HP 4250 driving our dept nuts!

[dsk]

Hello all.

 

We have a 4250 HP printer which is just acting bonkers with selecting paper from trays. We've tried different drivers, different connections (USB, network and parallel) but it just wont have it. It seems to just randomly take paper from wherever it likes. Ive even updated the firmware of the machine, but still hasnt fixed it.

 

Im at a loss at to what to do really help

[Geoff]

What paper settings are you using on the client application end?

[dsk]

A4, and we've tried combinations of headed, plain and unspecified.

[rad]

We have an issue with a HP printer wanting to select tray 1 transparancy even though tray 2 is full of paper.

 

Put A4 into tray 1 it takes it no problem

[Geoff]

A4, and we've tried combinations of headed, plain and unspecified.

 

ok and on the printer end, does it detect itself what you put in the trays or do you have to tell it?

[timzim]

Have you also checked the settings in its webpage? (Type the printer url into a browser).

[dsk]

I had a look at the web access side, it was configured the way we want it, just A4.

 

All we want is for it to take the paper from the tray specified. It just seems to pick up paper from whatever tray, even though both are full of paper.

[p858snake]

When it prints to another tray (or attempts to) does it bring up on the printer screen that it wants something other than A4 paper (letter seems to be a common request)?

[dsk]

It has done in the past, but when ive been testing it with the staff who use it (HR) it hasnt done. I think having it set up via the printer as to accept any paper has stopped that.

[p858snake]

Check the applications in the users account when it happens and see what the default printing/applications settings are, because i've had a few A3 word documents that i told the printer to downsize to A4 but it still chucked a fit wanting A3.

[dsk]

The actually only use word funnily enough. I did make sure the default for the document was set to A4 as the previous tech had left it on letter.

 

I went to test it myself today with a test account and it seemed fine.... Im going again later to see what the user is doing....

[timzim]

Another thing that confuses HP printers is if the tray rear paper guide slips out of its A4 position slightly. Just check it's locked into the A4 setting. We've had quite a few printers that suddenly won't print to the correct tray or throw up error messages because the user has forced half a ream of paper in and unwittingly moved the guide.

[Sirbendy]

yep. Rear guides or the side switch in the tray set to "custom" usually. There was one at the maternity unit when I went the other day..poor nurse was cursing it loads. I opened it up and flicked it back to "standard", and bosh..problem solved. Their IT dept was buying a replacement printer due to this "fault"...

 

I have to say the printers diags, and a check of the gear that went on one of ours showed it to be in pretty good shape! I suggested she pass the info on to their techs.

[mac_shinobi]

just as an example application end setup if you go into word --> page setup --> check orientation under the margins tab and under the paper tab --> check that the sources for the first page and other pages is selected either to the correct tray(s) and or you can set it to default ( auto tray select )

[K.C.Leblanc]

Another thing that confuses HP printers is if the tray rear paper guide slips out of its A4 position slightly. Just check it's locked into the A4 setting. We've had quite a few printers that suddenly won't print to the correct tray or throw up error messages because the user has forced half a ream of paper in and unwittingly moved the guide.

 

Also just that it's actualy staying in place. We've had the odd printer where someone has managed to snap the doofer so the adjuster moves too freely. I tend to glue them in place with apoxy resin.