Color troubles printing to HP Color Laserjet 2600n

Question

Level 1

0 points

Color troubles printing to HP Color Laserjet 2600n

We are a school with a networked environment that includes about 40 Macbook Pros and 60 iMacs. Included in there are several eMacs and PCs. Over the past several weeks, our HP Color LaserJet 2600n printers have begun to exhibit printing where rather than the normal color printing, there appears to be added black toner on the print jobs. The PCs and eMacs are not exhibiting this problem at all, thus I eliminated the fuser possibility. I looked more at a potential driver issue.

These 2600n printers are shared out to the MBPs and iMacs via Workgroup Manager. They connect to these printers via Bonjour for printing. We do have an 802.11n wifi network with multiple SSIDs but no matter if it is cnonected over SSID or over wired gigabit ethernet, the problem still exists.

I tried printing via IP address, but the computers would not readily recognize the printers during setup, and when I manually selected the driver, the computers could not connect to the printer.

So, I am trying to figure out why all of a sudden these print jobs are exihibing severe color issues.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on May 5, 2011 9:58 AM

Reply

Answer 1

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

May 5, 2011 10:11 AM in response to jamesohagan

Have you contacted HP?

Reply

Answer 2

jamesohagan Author

Level 1

0 points

May 5, 2011 11:40 AM in response to sig

Yup. The device is no longer supported.

Reply

Answer 3

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

May 5, 2011 11:51 AM in response to jamesohagan

Have you tried the driver for the 2600?

Reply

Answer 4

jamesohagan Author

Level 1

0 points

May 5, 2011 11:54 AM in response to sig

Both the generic and HP/Snow Leopard approved drivers.

Reply

Answer 5

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

May 5, 2011 11:56 AM in response to jamesohagan

On the Macs and/or PC where it works can you set up printer sharing?

Reply

Answer 6

jamesohagan Author

Level 1

0 points

May 5, 2011 12:07 PM in response to sig

Have not considered sharing. It is more odd because it wasn't a clean break. It was more a wave of this problem over two weeks.

Reply

Answer 7

May 17, 2011 2:53 PM in response to jamesohagan

I'm having this same issue. It's gotten progressively worse over the past couple weeks. Like James, my PC's can print to the 2600n just fine, but it seems my macs will add additional black toner to the pages.

Reply

Answer 8

jamesohagan Author

Level 1

0 points

May 19, 2011 5:59 AM in response to Chris TeSelle

Exactly my same problem. Progressive. Additional black toner. Are your macs on 10.6.7?

Reply

Answer 9

May 19, 2011 9:20 AM in response to jamesohagan

Yes, MacBook Pro and a MacPro, both having issues, and both on 10.6.7.

Very disappointing. 😐

Reply

Answer 10

jamesohagan Author

Level 1

0 points

May 20, 2011 7:28 AM in response to Chris TeSelle

Was it a cascading problem? Mine was cascading. It would happen to one printer at a time for no reason. I even had a repair guy come out because I thought it was a fuser issue.

Reply

Answer 11

May 20, 2011 1:33 PM in response to jamesohagan

Well we only have the one 2600n, so I can't say. I'm not even sure it hit both my macs at the same time, since I hardly print from the MacBookPro. I only tested it out after the MacPro could no longer print to the 2600.

Yesterday, I did setup printer sharing on one of my XP machines here. Not very efficient, but it works for the time being. Hopefully a fix for this is found eventually.

Reply

Answer 12

jamesohagan Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 2, 2011 7:08 AM in response to Chris TeSelle

OK, I think I might have a solution. I have not tested it but I need to do a bit more research. What I have discovered is that it might be a Firmware issue. We found one that is still working fine and it actually has the older firmware numbered 20050610. The ones were are having the issues with are on firmware numbered 20070716.

I am going to see if I can revert the firmware... if I can find the older firmware!

Reply

Answer 13

dangil

Level 1

4 points

Jun 29, 2011 9:49 AM in response to jamesohagan

Hi there. have you found a solution to your problem?

have you installed MacOS X 10.6.8?

I could print fine using the mac driver that came with the printer. it's outdated and not snow leopard native, but it works

if you have trouble finding it, I have a copy that I can share

Reply

Answer 14

Jun 29, 2011 12:00 PM in response to dangil

I loaded up 10.6.8 yesterday, and didn't even think about trying it again. Sure enough just tried it and and it appears to be working as it should! Now, lets hope it lasts.

Reply

Answer 15

Jul 9, 2011 6:38 AM in response to jamesohagan

Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and HP Color LaserJet 2600n obviously do not match!

After I had loaded Snow Leopard on my Intel Core 2 Duo iMac 24", printing on the 2600n was much worse (black haze on white background, dark printing etc.), while Demo Pages and Configuration Reports were still of the same quality. Obviously, the printer uses significantly more toner than earlier, which cannot be adjusted over the printer website or printing dialog as before.

Simultaneously I can print on the same 2600n from a G4 iMac 20" (which is incompatible with Snow OS X 10.6), using the original HP Leopard river (OS X 10.5). Here results are very good and the printer dialog as well as the "printer website" allow a variety of modifications for printouts.

For Snow Leopard HP does not provide the driver anymore. It instead is included in the Apple system software. Obviously there is a flaw which cannot be reversed by loading the original driver again - unless you reload OS X 10.5. This seems to be a well now problem an I wonder, why it has not been corrected by Apple. I wasted endless days following the many procedures suggested by members of various discussion forums in vain.

I hate to give or throw away my sturdy and reliable 2600n, only because Apple does a bad job. I know, I could buy a replacement for the price of a few toner cartridge. However, I think it is inappropriate today wasting valuable resources due to sloppy programming.

Reply