Special features
Select your printer model:
HP Deskjet 6540-50 series HP Deskjet 6520 series
HP Deskjet 6540-50 series
Congratulations! You have purchased an HP Deskjet printer that is equipped with several exciting features:
- Print Quality Selector : Select the print quality from the front of the printer.
- Ink-backup mode : Ink-backup mode lets you continue printing with one print cartridge when the other print cartridge has run out of ink.
- Print Cancel button : Cancel print jobs at the touch of a button.
- Print multiple pages on a single sheet of paper : Use the printer software to print up to 16 pages on a single sheet of paper.
- Borderless printing : Use the entire page surface when printing photos and cards by using the borderless printing feature.
- Digital photo printing : Use the enhanced digital photo printing capabilities.
- Six-ink upgradeable printing : Enhance photo printing with a photo print cartridge.
- Auto-off : Enable the auto-off feature to place the printer into a low-power, energy-efficient mode after it has been idle for 30 minutes.
- Front USB port : Use the USB port on the front of the printer to connect the printer with a laptop quickly.
- Optional Automatic Two-Sided Printing Accessory : Purchase a Automatic Two-Sided Printing Accessory to print two-sided documents automatically.
- Optional 250-Sheet Plain Paper Tray Accessory : Purchase an optional 250-Sheet Plain Paper Tray Accessory and expand the printer’s paper-handling capability.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
HP Deskjet 6520 series
Congratulations! You have purchased an HP Deskjet printer that is equipped with several exciting features:
- Ink-backup mode : Ink-backup mode lets you continue printing with one print cartridge when the other print cartridge has run out of ink.
- Print Cancel button : Cancel print jobs at the touch of a button.
- Print multiple pages on a single sheet of paper : Use the printer software to print up to 16 pages on a single sheet of paper.
- Borderless printing : Use the entire page surface when printing photos and cards using the borderless printing feature.
- Digital photo printing : Enhanced digital photo printing capabilities.
- Six-ink upgradeable printing : Enhance photo printing with a photo print cartridge.
- Auto-off : Enable the auto-off feature to place the printer into a low-power, energy-efficient mode after it has been idle for 30 minutes.
- Optional Automatic Two-Sided Printing Accessory : Purchase a Automatic Two-Sided Printing Accessory to print two-sided documents automatically.
- Optional 250-Sheet Plain Paper Tray Accessory : Purchase an optional 250-Sheet Plain Paper Tray Accessory and expand the printer’s paper-handling capability.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
- Getting started (HP Deskjet 6540-50 series)
For an overview of the printer features, see the printer features page.
Click the appropriate topic below for a description of a printer feature:
For a description of the optional accessories, see the optional accessories page.
Printer features (HP Deskjet 6540-50 series)
The HP printer has several features to make printing easier and more efficient.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
- Automatic Paper-Type Sensor (not illustrated)
- Ink-backup mode (not illustrated)
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
Optional accessories
Automatic Two-Sided 250-Sheet Plain Paper Tray Auto Two-Sided Print
Printing Accessory (optional) Accessory (optional) Accessory with Small Paper
Tray (optional)
Note: The availability of accessories varies by country/region.
Buttons and lights (HP Deskjet 6540-50 series)
Use the printer buttons to turn the printer on and off, cancel a print job, and restart a job. The printer lights give you visual cues about the status of the printer.
The printer buttons are located in the upper portion of the control panel.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
- Power button and light
- Print Cancel button
- Resume button and light
The control panel also contains Print Cartridge Status lights and a Print Quality Selector button.
Power button and light
The Power button turns the printer on and off. It might take a few seconds for the printer to turn on after you press the Power button.
The Power light flashes when the printer is processing.
Caution: Always use the Power button to turn the printer on and off. Using a power strip, surge protector, or a wall-mounted switch to turn the printer on and off can cause printer failure.
Print Cancel button
Pressing the Print Cancel button cancels the current print job.
Resume button and light
The Resume light flashes when an action is required, such as loading paper or clearing a paper jam. When the problem is solved, press the Resume button to continue printing.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
Print Cartridge Status lights (HP Deskjet 6540-50 series)
The Print Cartridge Status lights indicate the status of the print cartridges.
Z
| Status of the Print Cartridge Status lights | Status of the print cartridges | |
| On and solid | Low on ink | |
| Flashing | Service required |
The Print Cartridge Status lights are located in the center of the printer control panel.
1. Print Cartridge Status lights
1 . The left status light represents the tri-color print cartridge.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
2 . The right status light represents the print cartridge that is installed in the compartment on the right side of the print cartridge cradle. That print cartridge can be the black print cartridge, the photo print cartridge, or the gray photo print cartridge.
Print Quality Selector button (HP Deskjet 6540-50 series)
Use the Print Quality Selector button to set print quality and print speed from the front of the printer.
The Print Quality Selector button is located on the lower portion of the printer control panel.
1. Print Quality Selector button
Enabling the Print Quality Selector button
Before using the Print Quality Selector button, you must enable it from the printer software.
Follow these steps to enable the Print Quality Selector button:
- Open the Printer Properties dialog box.
- Click the Printing Shortcuts tab or the Paper/Quality tab.
- Click Use printer default in the Print quality drop-down list.
Note: Depending on the type of document that you are printing, the Use Printer Default option might not be available on the Printing Shortcuts tab.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
4. Click OK.
Using the Print Quality Selector button
Use the Print Quality Selector button to specify the print quality for documents that you plan to print. You cannot change the print quality for a document after the document begins printing.
Follow these steps to use the Print Quality Selector button:
- Verify that the Print Quality Selector button is enabled from the printer software.
- Press the Print Quality Selector button to select one of the following print qualities:
Fast normal
Normal
Best
Note: FastDraft and Maximum dpi can only be selected in the printer software. If a document is printed in either FastDraft or Maximum dpi mode, the currently selected print-quality icon flashes until the document is complete.
Lights
Status of the icons
One icon is lit.
One icon is lit and another flashes.
Meaning
The illuminated icon is the selected print quality.
The illuminated icon is the selected print quality for the current print job.
The flashing icon is the selected print quality for the next print job.
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Status of the icons Meaning
Either FastDraft or Maximum dpi has been
One icon flashes. selected as the print quality from the printer software.
Paper trays (HP Deskjet 6540-50 series)
The printer has two paper trays:
In tray
The In tray holds paper or other media to be printed.
1. In tray
Slide the paper guides firmly against the edges of the media on which you are printing.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
- Paper-width guide
- Paper-length guide
Out tray
Printed pages are deposited in the Out tray.
- Out tray
- Envelope slot
Use the envelope slot to print single envelopes.
Raise the Out tray to load paper.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
To prevent paper from falling out of the Out tray, pull out the Out-tray extension, and then unfold the Out-tray extension stop.
- Out-tray extension
- Out-tray extension stop
Do not unfold the Out-tray extension stop when printing on legal paper.
After the print job is complete, fold the Out-tray extension stop, and then push the Out-tray extension into the Out tray.
Envelope slot (HP Deskjet 6540-50 series)
Use the envelope slot to print single envelopes.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
1. Envelope slot
Follow these step to use the envelope slot:
- Insert the envelope with the side to be printed on facing down and the flap to the left.
- Push the envelope into the printer as far as it will go without bending.
- Print the envelope.
Print cartridges
Four print cartridges are available for use with the printer.
- Black
- Tri-color
- Photo
- Gray photo
Note: The availability of print cartridges varies by country/region.
Using print cartridges
Everyday printing
Use the black and tri-color print cartridges for everyday print jobs.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
Quality color photos
For more vibrant colors when printing color photographs or other special documents, remove the black print cartridge and use a photo print cartridge in combination with the tri-color print cartridge.
Quality black and white photos
For outstanding black and white photographs, remove the black print cartridge and use a gray photo print cartridge in combination with the tri-color print cartridge.
Replacing print cartridges
When buying print cartridges, look for the print cartridge selection number.
You can find the selection number in three places:
- Selection number label: Look at the label on the print cartridge you are replacing.
- Selection number label
- Printer documentation: For a list of print cartridge selection numbers, see the reference guide that came with the printer.
- Print Cartridge Ordering Information dialog box: For a list of print cartridge selection numbers, open the printer Toolbox , click the Estimated Ink Level tab, and then click the Print Cartridge Ordering Information button.
If a print cartridge runs out of ink, the printer can operate in the ink-backup mode.
For information about installing a print cartridge, see the print cartridge installation page.
Ink-backup mode
In the ink-backup mode, the printer operates by using only one print cartridge. The ink back-up mode is initiated when a print cartridge is removed from the print cartridge cradle.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
To remove a print cartridge, see the print cartridge installation page.
Ink-backup mode output
| Installed print cartridge | Result | |
| Black print cartridge. | Colors are printed as grayscale. | |
| Tri-color print cartridge. | Colors print but black is grayed and is not a true black. | |
| Photo print cartridge. | Colors are printed as grayscale. |
Gray photo print cartridge. 
Colors are printed as grayscale.
Note: It is recommended that you do not use the photo print cartridge or the gray photo print cartridge for ink-backup mode.
Exiting ink-backup mode
Install two print cartridges in the printer to exit the ink-backup mode.
To install a print cartridge, see the print cartridge installation page.
Automatic Paper-Type Sensor
The Automatic Paper-Type Sensor automatically selects the appropriate print settings for the media that is being printed on, particularly HP media.
When the Automatic Paper-Type Sensor is engaged, the printer scans the first page of a document with a red optical sensor light to determine the best paper-type setting. After the printer determines the paper-type setting, the page is printed.
Do not place the printer in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can interfere with the Automatic Paper-Type Sensor.
To use the Automatic Paper-Type Sensor, see the paper-type selection page.
Note: The Automatic Paper-Type Sensor is not available for documents that are printed from the 250-Sheet Plain Paper Tray Accessory or the Auto Two-Sided Print Accessory with Small Paper Tray.
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
- Getting started (HP Deskjet 6520 series)
For an overview of the printer features, see the printer features page.
Click the appropriate topic below for a description of a printer feature:
For a description of the optional accessories, see the optional accessories page.
Printer features (HP Deskjet 6520 series)
The HP printer has several features to make printing easier and more efficient.
17
HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
- Automatic Paper-Type Sensor (not illustrated)
- Ink-backup mode (not illustrated)
Optional accessories
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
Automatic Two-Sided 250-Sheet Plain Paper Tray Auto Two-Sided Print
Printing Accessory (optional) Accessory (optional) Accessory with Small Paper
Tray (optional)
Note: Availability of accessories varies by country/region.
Buttons and lights (HP Deskjet 6520 series)
Use the printer buttons to turn the printer on and off, cancel a print job, and restart a job. The printer lights give you visual cues about the status of the printer.
- Cancel button
- Resume button and light
- Print Cartridge Status light
- Power button and light
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HP Deskjet 6500 series printers
Print Cancel button
Pressing the Print Cancel button cancels the current print job.
Print Cartridge Status light
The Print Cartridge Status light turns on or flashes when a print cartridge needs service.
Resume button and light
The Resume light flashes when an action is required, such as loading paper or clearing a paper jam. When the problem is solved, press the Resume button to continue printing.
Power button and light
The Power button turns the printer on and off. It might take a few seconds for the printer to turn on after you press the Power button.
The Power light flashes when the printer is processing.
Caution: Always use the Power button to turn the printer on and off. Using a power strip, surge protector, or a wall-mounted switch to turn the printer on and off can cause printer failure.
Paper trays (HP Deskjet 6520 series)
For information about the paper trays, select one of the topics below:
Unfolding the paper trays
Raise the printer cover to unfold the paper trays.
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To read more please download the PDFs below
Download Hp Deskjet 6540 Manual
hp deskjet 6540 driver
hp 6540 printer troubleshooting
hp 6540 laptop