Printer won't print blue.

[SuGaHa]

No error messages, no other info.....acts like all is OK, but no blue prints.  All other colors are OK.  Changed the blue cartridge....still the same.

[DavidSMP]

Hi @SuGaHa,

Thanks for visiting the HP community. A very good day to you! I read the post regarding issues with print quality with Cyan (blue) not printing. I will be delighted to assist you here.

You’ve done an excellent job of diagnosing the issue from your end. Superb effort and spectacular research were done as well. Kudos to you on that score. :). I take it as a privilege to share this platform with you.

For better clarity and to assist you better I would require more information regarding this:

• Did this happen after a power outage or surge?
• Did you make copies directly from the printer and check?
• Does it accept the old blue cartridge?

For now, try these steps:

Make a copy in blue directly from the printer without any communication from the computer.

• Now check if it copies in blue correctly.
• If it does not then perform all the relevant steps from this link: http://hp.care/2wOzFua (Fixing Print Quality Problems for the HP Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-One Printer Series (A909)
• Now check if the issue persists, then contact HP phone support to get the cyan(blue) cartridge replaced.
• Also, check if the old blue cartridge is accepted by the printer.

Replacing the cartridge should work as long as the printer has no hardware issues. Otherwise, the printer needs to be replaced.

HP Technical Support can be reached by clicking on the following link: http://hp.care/2r9wSvP

• Once the support page opens please select the country in which you're located. Next, enter your HP model number on the right.
• Next, choose the 'Contact Support' tab at the top and scroll down to the bottom of the 'HP Support- Contact' page to fill out the form provided with your contact information.
• Once completed click the 'Show Options' icon on the bottom right.
• Lastly, scroll down to the bottom of the page and select 'Get phone number.' A case number and phone number will now populate for you.

They will be happy to assist you immediately.

If the unit is under warranty, the manufacturer’s warranty should take care of it for you.

Please perform all these steps patiently as it is critical to resolving the issue. This should do the trick for you. Going by your post, I can perceive that you are technically very competent. So with your profound expertise, you should be able to perform these steps without breaking a sweat.

Let me know how it goes and you have a great day!

To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a superb week ahead. 🙂  

[SuGaHa]

I haven't gone through all of the recommendations yet, but I wanted to say that the printer is old, I'm sure the warranty has expired.  I did put the old cartridge back in and after jumping through some hoops about the ink now being expired, I copied a page with lots of colors and a bright blue background.  I copied it before changing the cartridge and after; both printed the same....the colors were vibrant and the background printed as brown...no blues in anything...either time.  I can't remember exactly when it failed (it's been awhile now) and whether there was a power outage...though we do have those from time to time.  I, sometime before this, had to change the black/yellow printhead, but I'm pretty sure it was still working after I got that straightened out.  I looked at the lines and they didn't look tangled...it hasn't had any repairs, other than my changing the printhead.  Could the blue/magenta printhead be bad?  How can I tell?  I don't want to have to buy a new one if that isn't the problem.

[DavidSMP]

Hi @SuGaHa,

It is great to have you back. Thanks for the response. You've displayed a rare combination of immense temperament, great attitude and profound technical competence to try and resolve the issue. Kudos to you for that.:)

• Did it copy in blue correctly on the latest copy that you did from the old cartridge?

If it copied correctly in vibrant blue and that was the latest copy from the old original cartridge then I am glad to hear some good news that is music to your ears and mine. did the trick for you.

As stated in my earlier post, you have managed to isolate the issue if this was your last and final copy from the old cartridge. as the old cartridge managed to make a copy in color and blue without hassles. So it is clear that the new cyan(blue) cartridge is faulty and replacing it with another blue/ cyan cartridge will do the trick for you. 

This means that if you replace the new defective cartridge with another blue/cyan one the printer should work correctly. This is based on your latest post information.

However, if the old cartridge did not print anymore blue color, then you could try to replace the old cartridge with another blue/cyan new cartridge and check if it works correctly. If the issue continues with the new replaced cartridge, then the printer's hardware is faulty and it needs to be replaced by calling HP support.

I am being honest here as replacing the printhead  even if it is replaceable is no guarantee that the printer will work. Besides replacing the printhead may turn out to be almost the cost of the printer which may not be a logical or viable option. Contact HP phone support to get this done by following the steps from my previous post.

Now trust me I've done all I can to assist you by keeping your best interest in mind. It has been an absolute privilege to share this platform with you and you've been a valued HP customer.

If this helps, then to simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a blessed year ahead. stay healthy and smile big 🙂

Cheers!