How to Align Your HP Printer

If your HP printer is printing crooked pages or displays the "alignment failed" error, the toner cartridge may be misaligned. Today, Mytour will guide you through the process of realigning the toner using a Windows, macOS computer, or directly on the HP printer's screen.

Turn on the HP printer. This method will show you how to use HP Smart, the free printer management app for Windows 10.

• You can also use HP Solutions Center (for 2010 models and later) or HP Printer Assistant (for models from 2010 and earlier) to manage the printer. If either of these apps is already in your Start menu, refer to the method Using HP Solutions Center or Printer Assistant for Windows.

Place a small stack of fresh paper into the printer's tray. To calibrate the printer, you must use standard letter-sized paper (21.6 x 27.9 cm) that is completely new.

Launch the HP Smart application on your PC. If the app is already installed, you can find it in the Start menu. If not, follow these steps to install it:

• Open the Start menu and select Microsoft Store.
• Search for hp smart in the search bar, then press ↵ Enter.
• Click on the HP Smart app (blue icon with a printer and paper).
• Select the green Get button.
• Open the app and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your printer.

Click on your printer in the HP Smart window.

Click on the Print Quality Tools option. This option is located in the left column under the "Utility" section.

• If there are no text options in the left column, click the menu icon with three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the window to expand the menu.

Click on the Align option.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The Align option will guide you through a special print process designed to align your printer's toner cartridge.

• If your printer includes a scanner, this process will also involve scanning the alignment page. Additional instructions will appear on the screen.
• If you see an "Alignment Failed" or "Alignment Unsuccessful" error, refer to the troubleshooting steps in Resolving Alignment Issues.

Turn on your HP printer. This method is applicable to all versions of Windows.

• If your HP printer was manufactured after 2010, the device management software is likely to be HP Solutions Center. For older printers, you will probably use HP Printer Assistant.
• To determine which HP software is installed on your computer, open the Start menu, look for the HP submenu, and check whether it lists HP Solutions Center or HP Printer Assistant.
• If neither option is available, visit https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers in your web browser, then follow the on-screen instructions to locate and download the HP Easy Start app for your printer model.

Place a small stack of fresh paper into the printer tray. To align the printer, you must use standard letter-sized paper (21.6 x 27.9 cm) that is brand new and unused.

Open the HP Solutions Center app on your computer. The app is located in the Start menu, sometimes within the HP folder.

• If you can't find HP Solutions Center, try opening HP Printer Assistant instead.

Click on Settings (Settings) near the bottom of the window.

• If you're using HP Printer Assistant, click on Print and Scan and select Maintain Your Printer, then proceed to Step 7.

Check the box for "Align the Print Cartridges" (Align the Print Cartridges). This option is located under the "Print Quality" (Print Quality) section in the center of the window.

Follow the on-screen instructions to align the print cartridges. For printers with a built-in scanner, this process also involves scanning the alignment page. Additional instructions will appear on the screen.

• If the error message "Alignment Failed" or "Alignment Unsuccessful" appears, check the method for Troubleshooting Alignment Issues.

Place some fresh paper into the printer tray. To align the printer, you must use standard letter-sized paper (21.6 x 27.9 cm) that is new and unused.

Open HP Utility on your Mac. If it's already installed, the app can be found in the HP folder within Applications.

• If you can't locate the app, you need to install it. Visit https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers through your web browser and follow the on-screen instructions to find and download the HP Easy Start installation app for your printer model. Once downloaded, double-click the .dmg file to install HP Utility.

Click on the Align icon in the first group of symbols. The Align Cartridges window will appear.

Click on Align. The alignment page will be sent to the printer. The printed page will display multiple numbered boxes with blue and black lines.

Find the box in row A where the lines overlap the most. You need to locate the box with the largest distance between the lines. Then, record the box number.

Select the corresponding box number in the printer software. Choose the appropriate box from column A.

Select the box with the most overlapping lines in a different column. Continue this process until you have selected boxes in all the lettered columns.

Click on the Done (Complete). The printer’s ink cartridges will begin the realignment process.

• If you encounter an "Alignment Failed" or "Alignment Unsuccessful" error, refer to the Troubleshooting Alignment Issues guide.

Power on the HP printer. If the printer has a display screen, you can realign the ink cartridges without using a computer.

Insert some fresh paper into the printer's tray.

Open the Settings or Tools menu on the printer. Use the arrow keys around the printer's screen to navigate.

Select Align Printer. The alignment test page will be printed. The printer will prompt you to scan this page right away.

Lift the scanner lid. The ink cartridges will be realigned during the special scan of the page.

Place the alignment test page into the scanner with the printed side facing down.

Align the page with the top right corner of the scanner glass.

Close the scanner lid and press OK. The printer will begin scanning and realigning the ink cartridges if necessary.

• If the error "Alignment Failed" or "Alignment Unsuccessful" appears, please refer to the method Troubleshooting Alignment Issues.

The paper you use for alignment must be clean. If the alignment method for your current operating system doesn't work, double-check that the paper is fresh, not wrinkled or folded, and properly loaded into the printer.

Scan the alignment page if requested. For printers with scanning capabilities, there will be an additional step to scan the alignment page that was just printed. Follow the on-screen instructions (as well as any printed instructions on the alignment page) to ensure no step is skipped.

Reset the printer. If issues persist, unplug the printer's power cord for 60 seconds, then plug it back in. Proceed with realigning the ink cartridges once the printer has restarted.

Ensure that you are using an authentic HP toner cartridge. If you are using a non-HP or counterfeit toner, replace it with a genuine HP product. Counterfeit cartridges can lead to alignment issues.

• Visit http://www.hp.com/go/anticounterfeit to learn more about how to identify counterfeit toner cartridges.

Review the printed alignment page to assess any toner-related problems. A properly aligned page should display dark black and deep blue lines.

• If your toner is running low, the alignment page may appear faded, streaky, or smudged. The black or blue color might not print correctly. Any of these signs indicate that the toner is near depletion and should be checked.
• If the alignment page has no streaks and both black and blue colors appear clearly, contact HP support for printer maintenance.