Publisher prints black boxes

[Ellen W.]

I just purchased a HP Photosmart 8150 printer. When I try to print some
images from Publisher 2003, all I get is a black box. If I look at my page
from File/Print Preview, everything looks fine on the screen. If I look at
the page from Print/Print Preview, the image is omitted. If I print anyways,
that is when I get the black box. I previously had a HP DeskJet 720C which
will print the same image fine. I have contacted HP and they tell me that it
is a Publisher issue. Any ideas?

 

[Mary Sauer]

Are you certain you have the newest driver? HP has a driver for your printer with an
August 2004 timestamp, maybe newer than what shipped with the printer. Are your
images very large, over 300 dpi?
HP also has support documents.
www.hp.com

 

[Ellen W.]

I have been to the HP website for downloads and it tells me that I have the
latest files. How do I tell if my driver file has the August 2004 timestamp?
Also, I don't know how to check the size of my images. Can you help?

 

[Mary Sauer]

Right-click the image where it is stored, properties, the information is listed. If
you use the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, you can also right-click, properties
there as well.

Look in the HP printer folder, right-click the driver (.inf) properties, it will give
you the date. The date will be on your setup disk.

 

[Ellen W.]

Regarding the size of the image, it is a JPEG image and the size is 2.5 MB.
I don't know how to equate that to dpi as you stated before. As far as the
printer driver, how do you know that the date should be August 2004? I
searched in my program files\HP directory for all *.inf files. I have 10 of
them. They range in date from 3/18/04 - 6/6/04. Do you know which of these
inf files is the exact driver from my printer (HP Photosmart 8150)? How do I
get HP to get the correct driver when I have been to their web site to pull
down the drivers and it tells me that I have the latest? Also, I have spoken
to them 3 times. Why aren't they doing more for me?

 

[Mary Sauer]

Ellen,
I don't know what to tell you.
Maybe completely cleaning out your driver and re-installing would be a solution. Your
driver can become corrupt. Download the driver from the HP site, use it instead of
the one on your setup disk.
How to clean up printer drivers
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

Is it just this one image you are having problems with or are there others? Do you
have an image editing program?

 

[Ellen W.]

Mary,
You have been most helpful. It is nice to have this service available to
me. I will reinstall my print driver using the instructions you provided.

Also, I have several images of various sizes that won't print ... some at 20
KB all the way to 2.5 Meg. They all print fine on my HP DeskJet 720C
printer. I can't image that this is not an HP problem.

 

[Ellen W.]

I have done all that you asked and I am still having trouble. I have noticed
looking at other postings that there is at least one more person having the
same problem as me. Interestingly enough, I have access to Publisher 2000.
I don't seem to have this problem using that version with the same printer.
Are there any updates to Publisher 2003 that I should get?