New Instant Ink colour cartridge printing wrong colours

[nessie287]

I have just started using instant ink and have replaced my colour cartridge with the instant ink one. 

The colours are wrong, red comes out magenta, grey comes out purple and on the printhead cleaning sheet there doesn't seem to be yellow present. How can I get a faulty cartridge replaced?

[Kuroi_Kenshi · Accepted solution]

@nessie287,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like your Instant Ink cartridge may be defective or experiencing a clog in the yellow ink channel. Before requesting a replacement, try the following troubleshooting steps.

Check Ink Levels

Even though it's a new cartridge, confirm that the printer detects it correctly:

• On the printer’s control panel, go to Setup > Ink Levels to check if any ink is low.

Perform Printhead Cleaning

Since yellow is missing, a clogged printhead might be the issue. Try cleaning it:

1. Open the HP Printer Assistant (Windows) or HP Smart App (Mac/Windows).
2. Select Printhead Cleaning under maintenance options.
3. Print a test page and see if yellow appears. If not, repeat up to three times.

Manually Clean the Printhead

If automatic cleaning doesn’t work:

• Remove the cartridge and gently clean the copper contacts and nozzle area with a lint-free cloth and distilled water.
• Allow it to dry completely before reinserting.

Align the Printer

If the colors are still incorrect:

• Go to Setup > Tools > Align Printer on the printer’s menu.
• Follow the on-screen instructions and print an alignment page.

Request a Replacement Instant Ink Cartridge

If the issue persists after cleaning:

• Sign in to your HP Instant Ink account: Instant Ink
• Navigate to Help & Troubleshooting > Cartridge Issues
• Select "Cartridge is printing incorrect colors" and follow the steps to request a replacement.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping! 

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @nessie287,

A huge thank you for marking this post as the 'Accepted Solution'! We're thrilled that we could help resolve your issue. 

If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to ask. We're here to help! 

Thanks again for your confirmation, and we wish you an amazing day ahead! 

Best Regards,