for ink supplies
9 HP support and warranty This section contains information on the following: • • • • Check the HP support Web site first HP support by phone HP Warranty Additional warranty options Check the HP support Web site first Check the documentation that came with the printer. If you do not find the information you need, check out the HP support Web site. To check for online support 1. Visit the HP online support Web site at www.hp.com/support. HP online support is available to all HP customers.
Chapter 9 Placing a call Call HP support while you are in front of the computer and the HP Photosmart.
HP Warranty Additional warranty options Extended service plans are available for the printer at additional costs. Go to www.hp.com/support, select your country/region and language, then explore the services and warranty area for information about the extended service plans.
Chapter 9 64 HP support and warranty
10 Specifications This section lists the minimum system requirements for installing the HP Photosmart software, and provides selected printer specifications.
Chapter 10 (continued) Photo paper with tab 10 x 15 cm with 1.25 cm tab (4 x 6 inches with 0.5 inch tab) 20 sheets of photo paper, maximum thickness 292 µm (11.5 mil) per sheet Index cards 10 x 15 cm (4 x 6 inches) 10 sheets of 10 x 30 cm (4 x 12 inches) photo paper for panoramic printing A6 cards 105 x 148 mm (4.1 x 5.8 inches) L-size cards 90 x 127 mm (3.5 x 5 inches) L-size cards with tab 90 x 127 mm with 12.5 mm tab (3.5 x 5 inches with 0.
11 Regulatory and environmental information The following regulatory and environmental information applies to the HP Photosmart A520 series printers. • • Regulatory notices Environmental product stewardship program Regulatory notices The following regulatory notices apply to the HP Photosmart A520 series printers.
Chapter 11 FCC statement LED indicator statement VCCI (Class B) compliance statement for users in Japan 68 Regulatory and environmental information
Notice to users in Japan about power cord Notice to users in Korea Notice to users in the European Economic Area Environmental product stewardship program Hewlett-Packard is committed to providing quality products in an environmentally sound manner. Design for recycling has been incorporated into this product. The number of materials has been kept to a minimum while ensuring proper functionality and reliability. Dissimilar materials have been designed to separate easily.
Chapter 11 For more information, visit HP’s Commitment to the Environment Web site at: www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/environment/index.
Disposal of Waste Equipment by Users in Private Households in the European Union Environmental product stewardship program 71
