PRINT QUALITY TIPS AND TRICKS

HP Sprocket printers, the sprocket app, and HP photo paper all work together as one print ecosystem and many factors can influence your print quality. For great prints, check out our list of tops and see what you like best.
 
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HP ZINK™ SMARTSHEET

Each pack of HP Sprocket or HP Sprocket Plus Paper has a special blue or orange card.
Always load the colored HP Zink™ Smartsheet from the same pack of photo paper as is currently in the printer. It is a smart card, like the name says! This card cleans, calibrates, and prepares your printer for that specific pack of paper! Keep the colored sheet close by while printing those ten sheets.
Think you see some print issues? Load the colored sheet again in the printer to fine tune the print quality for that pack of paper. When you open a new pack of paper, repeat the process every time! As a reminder, load the colored HP Zink™ Smartsheet into the paper tray with the barcode facing down.

UPDATE FIRMWARE

Keep your printer firmware up to date. Make sure your printer is charged at least 50% to update your firmware. The update will take 5-10 minutes. During this time, stay in the sprocket app and if possible, connect your phone to a power source during the update to prevent interruptions.
You will be automatically be prompted when firmware updates are available.
You will be automatically be prompted when firmware updates are available.

EMBEDDED EXPERIENCES

Try turning off "Embedded Experiences". Our scannable prints reveal fun, AR experiences. For this, we overlay information on each print for your phone to "read" when scanned. This feature can change the way your prints look. Experiment turning it on/off to change how you interact with sprocket prints.
Tap "sprocket" in the Main Menu.
Toggle on or off "Embedded Experiences".
Select "App Settings".

EDIT PHOTOS

If some basic photo adjustments could improve your print outs, use the sprocket app editing features to adjust color, brightness, contrast, and other factors in your prints.
Select a photo from your gallery and tap "Edit".
Tap the adjustments icon below the photo.
Adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation of the photo. Tap the checkmark to save your changes.

USE HP PAPER

Use genuine HP Sprocket or HP Sprocket Plus Photo Paper.
There are other photo brands, but HP recommends using HP branded paper for best results. You can purchase genuine HP Sprocket Photo Paper at HP.com.
Store your photo paper in a cool, dry place and avoid contact with water.

COOL DOWN

Allow a few minutes for your printer to cool down between prints.
Sprocket printers use heat to activate the hidden ink in your photo paper—with prints sent back-to-back, your printer works overtime to keep cool! Try giving your printer a break between print sessions.

HP Sprocket Support