Print quality is poor on new printer.

[Alan_in_Hemel]

This printer is only a couple of months old and has HP Instant Ink cartridges installed. The print quality is poor with streaks running down the page. When I try and use the clean print head function, the process fails to work and an error message displayed that connection has been lost to the printer.  However the printer is showing fine on the HP Smart home page. 

[Hawks_Eye · Accepted solution]

Hi @Alan_in_Hemel 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thank you for sharing the details. Since the printer is new and using Instant Ink cartridges, the streaks and failed cleaning cycle indicate that the printhead maintenance process is not completing properly. 

Let’s go step by step to restore print quality:

1. Restart the Printer and App Connection

• Power off the printer, wait 60 seconds, and turn it back on.
• Close and reopen the HP App on your computer or mobile device.
• Ensure the printer is connected to the same network as your device.

2. Run Clean Printhead from the Printer Control Panel

• On the printer’s display, navigate to Setup or Maintenance.
• Select Clean Printhead directly from the printer menu instead of the HP App.
• Allow the process to complete. If streaks remain, repeat the cleaning up to two more times.

3. Use Diagnose & Fix in the HP App

• Open the HP App on your Windows or Mac computer.
• Select your printer, then go to Printer Settings.
• Run Diagnose & Fix to automatically check for communication issues and correct them.

4. Check Cartridge Seating

• Open the cartridge access door.
• Remove both cartridges and gently wipe the electrical contacts with a lint-free cloth.
• Reinstall them firmly until they click into place.

5. Align the Printhead

• From the printer’s control panel or HP App, select Align Printhead.
• Follow the on-screen instructions and print the alignment page.
• Confirm the alignment is successful.

6. Print a Quality Diagnostic Page

• From the printer menu, select Reports > Print Quality Report.
• Review the page for streaks, missing colors, or misalignment.
• If issues persist, repeat cleaning and alignment.

The issue is caused by incomplete cleaning cycles and possible communication interruptions. By restarting the printer, running cleaning directly from the control panel, reseating cartridges, and using Diagnose & Fix in the HP App, the print quality should improve. Alignment ensures colors and text are sharp.

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[Alan_in_Hemel]

Thanks for your help. I have meticulously worked through your steps and although some slight improvement I am still experiencing streaks. I have printed a test page showing the problem but could not see anyway of attaching it to this post.

[Hawks_Eye]

You are welcome @Alan_in_Hemel 

Thanks for troubleshooting, I appreciate all your efforts.

I'll do everything I can to help get this sorted for you. 😊

In order to locate your account, please provide either your registered email address or your Instant Ink account ID or the printer serial number in a private message, and I'll look into this. 

To access your private messages, simply click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile name. 

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

Note: Do not share any of your personal information in public, such as serial number, phone number, email ID, etc.