Case of the Fading Reds in the HP 2605DN Printer

The HP 2605DN Color LaserJet Printer currently retails, used, for around 290.00 dollars. While it markets itself as "an affordable desktop printer that lets you add brilliant color to your business documents," if you take some time to read the reviews, you'll uncover that what you bought might not actually be so reliable. After only printing a few hundred hundred pages, many reviewers have reported that the red/magenta tones have faded, even when the ink cartridge is not close to empty. Obviously when one ink shade malfunctions, your entire color document also suffers in quality.

If you have this printer, you might wonder what is causing the problem. Though some have reported that HP Customer Support has been unhelpful, support forums have diagnosed the problem as "a design flaw in the Canon engine used in some HP color laser printers: dust accumulates on the mirrors deep inside the printer and causes colors to come out poorly. Because the magenta cartridge's mirror is on the bottom in this model, it gets the most dust." Thankfully these same users have reported fixes to get those reds vibrant again, even when HP has been unhelpful.

If it's your first time opening up a printer to make some internal fixes, you will want to consult this step-by-step manual, ensuring that all screws and working parts are returned to the proper place. Failure to ensure these parts go back in the proper order can result in other issues with your printer apart from those annoying fading reds. For those who are seasoned veterans at printer repair, you will to do the following:

• Remove the right, left and rear covers. Many of the screws are small and in hard-to-reach places, so be sure to have a 3-mm compatible screwdriver.

• You'll have to remove all of the wire plugs from the for-matter and DC controller. If you're unsure which plugs you're not supposed to pull, please consult the step-by-step instruction manual.

• You'll have to remove more internal screws to gain access to the scanner mirrors and lenses where the dust has accumulated.

• When cleaning the internal mirrors and lenses, be sure NOT to use any cleaning solvents unless specifically necessary, as directly rubbing the optical surfaces may cause damage. Instead, try using dry cotton swabs and compressed air.

• When returning all parts to their original position, be sure that all parts fit in firmly and in their correct slots before tightening screws. Misalignment can affect printer quality.

If the task seems too daunting or difficult (let's face it, not everyone is a mechanical whizz!), don't hesitate to take it to your nearest electronics repair specialist. Though it may cost extra, the price of having a working red/magenta ink cartridge is important if you want to have any success printing color documents from home. If you have had any luck making this repair on your HP 2605DN, please share your tips in the comments section below!

Featured App: Canon Mobile Printing

Printing from your mobile phone sounds convenient, right? Thankfully Canon, one of the world's largest producers of imaging and optical products, has released the Canon Easy-PhotoPrint App, with versions for Apple's iOS, Android, and Windows. This free easy-to-use mobile app allows you to print photos and PDF files directly from your camera, receive scanned documents directly from your printer, and convert PDFs into JPEG image files.

What we like best: Besides the convenience of being able to capture those on-the-go moments without the hassle of syncing or transferring files, we appreciate being able to receive scanned documents on an iPhone. Imagine having an old photo you've always wanted to share with one of your best friends. Now you can easily get it synced to your phone and have the ooo-ing and awww-ing commence.

Another great feature is the ability to screenshot and print pages. Imagine, for instance, you're looking up some trails for a hike where you won't have internet access on your phone. You can convert the webpage to an image file and remotely print the map to your printer. You even have the ability to easily adjust paper size, color output, and how many copies you need! This helps ensure there will never be a fight in the car over who gets to look at the map.

The downsides: While it makes printing some types of documents easy, other reviewers have reported having trouble with Microsoft Office documents. This might prove tricky if you're importing a business report or using Microsoft Word while on your iPad.

Though you do, of course, have to have a Canon printer, only certain models will work. So be sure to check out Canon's list of compatible models. Also, keep in mind that you either have to know your printer's IP address or be connected to the same WiFi network to have any documents or photos print out.

With the help of mobile technology and wireless networks, putting that special moment on the page is literally only a click away!

Solid Ink: What you need to know

There's a lot of buzz out there these days about solid ink, and there are more solid ink printers on the market than ever. If you're in the market for a new printer, you may have held back on buying a solid ink model due to the abundance of negative comments that are floating around out there about this technology. There are many misconceptions about solid ink. That's unfortunate because, in many ways, solid ink has benefits that laser and inkjet technologies don't. At any rate, you shouldn't rule out solid ink printers until you know the truth, and you can find out what you need to know below.

Does Solid Ink Melt in Storage?

If you've been doing research about solid ink printers, you may have run across posts about how solid ink melts in storage. These rumors began due to the fact that the ink does, in fact, melt while it's in the printer. Solid ink printers use a unique process to print images onto paper, and part of the process involves melting ink. However, this ink can be safely stored under normal circumstances without melting. The melting point of solid ink is similar to the temperature of boiling water, so you should be able to store it without incident.

Is Solid Ink Quality Lower than Inkjet or Laser Technologies?

Like many people, you'd probably like to produce the highest quality prints possible. One of the most popular misconceptions about solid ink printers is that they produce low-quality prints. That's not the case at all. Although the matter is somewhat subjective, most people would agree that prints that are produced by solid ink printers are every bit as clear and crisp as prints produced by laser and inkjet printers. The drops of ink aren't as fine, but they are sprayed with greater precision, and fewer drops per inch are needed.

Does Solid Ink Smudge Easily?

Even if the prints that are produced by solid ink printers are fine, what happens if they smudge or are otherwise damaged easily? That's another common myth about solid ink printers, and it's also not quite true. Solid ink prints do tend to be more susceptible to damage, but it's not a big enough problem to get in the way of using these printers effectively. One good rule of thumb is to allow fresh prints a little extra time to dry before handling them.

Don't Solid Ink Printers Waste a Lot of Ink?

People often choose solid ink printers because of their environmental friendliness. After all, no cartridges are required, so these printers help to keep cartridges out of landfills. Those who think that solid ink printers waste a lot of ink are wrong. Although they do eject extra ink to clear clogged printheads, laser printers and inkjet printers do the same thing. Although solid ink printers may waste ink from time to time, they don't appear to be any worse than inkjet and laser printers, so they shouldn't be crossed off your list for this reason.

As with any new form of technology, there are some people who just don't want to give solid ink a try. If you'd rather stick with laser printers or inkjet printers, that's perfectly fine. It's nice not having to buy ink or toner cartridges, but you can buy compatible cartridges for your laser or inkjet printer and save a lot of money too. If you're still on the fence about whether to buy a solid ink printer or not, you should try to see one in action. After trying it out in person, you should have all the information you need.

How to stop printing to the wrong printer

Nothing is more aggravating than trying to print a document and having it sent to the wrong printer. If the document is sent to a printer that's not even on the network you're currently using, you'll just get an error message and will have to click around forever to select the correct printer. If you use Windows 7, there's no need to put up with this. By adjusting a few settings, you can eliminate this problem once and for all. Learn how to stop printing to the wrong printer below.

Too Many Devices and Networks

These days, it's not unusual for a person to have at least one netbook or laptop computer. Many people have more than one, and some people have tablets as well. Throughout the day, you may connect to several different Wi-Fi networks. From school to work to home, it's easy to connect to a variety of networks in a single day. Every time you switch to a new network, your printer settings get thrown for a loop. Next to running out of ink, this is probably one of the most frustrating things about printing. Just as you can buy compatible ink to save money, you can follow a few simple steps to make this problem a thing of the past.

1. Confirm that you know the names of the networks you use and the printers that are associated with each one. If you're not sure, you can find the names of all of the printers on a network by clicking on the Start menu and then clicking on Devices and Printers. The name of each printer will be prominently displayed. Write down the name of each network and the printers that are on each one to ensure the smoothest process possible.
2. Go back to the Devices and Printers menu and select the icon of the first printer. A new selection of options will now appear at the top of the window. Click on the one that says "Manage Default Printers."
3. On the Manage Default Printers window, you'll see a list of options with radio buttons next to them. Select the button for the option that says "Change my default printer when I change networks." That way, your computer will automatically detect the appropriate default printer regardless of which network you use.
4. On the drop-down menu, select the first network that you'd like to add. You will then have to choose the appropriate default printer from the next drop-down menu. When your computer connects with this network, the printer that you select here will automatically be the default printer, so make sure to choose wisely.
5. Go down the list and repeat this process for each network you use. You won't be able to test these settings unless you're connected to the network that you'd like to test, so you might want to wait until you are. Either way, you should be able to make all of these settings quickly.
6. After you'd added all of the printers and networks, test your settings by printing a document. Before doing so, make a note of the network to which you're connected and of the printer to which your document should be sent. Send the document to be printed and see if it prints at the right printer. As long as it does, you can rest assured that the settings were made correctly.

If you're unable to test all of your settings immediately, make a note so that you remember to test them when you connect to various networks. You should see that your computer automatically switches to the right printer, and you shouldn't have trouble with printing to the wrong printer again.

Solving printer cartridge installation errors with a cold restart of the printer

You can save a lot of money by switching from OEM ink and toner cartridges to compatible ink and toner cartridges. Thousands of people use compatible ink cartridges without experiencing any problems at all. From time to time, though, error messages can make it appear that a printer isn't going to accept a compatible ink or toner cartridge. If this has happened to you, don't give up. You shouldn't let an error message get between you and saving a lot of money with compatible cartridges. In most cases, simply cold starting the printer is all that's needed. Learn more about doing so below.

Reasons to Cold Start a Printer

When a printer doesn't seem to work with a compatible cartridge, it's usually just because it's temporarily unable to read its chip. If you've always used OEM cartridges and just switched to a compatible cartridge, your printer just may not be ready. It's used to reading the same types of cartridges, and it may initially have trouble reading the chip on the new one. To make this work, you need to cold start the printer, which will wipe all traces of the old cartridges from its memory.

Use the following steps to cold start your printer:

1. Remove the compatible ink or toner cartridge from the printer. Look at it carefully. Is there any packaging tape on it, or do you see any stickers? If so, remove these items, replace the cartridge and try again. The cartridge has to be totally free of stickers and tape if its chip is going to be read by the printer. With any luck, this will resolve the issue, and your printer will recognize the cartridge.
2. If your printer continues not to recognize the cartridge, or if you keep getting error messages, remove the cartridge again. This time, put it someplace safe so that it doesn't leak onto anything. You're going to have to cold start the printer to make the cartridge work. Luckily, it's easy to do. To ensure that this works, there can't be any ink cartridges in the printer.
3. Turn off the printer. You should use the on/off switch on the printer to do this. Most printers have lights that indicate when they are on. Keep an eye on the light when you turn off the printer. Make sure that it goes out. If it doesn't, your printer isn't really off. If your printer has several indicator lights, none of them should be lit. The goal is to make sure that power is totally turned off on your printer.
4. Unplug the printer from the outlet. If the power cord also unplugs from the printer, you might want to pull that out as well.  Be sure to leave the printer unplugged for a minimum of 10 minutes. This is the twist that is needed to ensure a truly cold start. By completely disconnecting the printer from power, you will force its memory to be reset. All of the information about the OEM ink and toner cartridges that you used to use will be wiped away, which will eliminate the conflicting information that's causing the error messages.
5. Plug the printer back in and turn it on again. After it starts up, follow the instructions for installing the compatible ink or toner cartridge. Now that the printer has been cold started and its memory has been reset, it should read the cartridge's chip, recognize it and work properly from this point forward.

In the unlikely event that a cold start doesn't work, you should check with the company that sold you the compatible ink or toner cartridge. It might just be a dud, and a replacement should be sent.