basics guide
basics guide
basics guide
hp photosmart 
1215/1115
© Copyright 2001 Hewlett-Packard Company
All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another 
language without the prior written consent of Hewlett-Packard Company.
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. Hewlett-Packard shall not be 
liable for errors contained herein or for consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, 
performance, or use of this material.
Adobe, Acrobat, and Reader are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.
CompactFlash, CF, and the CF logo are trademarks of the CompactFlash Association (CFA).
HP, the HP logo, JetSend, and PhotoSmart are property of Hewlett-Packard Company.
Mac, the Mac logo, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
IBM is a registered trademark and Microdrive is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Palm, Palm III, Palm V, and Palm VII are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
SmartMedia is a trademark of the SSFDC Forum.
Other brands and their products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
© Copyright 2001 Hewlett-Packard Company
All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another 
language without the prior written consent of Hewlett-Packard Company.
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. Hewlett-Packard shall not be 
liable for errors contained herein or for consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, 
performance, or use of this material.
Adobe, Acrobat, and Reader are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.
CompactFlash, CF, and the CF logo are trademarks of the CompactFlash Association (CFA).
HP, the HP logo, JetSend, and PhotoSmart are property of Hewlett-Packard Company.
Mac, the Mac logo, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
IBM is a registered trademark and Microdrive is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Palm, Palm III, Palm V, and Palm VII are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
SmartMedia is a trademark of the SSFDC Forum.
Other brands and their products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
© Copyright 2001 Hewlett-Packard Company
All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another 
language without the prior written consent of Hewlett-Packard Company.
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. Hewlett-Packard shall not be 
liable for errors contained herein or for consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, 
performance, or use of this material.
Adobe, Acrobat, and Reader are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.
CompactFlash, CF, and the CF logo are trademarks of the CompactFlash Association (CFA).
HP, the HP logo, JetSend, and PhotoSmart are property of Hewlett-Packard Company.
Mac, the Mac logo, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
IBM is a registered trademark and Microdrive is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Palm, Palm III, Palm V, and Palm VII are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
SmartMedia is a trademark of the SSFDC Forum.
Other brands and their products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
contents
Chapter 1 getting started .............................................................................. 1
viewing the onscreen user’s guide ............................................................................... 1
information map ....................................................................................................... 2
printer parts.............................................................................................................. 4
control panel...................................................................................................... 5
indicator lights ................................................................................................... 6
setting up your printer................................................................................................ 6
items you will need ............................................................................................. 6
loading paper .................................................................................................... 8
replacing or installing print cartridges ................................................................. 11
using your printer with a computer ............................................................................ 13
Chapter 2 getting to know your printer........................................................ 15
tools menu.............................................................................................................. 15
adjusting the printer settings from the control panel ..................................................... 16
test page ......................................................................................................... 17
paper type and size.......................................................................................... 17
page layout ..................................................................................................... 18
photo cropping ................................................................................................ 20
photo brightness............................................................................................... 20
photo color (model 1215).................................................................................. 21
factory default settings....................................................................................... 21
understanding memory cards.................................................................................... 22
types of memory cards ...................................................................................... 22
inserting a memory card.................................................................................... 23
Chapter 3 printing without a computer ........................................................ 25
paper type and size settings ..................................................................................... 25
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hp photosmart 1215/1115 color printer
printing photos from a memory card .......................................................................... 26
deciding which photos to print............................................................................27
printing an index page ...................................................................................... 27
choosing photos using the control panel ..............................................................28
cancelling a photo ............................................................................................30
Chapter 4 troubleshooting ...........................................................................31
important Windows PC information ........................................................................... 31
software problems ................................................................................................... 33
hardware problems ................................................................................................. 34
printing problems .................................................................................................... 37
error messages........................................................................................................ 39
Chapter 5 specifications ..............................................................................41
ii
getting started
1
Thank you for purchasing an HP PhotoSmart 1215/1115 color printer! 
Your new printer prints everything from high-quality black and white text 
documents to color photos. Before you get started, be sure to set up your 
new printer—use the Setup Guide included in the box. 
This guide describes how to use your new printer. It includes a quick 
reference to get you acquainted with your new printer and plenty of 
detailed printing and troubleshooting information. If you do not find the 
information you are looking for in this guide, use the Onscreen User’s 
Guide.
viewing the onscreen user’s guide
Note:
You must have Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® version 4.0 or later 
installed to view the Onscreen User’s Guide. If you do not have 
Acrobat Reader, you will be asked to install it from the HP 
PhotoSmart CD before you can view the Onscreen User’s Guide.
After you have installed the HP PhotoSmart software on your computer, 
you can view the Onscreen User’s Guide.
To view the Onscreen User’s Guide:
• Windows PC: From the Start menu, choose Programs, HP PhotoSmart, 
Photo Printing, Tools and Information, View printer users guides.
• Macintosh: In the User Docs folder, select your language, then open 
the file titled hp photosmart user guide.
1
hp photosmart 1215/1115 color printer
information map
getting started
unpacking your printer
other items you will need
printer parts
control panel
indicator lights
loading paper
loading paper in the paper tray
loading paper in the photo tray
loading a single envelope
loading a stack of envelopes
loading index cards and other small media
replacing or installing print cartridges
getting to know your printer
tools menu
adjusting printer settings
understanding memory cards
types of memory cards
inserting a memory card
understanding infrared
printing without a computer
paper type and size settings
printing photos from a memory card
deciding which photos to print
printing an index page
choosing photos using the control panel
cancelling a photo
printing files using infrared (IR)
printing from a Windows PC
selecting the printer properties
determining the status of your printer
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getting started
using the hp photo printing software
printing from a Macintosh
printing from a software application
printing from the desktop
using the print dialog box
saving photos
saving from a memory card
saving from a memory card to your Windows PC
saving from a memory card to your Macintosh
saving using infrared
care and maintenance
using the hp photosmart toolbox (Windows PC)
using the hp photosmart utility (Macintosh)
cleaning the printer
cleaning the outside of the printer
cleaning the print cartridges
troubleshooting
important Windows PC information
software problems
hardware problems
printing problems
infrared (IR) problems
error messages
specifications
specifications
connecting your printer to your computer
connecting the printer to a power source
connecting the printer to your Windows PC
connecting the printer to your Macintosh
installing the printer software
upgrading the printer software
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3
hp photosmart 1215/1115 color printer
printer parts
OUT tray
This tray catches your 
printed photos or 
documents
Paper width guide
Adjust this guide to fit 
close to the edge of 
the paper in the paper 
tray
Paper tray
Place paper or 
envelopes in this tray 
for printing
Photo tray
Place 4 x 6 inch (102 
x 152 mm) photo 
paper in this tray for 
printing
Top cover
Open this cover to 
change print cartridges
Control panel
See details on next page
SmartMedia memory 
card slot
Insert a SmartMedia 
memory card into the slot 
to begin printing or 
saving
CompactFlash/IBM 
Microdrive memory 
card slot
Insert a CompactFlash or 
IBM Microdrive memory 
card into the slot to begin 
printing or saving
Paper length guide
Adjust this guide to fit close to the 
edge of the paper in the paper tray
Power cord connection
Connect the power cord 
(included in the box) here
Parallel port
Use this port to connect the 
printer to the computer if you 
are using a bi-directional IEEE 
1284-compliant parallel cable 
(Windows PC only)
Rear access door
Remove this door to 
clear a paper jam
USB port 
Use this port to connect the printer to 
the computer if you are using a USB 
cable
4
getting started