Resetting the Color Plane Registration on HP Color LaserJet Printers
Updated: Mar 7, 2019
Color Plane Registration (CPR) Malfunction
Although the likelihood of color misregistration issues being
caused by firmware is small, it is still a good idea to update the
firmware before beginning to troubleshoot these issues. It’s easy to do
and won’t cost you anything.
Colors can naturally and gradually become misaligned over
extended periods of use or when a component such as the transfer kit,
DC controller, formatter are replaced. These color misalignment or
misregistration issues can usually be corrected by performing a full
calibration (or several in some cases) from the control panel. If,
however, the full calibration does not resolve these color
misregistration issues, you can perform a reset of the color registration
parameters stored on the DC Controller. This will reset them and force
the printer to check and rewrite these parameters.
To reset the DC controller’s color registration parameters, turn
the printer on and allow it to reach the ready state. Open the printer’s
toner access door. Press the engine test button (its location varies by
printer, check service manual for exact location) for five to ten
seconds. Release the engine test button then close the toner access
door. If the printer does not automatically begin calibrating, perform a
full calibration using the control panel. When it is finished calibrating,
print a supplies status page and check the toner gauge/box for each
color on the page to ensure that all four colors are perfectly contained
within those boxes.
If you still find the colors to be misaligned, turn the printer off
and back on again. Perform a cold reset and calibrate one more time
then print and inspect a supply status page. If colors are still
misaligned, try performing an NVRAM initialization (this process varies
by printer, check service manual for specific procedure). If colors are
still misaligned after all this, it may be necessary to replace the
transfer kit or check the physical alignment of the laser scanner
assemblies.
These guidelines apply to HP’s vertically stacked single pass print
engines (i.e. 4600, 4700, 5500, etc.).
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