Thanks for the ideas folks.

These are not the first cartridges and the problem is fairly constatnt. They could fo with another clean/align anyway but the problem was still there after the last run through.

I might go back to the factory settings and start again.

Jon, yeah, that contrast/brightness seems to be part of the issue.

Paper - I use various sorts and try to match the setting to it.

I do have a profile set - it's the one it automatically selected - a kodak one - maybe I'll change it (any suggestions?) and I know it's unlikely to match the screen but comparing the same print made on the old Lexmark (close to the scanned original) it is very different.

I do have Photoshop and although I only use a fraction of it I'm impressed. I'll have to have a root around in there and see if there's a way to compensate - but the originals seem fine and it seems a shame to corrupt them just to sort out the printer.

Still, there's a few things to try - starting with a good clean!
Thanks for your help.

Nick