bad quality replacement cartridges

[JamieSue11]

A couple of my instant ink replacement cartridges from the last 2-3 months I have had to take out early due to bad print quality/ink. How do I let HP Instant Ink know I will be needing replacements sooner than their records show? This is my last attempt/stop for support on this issue. Thx. 

[BeemerBiker]

You may have dried ink or residue from glue or tape in the printhead area.    There could also be a problem with the ink as you mentioned.  if several cartridges have shown this problem, and they are not from the same batch, my guess is a good cleaning is needed.

General advice on printhead cleaning is here.
This link shows cleaning the 8600 printhead and removal is shown here. This video for 86xx is good

This is another type of printhead cleaning, different from the above.

Cleaning and removing ink is shown below by our "Scullery" team.

An HP original video on how to clean the printheads by our experts. Yes, this can get messy, but it works. If your ink levels are good but you are printing blank pages then this is likely the solution.

Official HP advice on cleaning.

Some printers have a printhead cleaning procedure.

To clean the printhead on an HP printer, access the printer settings through the HP Smart app, navigate to "Print Quality Tools," and select "Clean Printhead"; this will initiate a cleaning cycle where the printer will automatically run a cleaning process to clear any clogs in the printhead

Inkjet and printhead cleaning kits are available

Consumer inkjet printer printheads typically last for several years, with some lasting up to 10 years or even longer. However, the lifespan can vary greatly depending on usage, maintenance, and environmental factors.


For official help 

Try here at the Get HP Instant Ink Support Website
Contact the team at HP Instant Ink Support during business days and hours available in your region.
General help on instant ink management

[JamieSue11]

I did the hot water on those cartridges; test print is good. Thank you!!!

[BeemerBiker]

I had forgotten about soaking in hot water and will mention that in the future.  Thanks!