I have an HP Photosmart 1115 printer, which I've had for about a year
and a half. When the printer is powered on, the LCD text on the screen
is so dim that it is practically impossible to read. Do I just have a
bum printer, or is this a common malady of this printer?

I looked cover-to-cover through the printer manual for a contrast
adjustment of this screen and could not find anything.