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CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

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Color Prints in Wrong Color

If you print in color, sooner or later something is going to come out in the

wrong color. A good first step is printing out the appropriate diagnostic/test

page—this should help separate problems with the printer from problems

with what or how you’re printing.

Some pretty simple things can cause a color mismatch, so let’s check

those first. If you print a document with color and it comes out in black and

white, double-check both the app you used to print and your print settings to

make sure they aren’t configured to use grayscale. Double-check the color

ink/toner levels.

If something you expected to come out black comes out an odd tone, your

printer may be low on black ink/toner. Colors that appear black may be a

rich black with other colors mixed in—if there isn’t enough black in the mix,

you might end up with something unexpected.

If your printer’s color registration is out of whack, you might see a sliver

of unexpected color (usually cyan, magenta, or yellow) to either side of larger

elements. This can be less obvious with text—it may just look blurry,

discolored, or appear to have an unexpected shadow. If so, run your printer’s

registration or alignment routine.

Check the print settings on your system and the printer itself to see if it’s

configured to adjust any colors. If so, it may be misconfigured. If your printer

has a color calibration routine, run it to see if the issue improves. It’s also

possible your system is using the wrong color profile for either the printer or

the monitor. In the first case, your printer might be right, and your monitor

might be wrong. Make sure your system isn’t using an incorrect color profile

for either device. If the profiles are correct and you have the right tools to

color calibrate either device, go ahead and do so.

Some reasons for color problems are a lot less fun. If your printer has

separate cartridges or tanks for different colors, it’s possible someone

installed the wrong color in one of the slots/tanks. If it’s an inkjet, someone

will need to spend a good bit of time cleaning the incorrect ink out of the

tubing and printheads. If the right colors are in the right slots, a gunked-up

printhead may be keeping the printer from laying down the right amount of a

color—but the solution will still be cleaning.

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