How to make the HP DeskJet 500 print a 'test page'

I used to have one of these (it was later donated to Microsoft's test lab), but I don't remember. It's usually something like holding down the On Line or Form Feed button while turning on the power. It can't hurt to experiment; you're not going to waste any supplies if it doesn't work.

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THANK YOU!

It was indeed hold down the FF button and cycle the power.

Found a 'dead' jet, but the constant printing on page 3 [landscape mode], must have awakened it.

Look here for the DeskJet 500 info:

John

What about going to the printer driver and use the Print Test Page function?

Wow ! Someone else who still has & uses a Deskjet 500. I've had mine from new just as they came out. Must be getting on for 25 years or so now.

Thank you. I found that POWER ON while holding down the FONT button is supposed to print a test page.

Also, found Coniguration Switch Settings and the Printer Control Commands, the escape sequences.

My manual is in storage. Would like to get a copy of that.

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I think that prints the Microsoft page, not the one that exercises all the printer's functions.

Yes! Bought it new, also. Still has the highest contrast ratio for me.

I did run across somebody [in TX?] that refurbishes them for sale, but they wanted more than $260 at a time when most printers are going for $40, didn't make sense to get another one. Instead, I just waited.

As a result of waiting, I've been given an HP LaserJet 5 and an Epson C60 [color printer], so still don't need another yet.

Agreed ! Very good print quality. Pity the ink carts are not available anymore. I've been refilling mine for several years now.

Quite ! I wouldn't pay more than $10 or $15 for one, particularly when they get thrown out by firms clearing the IT stock room.

Watch the Epson ! The ink dries very rapidly in the print heads and they are part of the printer and not the cartridge. I've seen new demonstration machines dumped because the ink has dried in the print heads.

ble

Thanks for the 'heads up'

I have not been happy with it. Cartridge dries out way too fast. Have to use everyday, or waste ink to recharge, Wait, using everyday wastes ink, too. So no way to gain. Plus, the cartridges [the ones easy to get, cost $30 to $50!!!] Isn't that the price of a desk top printer?

So,I'm back to "that's a niceprinter, but can't use it. "

What is the best priced, high contrast printer out there? Of course long lived.

On 11/2/2009 12:59 PM Baron spake thus:

So can you tell me how your printer compares to mine, a DeskJet 932C? I have the sneaking suspicion that mine is not as good, but really have no idea.

Press FONT and RESET, or LOAD EJECT while turning on the printer.

Digging a bit deeper:

Print a self-test page. Turn the printer off and hold the Font button down on the printer's Control Panel; then turn the printer on and release the Font button after the printer picks up paper.

Both.

or:

I have a customer that still uses his Deskjet 500. I must have refilled his 5 black cartridges at least 10 times each and it never clogs. The trick is to refill it BEFORE you run out of ink. For some reason, he likes the printer and insists that I keep it running, even though I have better, faster, and cheaper alternatives. I don't know what he sees in this printer. Maybe it's the boxy look.

I retired my HP LaserJet 5m several months ago. It's basically a LaserJet 4 Plus in a nicer box and faster raster engine. 600 dpi is kinda crude as most anything you buy these days will do 1200 dpi. My main complaint is that the power save feature didn't really turn off the printer. It sucked power all the time. Still, it was cheap, reliable, fairly easy to maintain, but slow, crude, a power hog, and a bad habit of paper jamming at the back rollers. I replaced it with an HP Laserjet 2200dtn (double sided, 2 trays, network card, 1200dpi) and am living happily ever after.

I also had an Epson Stylus C60 for a few days. It leaked ink all over the place, no matter what I did to prevent it. Brand new, with supplied ink carts. I later ran into the same problem with a customers C60. I gave up. It's not a common problem, but I seem to find it all too often.

Heck, I've got you beat: I still use an Apple Laserwriter II (HP LJ II) sometimes. The printer is the only straight path printer and will print on 80 lb card stock for bin lables! Can't do that with my high speed laser printers, so the Apple still has a job.

Stop, you're making me cry. I had an LJ II, then a III, both with PostScript cartridges. I'm still using the 4M I bought over 15 years ago.

Thank you.

Running the built-in test page tends to clear out all the jets.

Thanks for the URLs to the manuals

About 3 years ago, I discovered that only a few of my customers were still running HP LJII and LJIII printers. So, I cleaned up the few I had in storage and tried to sell them. No takers. So, I tried to give them away. No takers. So, I recycled the mess, keeping only the repair parts collection and toner carts. I did the same with HP LJ4 and LJ5 printers about 6 months ago. The office and storage space was costing me more than the printers were worth. I even left them by the roadway with a "free" sign, and found that someone had added a extra Apple LW2 printer to the pile.

Most of my customers are currently using HP LJ4000/4100 or 4200/4300 series printers. They have their own collection of problems, but are much faster and more economical to operate (16,000 pages per toner cart on the 4300). The HP LJ4200 will do 16 to 53 lb paper, so 80 lb won't work. Speed, smaller footprint, and not having to listen to the fan cycling all day are the main advantages. Multiple trays, double sided printing, ethernet, and web admin are other benefits.

For the home, I like the HP LJ2200dtn or LJ2000dn printer.

Available used for about $220 with all options or $100 stripped.

Anyone who wouldn't take a working 4M for free is nuts. You'd be getting a high-quality PostScript printer for the cost of a new cartridge.

The 4M is a great printer. I recently printed out a discount coupon with extremely small fonts (they had to be around 2pt) and the quality was amazing.

They go for very little on eBay. I doubt you could find a new printer that good, for that price. The only problem is that not nearly as fast as "modern" printer.

ript

Thanks for the recommendation.