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Printing Pictures
Name: Bill R.
Status: Other
Age: 40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: June 2002
Question:
I am wondering why my computer will not print pictures very well? I have
had two different printers, and they both do the same thing. The printer I
am using now was on my wife's computer, and while on her computer it
printed pictures very good. On my computer there the skin colors are
always printed with a red tint, plus the whole picture looks like it has
been over sprayed. I have a 686 processor, 32 meg ram, I have heard that
I need to increase my ram memory, is that a good place to start, or is
that the answer to my problem?
Replies:
It is hard to give a specific "cause" because there may be more than one at
work simultaneously. I assume you have an ink jet printer. You can
pigeon-hole the problem into:
1. Printer.
2. connections.
3. Software.
4. Hardware.
5. Incompatibilities of the above.
1. Your printer will have a diagnostic (look in the manual or the
manufacturer's
web site) to verify that the printer is operating properly, i.e. the color
balance is correct. You should do this even though from what you described,
it probably isn't the problem. It will detect whether one of the three color
inks is low and if the printer heads are clean. There should also be a
procedure for cleaning the heads in the manual. If you have installed a new
color ink cartridge, let it run for a dozen pages or so of color because the
balance has to "settle down".
2. Check all cables to make sure they are O.K. and connected. Disconnect
all other peripherals -- CD burner, etc. and check the printer's results. Do
you know what the RAM requirements are for the software you are using. That
should be in the appropriate manuals. Some software may be on in the
background eating up a part of the 32 mbyte or RAM you have without you
being aware of it.
3. Did the printer ever work on your computer? Did any other printer
ever work on your computer? Can you load your software on your wife's
computer temporarily just to test whether or not it works there.
These are the types of diagnostic trees you will have to do to isolate
your problem.
Vince Calder
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Update: June 2012
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