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Old 05-26-2005, 12:49 AM   #1
ferdy
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Default Printer problems in all Small Business Office 2003

This is probably rather mundane for most of you clued up people, but I am desperate to try to get some help with this problem: no one on the Microsoft discusions forums seems to believe me, are sceptical or rather dismissive, and HP customer services say it is not their problem & contact MS. In the MS discussion forums, however, I have seen recently several instances of other correspondents, users of all Ofice programs & XP referring to this same problem with other makes of printer - Epson, Lexmark. I run a small secretarial business, and this problem is seriously damaging my reputation with my clients.
My set up is - I have Small Business Edition Office 2003 SP2 XP on a recently constructed bespoke computer, which is fantastic in all respects. Bags of memory etc. I also have a HP officejet 5510 office jet printer. In addition I have an old HP 810C, which has done faithful service for me for nearly 5 years connected to my previous computer which ran on Windows 98 with Office 2000. Everything was printed perfectly using the 810C and the old computer, but my business outgrew them and I purchased the new compuer and printer. My problem is that when I try to print from my new printer, the colours are dull, muddy and just no WYSIWYG. Cartridges, self test, latest printer drivers, monitor etc - the whole shooting match is bob onn but when I try to print what looks exactly as my client wants when I show them the final proof document on the TFT, it comes out looking awful. I have have run a test using my old printer on the new set up and the result is the same. I have been told by my computer supplier & HP that this is a bug and that MS is supposed to be fixing it. The supplier told me that they have a client who runs a printing business who had this problem so badly that he had to revert to 2000. Does anyone out there have any suggestions or even have they heard of this? Any help gratefully received.
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Old 05-26-2005, 05:12 AM   #2
PeterArnel
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It does seem strange - if as u say the print test is ok.
Have u tried printing out from a programme which isnt MS - say a pdf and seen what that looks like???
Peter
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Old 05-26-2005, 10:12 PM   #3
ferdy
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Yes Peter - I have just tried a .pdf and the effect is the same - if you didnt know that the colour was wrong, you would just think that it was too dark but it is readable but it is 'dull'. When, however, I produce in MS - not only is it dull, but reds are brown, and lblue looks like the blue that surrounds the this box. All the other colours are 'thin'.
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Old 05-27-2005, 01:50 PM   #4
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Then if a pdf prints like that - why do they think the problem is a MS Office problem??

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Old 05-28-2005, 01:36 AM   #5
ferdy
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Peter I honestly dont know. I spent 3 days on and off the telephone with HP customer advisors or whatever they are called over two weeks trying to get some assistance out of them. Goodness knows what it cost in ink, paper and telephone. I spoke to 3 different guys - all of whom appeared to be reading from scripts and didnt have any original ideas to suggest, but one of them did send new cartridges which had no effect whatsoever. I repeatedly ran diagnostics and self-tests for them and emailed them over, but they would not budge that it was a Microsoft problem, and as I say, I have seen this problem referred to in the MS 'other users' assistance communities. They said it was SP2 and XP that were the problem.
I'm just grateful that someone is making suggestions that might help me!
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Old 05-26-2005, 05:14 AM   #6
ktinkel
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ferdy
… I have Small Business Edition Office 2003 SP2 XP on a recently constructed bespoke computer, which is fantastic in all respects. Bags of memory etc. I also have a HP officejet 5510 office jet printer. In addition I have an old HP 810C, which has done faithful service for me for nearly 5 years connected to my previous computer which ran on Windows 98 with Office 2000. …

My problem is that when I try to print from my new printer, the colours are dull, muddy and just no WYSIWYG. Cartridges, self test, latest printer drivers, monitor etc - the whole shooting match is bob onn but when I try to print what looks exactly as my client wants when I show them the final proof document on the TFT, it comes out looking awful. I have have run a test using my old printer on the new set up and the result is the same. I have been told by my computer supplier & HP that this is a bug and that MS is supposed to be fixing it. The supplier told me that they have a client who runs a printing business who had this problem so badly that he had to revert to 2000. Does anyone out there have any suggestions or even have they heard of this? Any help gratefully received.
Ouch. That sounds nasty. I haven’t a clue, but I hope one of our printer mavens can help.

Meanwhile, welcome to the forum!

   
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Old 05-26-2005, 10:14 PM   #7
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Thanks for your concern Kathleen and thanks for the welcome!
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Old 05-26-2005, 02:32 PM   #8
terrie
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Not sure what's going and I run W2K so...

What do you have set for your monitor for color management--right click anywhere empty on the desktop, choose Properties > Settings tab > Advanced > Color Management tab?

The problem may lie there...

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Old 05-26-2005, 11:23 PM   #9
ferdy
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Hi Terrie
Current Monitor - plug and play
sRGB Space Profile.
As a matter of interest - what should the settings for Utility Manager be.........she said grasping at straws!
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Old 05-29-2005, 12:59 PM   #10
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ferdy: sRGB Space Profile.

Hmmm...not really a good idea as this is a working space, not a monitor space--trust me on this...

Generally, most monitors come with a basic monitor profile--usually on the cd that comes with the monitor--and one installs that in well...depends...on a Windows 2000 system: C:\winnt\system32\spool\drivers\color

I *think* that for WinXP it should be similar except that it would be C:\Windows\system\spool\drivers\color

Once you've put the monitor profile in that folder, then you can right-click the desktop > Properties > Settings tab > Advanced > Color Management tab > add and then navigate to the file

If the monitor did not come with a profile, you should be able to download it from the monitor maker's website.

>>As a matter of interest - what should the settings for Utility Manager be.........she said grasping at straws!

LOL!!! What "Utility Manager"??? For your HP? Unfortunately, my HP printer is an HP6MP b/w laser printer and my color printers are all Epson's so, I'm not sure I can help...if you want to tell me *exactly* what options are available within the Utility Manager, I'd be glad to try and sort it out--a screen shot(s) might be easiest...

Basically, all color management is, is a way of setting up known values for each device which can then be translated across devices--it's a dictionary really...

Each "space" defines the characteristics of the device--you have a monitor space, a working space and a printing space--each with different profiles but because you *have* profiles, the monitor space can be translated into the working space which can be translated into the printing space.

The problem you are having is that not only do you not have the spaces defined, you are using a working space as a monitor space and who knows what the printer space is. All these pieces speak a different language and you don't currently have a dictionary to translate what's being said...

Not that any of the above gives you a practical approach to solve your problem...sorry about that...

Let's start with:

1. Who made the new pc you bought?

2. Who made the monitor--I'll try and find you a monitor profile to use...

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