HP 6L printing high contrast

[smeelah]

Hi,

My recent prints from my HP 6L are super high contrast, like a highly posterized print. Typically this printer will put out smooth photo quality images but I had recently been doing some troubleshooting (it prints all-black pages when I try to print directly from photoshop and my printer cartridge drums were at the end of life and I didn't realize.

So, with messing around with settings and refilling the toner cartridge, I may have done something to increase the contrast but I cannot figure out what it was. I am printing Photoshop PDFs with Preview.

The original document is 8-bit grayscale, 300 ppi, Dot Gain 20% (although I have exported without the profile and no change). I have also checked the printer's settings in Preview (Grayscale, Best and 600 dpi) and the output settings seem to be default except that it is currently set as Photograph (I tried the other options).

Could the toner refill alone be causing this? I did it myself and it was the first time, so there may have been a bit of the old toner in the cartridge.

I've gone back to lighten up the images but they still print super dark wherever there should be grey.

Thanks for any help!

 

[The Hat]

Thanks for any help!

When refilling Toner cartridges you must first remove all the old toner, and I mean ALL, there can’t be any little pockets or Crevice where toner may lodge, blow all the toner out, its one messy job, that why compatible replacements, are a cleaner option..

 

[smeelah]

When refilling Toner cartridges you must first remove all the old toner, and I mean ALL, there can’t be any little pockets or Crevice where toner may lodge, blow all the toner out, its one messy job, that why compatible replacements, are a cleaner option..

Thanks for your response. So, do you think this can cause the drastic change in contrast?

 

[The Hat]

o, do you think this can cause the drastic change in contrast?

Most likely..
Mixing old and new toners is never a good thing and always leads to issues, even when they are the same brand..

 

[smeelah]

Most likely..
Mixing old and new toners is never a good thing and always leads to issues, even when they are the same brand..

Thank you. That's very helpful.

I have collected a bunch of toner for the 6L with a high iron content (higher than micr that I have tried). However, the drums all finally stopped working, having caused all sorts of problems along the way

Anyway, I haven't had any luck finding someone that will sell me empty cartridges. As a last resort, I bought a refilled cartridge and emptied it as well as I could.