HP Photosmart 8450 User Guide
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide
English
Copyrights and trademarks
© Copyright 2004 Hewlett-Packard
Development Company, L.P.
The information contained herein is
subject to change without notice.
Reproduction, adaptation or
translation without prior written
permission is prohibited, except as
allowed under the copyright laws.
Notice
The only warranties for HP products
and services are set forth in the
express warranty statements
accompanying such products and
services. Nothing herein should be
construed as constituting an
additional warranty. HP shall not be
liable for technical or editorial errors
or omissions contained herein.
The Hewlett-Packard Development
Company, L.P. shall not be liable for
incidental or consequential damages
in connection with, or arising out of
the furnishing, performance, or use of
this document and the program
material which it describes.
Trademarks
HP, the HP logo, and Photosmart are
property of Hewlett-Packard
Development Company, L.P.
The Secure Digital logo is a
trademark of the SD Association.
Microsoft and Windows are registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
CompactFlash, CF, and the CF logo
are trademarks of the CompactFlash
Association (CFA).
Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo,
Memory Stick PRO, and Memory
Stick PRO Duo are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Sony
Corporation.
MultiMediaCard is a trademark of
Infineon Technologies AG of
Germany, and is licensed to the
MMCA (MultiMediaCard Association).
Microdrive is a trademark of Hitachi
Global Storage Technologies.
SmartMedia is a trademark of
Toshiba Corporation.
xD-Picture Card is a trademark of Fuji
Photo Film Co., Ltd., Toshiba
Corporation, and Olympus Optical
Co., Ltd.
Mac, the Mac logo, and Macintosh
are registered trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc.
The Bluetooth word mark and logos
are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc.
and any use of such marks by
Hewlett-Packard Company is under
license.
PictBridge and the PictBridge logo are
trademarks of the Camera & Imaging
Products Association (CIPA).
Other brands and their products are
trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective holders.
The embedded software in the printer
is based in part on the work of the
Independent JPEG Group.
The copyrights to certain photos
within this document are retained by
the original owners.
Regulatory model
identification number
SDGOA-0403
For regulatory identification purposes,
the product is assigned a Regulatory
Model Number. The Regulatory
Model Number for the product is
SDGOA-0403. This regulatory
number should not be confused with
the marketing name (HP Photosmart
8400 series printer) or product
number (Q3388A).
Safety information
Always follow basic safety
precautions when using this product
to reduce risk of injury from fire or
electric shock.
Warning To prevent fire or
shock hazard, do not expose
this product to rain or any
type of moisture.
● Read and understand all
instructions in the
HP Photosmart 8400 series
Quick Start booklet.
● Use only a grounded electrical
outlet when connecting the unit
to a power source. If you do not
know whether the outlet is
grounded, check with a qualified
electrician.
● Observe all warnings and
instructions marked on the
product.
● Unplug this product from wall
outlets before cleaning.
● Do not install or use this product
near water or when you are wet.
● Install the product securely on a
stable surface.
● Install the product in a protected
location where no one can step
on or trip over the power cord,
and where the power cord will
not be damaged.
● If the product does not operate
normally, see the
troubleshooting information in
the onscreen HP Photosmart
Printer Help.
● There are no operator
serviceable parts inside. Refer
servicing to qualified service
personnel.
● Use in a well-ventilated area.
Environmental statements
Hewlett-Packard Company is
committed to providing quality
products in an environmentally sound
manner.
Protecting the environment
This printer has been designed with
several attributes to minimize impact
on our environment. For more
information, go to HP's Commitment
to the Environment web site at
www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/
environment/.
Ozone production
This product generates no
appreciable ozone gas (O
Energy consumption
Energy usage drops significantly
while in ENERGY STAR
which saves natural resources and
saves money without affecting the
high performance of this product. This
product qualifies for ENERGY STAR,
which is a voluntary program
established to encourage the
development of energy-efficient office
products.
STAR partner, Hewlett-Packard
Company has determined that this
product meets the ENERGY STAR
guidelines for energy efficiency. For
more information, go to
www.energystar.gov.
).
3
®
mode,
ENERGY STAR
is a U.S.
registered mark
of the U.S. EPA.
As an ENERGY
Paper use
This product is suited for the use of
recycled paper according to DIN
19309.
Plastics
Plastic parts over 24 grams (0.88
ounces) are marked according to
international standards that enhance
the ability to identify plastics for
recycling purposes at the end of the
printer life.
Material safety data sheets
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
can be obtained from the HP web site
at www.hp.com/go/msds. Customers
without Internet access should
contact Customer Care.
Recycling program
HP offers an increasing number of
product return and recycling programs
in many countries, and partners with
some of the largest electronics
recycling centers throughout the
world. HP conserves resources by
reselling some of its most popular
products.
This HP product contains lead in the
solder, which may require special
handling at the end of its life.
Contents
1 Welcome ...............................................................................................................3
Printer parts ...........................................................................................................4
Available accessories ............................................................................................8
Printer menu ..........................................................................................................9
2 Getting ready to print ........................................................................................15
Loading paper ......................................................................................................15
Choosing the right paper ..............................................................................15
Loading your paper ....................................................................................... 16
Inserting print cartridges ......................................................................................17
Inserting memory cards .......................................................................................20
Supported file formats ..................................................................................20
Inserting a memory card ...............................................................................20
Removing a memory card ............................................................................22
3 Printing photos without a computer ................................................................23
Selecting a photo layout ......................................................................................24
Deciding which photos to print .............................................................................25
Selecting photos to print ......................................................................................26
Improving photo quality ........................................................................................ 27
Getting creative ...................................................................................................28
Printing photos .....................................................................................................31
Printing photos from a memory card ............................................................. 31
Printing photos from a digital camera ...........................................................35
Printing from HP Instant Share .....................................................................36
4 Getting connected .............................................................................................37
Connecting to other devices ................................................................................37
Connecting through HP Instant Share .................................................................38
5 Printing from a computer ..................................................................................41
6 Care and maintenance ......................................................................................45
Cleaning and maintaining the printer ...................................................................45
Cleaning the outside of the printer ................................................................45
Automatically cleaning the print cartridges ...................................................45
Manually cleaning the print cartridge contacts ..............................................46
Printing a test page ....................................................................................... 46
Aligning the print cartridges ..........................................................................47
Printing a sample page .................................................................................47
Updating the software ..........................................................................................48
Storing the printer and print cartridges ................................................................. 48
Storing the printer .........................................................................................49
Storing the print cartridges ...........................................................................49
Maintaining the quality of photo paper .................................................................49
Storing photo paper ......................................................................................49
Handling photo paper ...................................................................................49
7 Troubleshooting ................................................................................................51
Printer hardware problems ..................................................................................51
Printing problems .................................................................................................53
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 1
Error messages ...................................................................................................57
Paper errors .................................................................................................57
Print cartridge errors .....................................................................................58
Memory card errors ......................................................................................61
Proof sheet errors .........................................................................................63
Computer printing errors ...............................................................................64
Network and HP Instant Share errors ...........................................................65
8 Customer Care ...................................................................................................67
Customer Care by phone ..................................................................................... 67
Placing a call ................................................................................................69
Return to HP repair service .................................................................................69
a Networking .........................................................................................................71
Networking basics (Windows and Macintosh) .....................................................71
Internet connection .......................................................................................72
Recommended network configurations ........................................................72
Ethernet network without Internet access ..............................................72
Ethernet network with Internet access by dial-up modem .....................72
Ethernet network with broadband Internet access provided by a
router .....................................................................................................73
Connecting the printer to the network ..................................................................73
Installing the printer software on a Windows computer ........................................ 74
Installing the printer software on a Macintosh ......................................................75
Using the embedded web server .........................................................................76
Printing a network configuration page .................................................................. 77
b Specifications ....................................................................................................79
System requirements ...........................................................................................79
Printer specifications ...........................................................................................79
Index...........................................................................................................................83
2 HP Photosmart 8400 series
1
Welcome
Thank you for purchasing an HP Photosmart 8400 series printer! With this new photo
printer you can print beautiful photos, save photos to a computer, and create fun and
easy projects with or without a computer.
This guide primarily explains how to print without connecting a computer. To learn
how to print from a computer, install the printer software and view the onscreen Help.
For an overview of using a computer and the printer together, see Printing from a
computer. For information about installing the software, see the Quick Start booklet.
Among other things, you'll learn how to:
Print borderless photos with colorful, customized frames.
See Getting creative.
Transform your photos into instant classics with blackand-white, sepia, and other color effects. See Getting
creative.
Improve the quality of your photos by removing red-eye,
brightening, and improving the contrast. See Improving
photo quality.
The printer comes with the following documentation:
● Quick Start booklet: The HP Photosmart 8400 series Quick Start booklet
explains how to set up the printer, install the printer software, and print your first
photo.
● User's Guide: The HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide is the book you are
reading. This book describes the basic features of the printer, explains how to
use the printer without connecting a computer, and contains hardware
troubleshooting information.
● HP Photosmart Printer Help: The onscreen HP Photosmart Printer Help
describes how to use the printer with a computer and contains software
troubleshooting information.
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 3
Chapter 1
After you have installed the HP Photosmart printer software on a computer, you can
view the onscreen HP Photosmart Printer Help:
● Windows PC: From the Start menu, select Programs (in Windows XP, select All
Programs) > HP > Photosmart 320, 370, 7400, 7800, 8100, 8400, 8700 series
> Photosmart Help.
● Macintosh: Select Help > Mac Help in the Finder, then select Library >
HP Photosmart Printer Help.
Printer parts
Front of printer
1. Camera port
Use this port to connect a
™
PictBridge
digital camera to
the printer, or to insert the
optional HP Bluetooth
wireless printer adapter.
2. Out tray
Lift this tray to load small
media or to clear front paper
jams.
3. Paper-width guide
Adjust this guide to fit close to
the edge of the paper in the
Main tray.
4. Main tray
Place plain paper,
transparencies, envelopes, or
other media in this tray for
printing.
5. Out tray extender
Lift the tab, then pull it towards
you to extend the Out tray to
catch the printed paper as it is
ejected from the printer.
6. Paper-length guide
Adjust this guide to fit close to
the end of the paper in the
Main tray.
7. Photo tray
Lift the Out tray to load small
photo paper in the Photo tray.
8. Photo tray slider
Push this slider away from you
to engage the Photo tray.
®
4 HP Photosmart 8400 series
(continued)
9. Top cover
Lift this cover to access the
print cartridges and the print
cartridge storage area, and to
clear paper jams.
10. Printer screen
Use this screen to view your
photos and menu options.
11. Memory card slots
Insert memory cards here.
Back of printer
1. Ethernet port
Use this port to connect the
printer to a network.
2. Power cord connection
Use this port to connect the
power cord included with the
printer.
3. USB port
Use this port to connect the
printer to a computer or to an
HP direct-printing digital
camera.
4. Rear access door
Remove this door to clear
paper jams.
Control panel
1. On
Press this button to turn on the
printer or put it into power save
mode.
2. Save
Press this button to save
photos from a memory card to
a computer.
3. HP Instant Share
Press this button to send a
photo via e-mail or through the
network (if connected). For
more information, see Getting
connected.
4. Select Photos arrows
Use these arrows to scroll
through the photos on a
memory card.
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 5
Chapter 1
5. Select Photos
Use this button to select the
currently displayed photo or
video frame for printing.
6. Cancel
Press this button to deselect
photos, to exit a menu, or to
stop an action you have
requested.
7. Zoom
Press this button to enter
Zoom mode and zoom in on
the currently displayed photo,
and to exit 9-up view mode.
8. Menu
Press this button to view the
printer menu.
9. Rotate
Press this button to rotate the
currently displayed photo.
10. OK
Press this button to answer
questions on the printer
screen, to select menu options,
to enter 9-up view mode, and
to play a video.
11. Navigation arrows
Use these arrows to scroll
through the printer menu
options, position the crop box,
and control the speed and
direction of video playback.
12. Print
Press this button to print
selected photos from the
inserted memory card.
13. Layout
Press this button to select the
print layout for your photos.
6 HP Photosmart 8400 series
(continued)
Indicator lights
1. On light
– On—the power is on
– Off—the printer is in
power-save mode
2. Paper tray lights
– Photo tray light on—the
Photo tray is engaged
– Main tray light on—the
Main tray is engaged
3. Status light
– On (Green)—the power is
on and the printer is not
printing
– Off—the printer is in
power-save mode
– Flashing green—the
printer is busy printing
– Flashing red—the printer
requires attention
4. Print layout lights
Indicate the current print layout.
5. Memory card light
– On—the memory card is
inserted correctly
– Off—no memory card is
inserted
– Flashing—HP Instant
Share is being used or
information is being
transmitted between a
memory card and the
printer or computer
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 7
Chapter 1
Available accessories
There are several accessories available for the HP Photosmart 8400 series printer
that enhance its convenience. The appearance of the accessories may vary from what
is shown.
Accessory name
250-sheet paper tray
HP Automatic Two-sided Printing
Accessory
HP Auto Two-sided Print Accessory
with Small Paper Tray
Description
Supplement the printer paper capacity
with a 250-sheet tray and spend less
time monitoring your print jobs. (Model:
Q3447A)
This accessory may not be available in
all countries/regions.
Print on both sides of a page. You'll
save money (two-sided printing reduces
paper consumption) and make bulky
documents more manageable. (Model:
Q5712A)
This accessory may not be available in
all countries/regions.
Print on both sides of a page. You'll
save money (two-sided printing reduces
paper consumption) and make bulky
documents more manageable. (Model:
Q3032A)
In Japan known as: Hagaki Tray with
Auto Two-sided Print Accessory
This accessory may not be available in
all countries/regions.
The HP bt300 Bluetooth® wireless
printer adapter goes into the camera
port on the front of the printer and lets
you use Bluetooth wireless technology
HP bt300 Bluetooth® wireless printer
adapter
8 HP Photosmart 8400 series
for printing. (Model: Q3395A)
Printer menu
Press Menu to access the printer menu. If you are viewing a submenu, pressing
Menu returns you to the main printer menu.
To navigate the printer menu:
● Press Navigation
printer screen. Menu items that are not accessible are grayed out.
● Press OK to open a menu or select an option.
● Press Cancel to exit the current menu.
Printer menu structure
Top level
menu
or to scroll through the menu options displayed on the
Submenus/options Additional submenus/options
Print
Options
Edit Remove red eye
Print all
Print proof sheet
Scan proof sheet
Video action prints
Print range Select beginning of range:
Print index page
Print new
Photo brightness Photo brightness:
Add frame Select pattern:
Add color effect Choose color effect:
Select end of range:
(Press Navigation
increase or decrease the photo
brightness.)
Select color:
● Black and white
● Sepia
● Antique
● Solarize
● Metallic
● Red filter
● Blue filter
or to
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 9
Chapter 1
Printer menu structure (continued)
Top level
Submenus/options Additional submenus/options
menu
Tools View 9-up
Slide show Press OK to pause and unpause
Print quality Print quality:
Network Network:
● Green filter
● No effect (default)
The color effect does not affect
frames created with the Add
frame option.
the slide show; press Cancel to
stop the slide show.
● Best (default)
● Normal
● Print detailed report
Prints the network
configuration page listing
the printer device name, IP
address, subnet mask, link
speed, DNS, etc.
● Display summary
Displays the printer device
name, IP address, and
subnet mask on the printer
screen.
● Restore defaults
Restores default networking
settings.
Print sample page
Print test page
Clean cartridges Continue to second level
cleaning?
● Yes
● No
Continue to third level cleaning?
● Yes
● No
Align cartridges
10 HP Photosmart 8400 series
Printer menu structure (continued)
Top level
Submenus/options Additional submenus/options
menu
Bluetooth Device address Device address:
(Some devices with Bluetooth
wireless technology require you
to enter the address of the
device they are trying to locate.
This menu option shows the
device address.)
Device name Device name:
(You can select a device name
for the printer that appears on
other devices with Bluetooth
wireless technology when they
locate the printer.)
Passkey (Press Navigation to
increase number by one; press
Navigation
number. Press OK to move to
next number.)
(You can assign a Bluetooth
numerical passkey to the printer
that users of devices with
Bluetooth wireless technology
trying to locate the printer must
enter before they can print, if the
printer Bluetooth Security level
is set to High. The default
passkey is 0000.)
to decrease the
Accessibility Accessibility:
● Visible to all
● Not visible
When Accessibility is set
to Not visible, only devices
that know the device
address can print to it.
(You can set the Bluetoothequipped printer to be visible or
invisible to other devices with
Bluetooth wireless technology
by changing this accessibility
option.)
Security level Security Level:
● High
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 11
Chapter 1
Printer menu structure (continued)
Top level
Submenus/options Additional submenus/options
menu
(The printer does require
users of other devices with
Bluetooth wireless
technology to enter the
printer passkey)
● Low
(The printer does not
require users of other
devices with Bluetooth
wireless technology to enter
the printer passkey)
Reset Bluetooth options Reset Bluetooth options:
● Yes
● No
Help Memory cards Memory Card Help:
(Select to see information about
supported memory cards)
Cartridges Print Cartridge Help:
(Press Navigation
scroll through the HP print
cartridges available for the
printer, then press OK to see
how to insert the cartridge)
or to
Photo sizes Photo Sizes Help:
(Press Navigation
or to
scroll through the available
photo sizes)
Paper loading Paper Loading Help:
(Press Navigation
or to
scroll through information on
loading paper)
Paper jams Paper Jam Help:
(Select to see how to remove a
paper jam)
Camera connect Camera Connect Help:
(Select to see where to connect
a PictBridge compatible digital
camera to the printer)
12 HP Photosmart 8400 series
Printer menu structure (continued)
Top level
Submenus/options Additional submenus/options
menu
Preferences SmartFocus Turn SmartFocus:
● On (default)
● Off
Digital Flash Turn Digital Flash:
● On
● Off (default)
Date/time Date/time stamp:
● Date/time
● Date only
● Off (default)
Colorspace Choose colorspace:
● sRGB
● Adobe RGB
● Auto-select (default)
The Auto-select default tells the
printer to use the Adobe RGB
colorspace, if available. The
printer defaults to sRGB if
Adobe RGB is not available.
Passport photo mode Turn passport photo mode:
● On
● Off (default)
Select Size:
If you select On, the printer
prompts you to select the
passport photo size. Passport
mode tells the printer to print all
photos in the selected size.
Each page contains one photo.
However, if you specify several
copies of the same photo, they
all appear on the same page (if
enough space is available).
You must let photos printed in
passport photo mode dry for a
week before they are laminated.
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 13
Chapter 1
Printer menu structure (continued)
Top level
Submenus/options Additional submenus/options
menu
Tray select Select which paper tray to use:
Paper detect Auto paper detect:
Preview animation Turn preview animation:
Video enhancement Turn video print enhancement:
Restore defaults Restore original factory
● Front (default when rear
tray not installed)
● Rear
● Ask each time (default
when rear tray is installed)
● On (default)
● Off
● On (default)
● Off
● On
● Off (default)
preferences:
● Yes
● No
Restores factory settings for all
menu items except Select
language and Select country/
region (under Language in
Preferences menu) and
Bluetooth settings (under
Bluetooth in the main printer
menu). This setting does not
affect HP Instant Share or
Network defaults.
Language Select language:
Select country/region:
14 HP Photosmart 8400 series
2
Getting ready to print
Before you can begin printing, there are three easy procedures you should become
familiar with:
● Loading paper
● Inserting print cartridges
● Inserting memory cards
You must load paper and insert a print cartridge before inserting a memory card.
Loading paper
Learn how to choose the right paper for your print job and how to load it into the
correct tray for printing.
Choosing the right paper
For a list of available HP inkjet paper, or to purchase supplies, go to:
● www.hpshopping.com (U.S.)
● www.hp.com/go/supplies (Europe)
● www.hp.com/jp/supply_inkjet (Japan)
● www.hp.com/paper (Asia/Pacific)
To get the best results from the printer, choose from these high-quality HP photo
papers.
To print
High-quality, long-lasting prints and
enlargements
Medium-to-high-resolution images from
scanners and digital cameras
Casual and business photos HP photo paper
Text documents, draft versions, test and
alignment pages
To keep your paper in good condition for printing:
● Store the photo paper in its original packaging or in a resealable plastic bag.
● Keep the paper flat in a cool, dry place. If the corners curl, place the paper in a
plastic bag and gently bend it in the opposite direction until it lies flat.
● Hold photo paper by the edges to avoid smears.
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 15
Use this paper
HP Premium Plus photo paper
(Also known as Colorfast Photo Paper in
some countries/regions.)
HP Premium photo paper
HP Everyday photo paper
HP Premium inkjet paper
Chapter 2
Loading your paper
Paper loading tips:
● You can print photos and documents on a wide variety of paper sizes, from 76 x
127 mm (3 x 5 inches) up to 216 x 356 mm (8.5 x 14 inches), as well as on 216
mm (8.5 inch-wide) banner paper.
● Before loading paper, slide out the paper-width and length guides to make room
for the paper. After loading paper, adjust the guides to fit close to the edges of the
paper without bending the paper.
● Load only one type and size of paper at a time. Do not mix paper types or sizes in
the Main input tray or the Photo tray.
● After loading paper, extend the Out tray extension to hold your printed pages.
This prevents printed pages from dropping off of the Out tray.
Use the directions in the following table to load the most commonly used paper sizes
into the printer.
Paper type
● Letter or A4
paper
● Transparencies
● 20 x 25 cm (8 x
10 inch) photo
paper
● 10 x 15 cm (4 x
6 inch) photo
paper
● Index cards
● Hagaki cards
● L-size cards
How to load Tray to load
1. Raise the Out tray.
Main tray
2. Load plain paper, photo
paper, or transparencies
print-side down. Check
that the stack of paper is
no higher than the top of
the paper-length guide.
3. Pull the Photo tray slider
towards you until it stops.
The Main light illuminates,
meaning that paper from
the Main tray will be used
for the next print job.
4. Lower the Out tray.
1. Raise the Out tray.
1 Out tray
2 Paper-width guide
3 Paper-length guide
4 Photo tray slider
Photo tray
2. Load paper print-side
down. If you are using
tabbed paper, insert the
paper so the tab feeds in
last.
3. Lower the Out tray.
4. Push the Photo tray slider
away from you until it
stops. The Photo light
illuminates, meaning that
paper from the Photo tray
will be used for the next
print job.
1 Out tray
2 Paper-width guide
3 Paper-length guide
16 HP Photosmart 8400 series
(continued)
Paper type How to load Tray to load
1 Photo tray slider
● 13 x 18 cm (5 x
7 inch) photo
paper
● Envelopes
1. Remove the Out tray by
pushing in the buttons on
each side and pulling the
tray towards you.
2. Load photo paper printside down.
Load envelopes with the
front-side down and with
the flap on the left. Tuck
the flaps inside the
envelopes to avoid paper
jams.
3. Replace the Out tray.
4. Pull the Photo tray slider
towards you until it stops.
The Main light illuminates,
meaning that paper from
the Main tray will be used
for the next print job.
Inserting print cartridges
The HP Photosmart 8400 series printer can print color and black-and-white photos.
HP provides different types of print cartridges so you can choose the best cartridges
for your project. The cartridge numbers you can use in this printer also appear on the
back cover.
For optimum printing results, HP recommends using only HP print cartridges. Inserting
a cartridge that is not in this table may invalidate the printer warranty.
Main input tray
1 Out tray
1 Paper-length guide
2 Paper-width guide
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 17
Chapter 2
Use the correct print cartridges
To print…
Insert this print
cartridge in the
left stall
Insert this print
cartridge in the
middle stall
Insert this print
cartridge in the
right stall
Full-color photos HP Photo #99 HP Tri-color #95
or #97
Black-and-white
photos
Sepia or antique
photos
Text and colored
line drawings
HP Photo#99 HP Tri-color #95
or #97
HP Photo #99 HP Tri-color #95
or #97
HP Photo #99 HP Tri-color #95
or #97
HP Gray Photo
#100
HP Gray Photo
#100
HP Gray Photo
#100
HP Black #96
Caution Check that you are using the correct print cartridges. Also, note that
HP does not recommend modifying or refilling HP cartridges. Damage that
results from modifying or refilling HP cartridges is not covered by the HP
warranty.
For best print quality, HP recommends that you install all retail print cartridges before
the date stamped on the box.
Insert or replace the print cartridges
Prepare the printer and cartridges
1. Make sure the power is on and you have
removed the cardboard from inside the printer.
2. Lift the main cover of the printer.
3. Remove the bright pink tape from all cartridges.
Do not touch the ink nozzles or the copper-colored
contacts, and do not re-tape the cartridges.
Remove the pink tape
Do not touch here
18 HP Photosmart 8400 series
Insert or replace the print cartridges (continued)
Insert the cartridges
1. If you are replacing a cartridge, push down and
pull outward on the cartridge stall cover to
open it and then pull the cartridge out.
2. Match the symbol on the cartridge label to the
correct stall. Hold the cartridge with the label
on top and slide it at a slight upward angle into
the stall so the copper-colored contacts go in
first. Push the cartridge until it snaps into place.
3. Close the cartridge stall cover.
4. Repeat the previous steps to install the other
cartridges, if necessary.
5. When you are finished installing cartridges,
close the main cover.
You must install all three cartridges in order for the
printer to work as intended.
Tip Ink-backup printing mode lets you keep
printing even if one of the cartridges fails or runs
out of ink. Remove the cartridge and close the main
cover to enter ink-backup printing mode. The
printer continues to print, but at a slower speed and
with inferior print quality. A message reminds you
that the printer is in ink-backup printing mode.
Replace the cartridge as soon as possible.
The idle screen of the printer displays three icons
showing the approximate ink level for each
cartridge (100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and nearly
empty). Ink-level icons do not appear if any of the
installed cartridges are not genuine HP cartridges.
Each time you install or replace a print cartridge, a
message prompts you to print an alignment page.
This ensures high-quality prints.
Align the cartridges
1. Load paper in the Main tray.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete
the cartridge alignment.
See Aligning the print cartridges.
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 19
Chapter 2
When you are not using a print cartridge
Whenever you remove a print cartridge from the
printer, store it in a print cartridge protector, if
available. The cartridge protector keeps the ink
from drying out. Storing the cartridge improperly
can cause the cartridge to malfunction.
➔
Once you have inserted a cartridge into the
cartridge protector, place it in the storage area
located in the printer under the top cover.
Inserting memory cards
After you have taken pictures with a digital camera, you can remove the memory card
from the camera and insert it into the printer to view and print your photos. The printer
can read the following types of memory cards: CompactFlash
Microdrive
™
, MultiMediaCard™, Secure Digital™, SmartMedia™, and xD-Picture Card™.
Caution Using any other type of memory card may damage the memory card
and the printer.
To insert a cartridge into the cartridge
protector, slide the cartridge into the protector
at a slight angle and snap it securely into place.
™
, Memory Sticks,
To learn about other ways of transferring photos from a digital camera to the printer,
see Connecting to other devices.
Supported file formats
The printer can recognize and print the following file formats directly from the memory
card: JPEG, uncompressed TIFF, AVI (JPEG compression), QuickTime (JPEG
compression), and MPEG-1. If a digital camera saves photos and video clips in other
file formats, save the files to a computer and print them using a software application.
For more information, see the onscreen HP Photosmart Printer Help.
Inserting a memory card
Find the memory card in the following table and use the instructions to insert the card
into the printer.
Guidelines:
● Insert only one memory card at a time.
● Gently push the memory card into the printer until it stops. The memory card
does not insert all the way into the printer; do not try to force it.
Caution Inserting the memory card any other way may damage the card and
the printer.
When the memory card is inserted correctly, the Memory Card light flashes and then
remains solid green.
20 HP Photosmart 8400 series
Caution Do not pull out a memory card while the Memory Card light is
flashing. For more information, see Removing a memory card.
Memory card
Slot How to insert the memory card
CompactFlash Top right slot ● Front label faces up, and if the label has an
arrow, the arrow points toward the printer
● Edge with metal pinholes goes into the printer first
Memory Stick Bottom left slot ● Angled corner is on the left
● Metal contacts face down
●
If you are using a Memory Stick Duo
Stick PRO Duo
™
card, attach the adapter that
™
or Memory
came with the card before you insert the card into
the printer
Microdrive Top right slot ● Front label faces up, and if the label has an
arrow, the arrow points toward the printer
● Edge with metal pinholes goes into the printer first
MultiMediaCard Bottom right slot ● Angled corner is on the right
● Metal contacts face down
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 21
Chapter 2
(continued)
Memory card Slot How to insert the memory card
Secure Digital Bottom right slot ● Angled corner is on the right
● Metal contacts face down
SmartMedia Upper portion of
the top left
double slot
xD-Picture Card Lower right
portion of the top
left double slot
Removing a memory card
Wait until the Memory Card light stops flashing, then gently pull the memory card to
remove it from the printer.
Caution Do not pull out a memory card while the Memory Card light is
flashing. A flashing light means that the printer is accessing the memory card.
Removing a memory card while it is being accessed may damage the printer
and the memory card or corrupt the information on the memory card.
● Angled corner is on the left
● Metal contacts face down
● Curved side of card points toward you
● Metal contacts face down
22 HP Photosmart 8400 series
3
Printing photos without a computer
The HP Photosmart 8400 series printer lets you select, enhance, and print photos
without even turning on the computer. Once you've set up the printer using the
instructions in the Quick Start booklet, you can insert a memory card in the printer and
print your photos using the buttons on the printer control panel.
You can also print photos directly from a digital camera. For more information, see
Printing photos from a digital camera.
Follow these steps for start-to-finish photo printing from a memory card
Step 1
Insert a memory card in a memory card slot
See Inserting memory cards.
Step 2
Load photo paper
See Loading paper.
Step 3
Insert the correct print cartridges
See Inserting print cartridges.
Step 4
Select a photo layout
See Selecting a photo layout.
Step 5
View the photos on the memory card to decide which
photos to print
See Deciding which photos to print.
Step 6
Select photos to print
See Selecting photos to print.
Step 7
Improve photo quality
HP Photosmart 8400 series User's Guide 23
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