Blank ink on docs smudges easily - Nature of the Inkjet beast?

[MNInkjet]

I'm two months into the use of an HP Photosmart 7280. In general I like the machine (and LOVE the wireless feature). But one ongoing problem is that on a printed document, one that is very cleanly printed out, the black ink is susceptible to smudging with just a small, small bit of moisture.

I'll make my finger just a little damp, run it over the document, and the black ink smudges. And even days later, this still happens on a document.

It doesn't do it with the color inks.

I've set the printer for Maximum Dry Time.

It happens on every print setting, from Fast Draft to Best.

So, while out today I stopped into OfficeMax and did a little experiment with not only their 7280, but other inkjets, both from HP and from other manufacturers.

In all cases, there was some black ink smudging. Some better than others, but there was consistent smudging.

So, two questions come to mind:

Is this just the nature of black inkjet printing?

Any tips or tricks to eliminate or reduce this?

Thanks, and glad to find the forum.

 

[Trigger 37]

MNinkjet,... I believe that all HP black ink carts are pigmented ink and once they dry on paper they should not run. I just tested some HP black ink and it as you said, it smeared. The special PHOTO ink carts that HP sells, like the HP 58-59 and the 99-100 use photo black which is a Dye based ink. I also just tested my Canon balck printed pages and they do not smear. I know them to be pigmented ink. My guess is that HP is not selling a very solid Pigmented ink. It must be diluted with some Dye ink which seems strange. Of course, Pigmented ink is more expensive.

Remember, if anything on the paper is printed as graphics, then all of the paper is printed in color which means dye ink. Print something in fast black text mode and see if it will smear. I tested to different items I printed on my HP PSC 2175xi, and the Dye will smear but the black text did not. Of course if your really wet your finger you can get all of it to smear.

 

[Hendo]

Hi

The HP Photosmart 7280 uses the HP 02 cartridges.

The black cartridge is dye based.