Cyan not working

[Dogstar2]

No error messages, but the Cyan is not printing.  I have run through the checks on the HP site.  On head alignment I get the message that the heads cannot be aligned.  When printing from the computer, yellow does not print, but  in the checks yellow seems to print fine.  Black/yellow head perhaps or is it time for a new pirnter?

[Jeet_singh]

Hi @Dogstar2,

Thank you for visiting the HP Forums! A great place where you can find solutions for your issues with help from the community! I came across your post and wanted to assist you. I understand you are having issues printing in color on your HP Printer. Don't worry as I have a few suggestions which should help you resolve this issue.

To provide you with an accurate solution, I'll need a few more details:

Have you recently made any changes on the printer before the issue started?

Could you provide me with the exact model number of the Printer and the Operating system installed on the PC? (Ensure you do not share any of your personal information such as serial, phone number, email ID, etc...) http://hp.care/2bygf7l

Did you try to clean the cartridge contacts?

Have you tried to print the print quality report?

Are you able to make a copy from the printer?

In the meantime, let's try these steps here:

Remove all the ink cartridges and then try to perform a hard reset on the printer.

With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer and also unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.

Remove USB cable, if present.

Wait for 2-3 minutes, press and hold the power button on your printer for about 30 seconds to remove any additional charge.

Now plug back the power cable straight to a wall outlet without any surge protector or an extension cord and then plug back the power cord to the printer.

Turn on the printer and wait till warm-up period finishes and the printer is idle.

Now insert the ink cartridges and then try to print a test page and check if it works.

Let’s first try and make a “photocopy” to determine whether the issue is with the printer or not. Place a document on the scanner glass and choose “Copy” option. If the printer is making a good copy, then the printer hardware is fine.

Next thing, I would suggest here is to Solution four: Print and evaluate a Print Quality Diagnostics Page, using this link.

For more assistance, please follow all the steps suggested in the support document for - Fixing Print Quality Problems for the HP Officejet Pro 8500A e-All-in-One Printer Series

Let me know how it goes for further assistance. I'll be more than happy to help.

Keep me posted,

If the information I've provided was helpful,

give us some reinforcement by clicking the solution and kudos buttons,

that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Good Luck.

[Dogstar2 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for your reply. I tried all of the possible solutions that you outlined to no effect. The diagnostics page printed, etc. It turns out that the print head is bad or blocked. I cleaned the print heads after also discovering the yellow was not printing. I revived the yellow, but cold not revive the cyan. The print head is $58, so I replaced the seven year old printer. The 8500A is and was a good machine, but it is too close to no longer being supported. I like and have had good luck with HP printers and the new one is HP more in line wth home office. It seems that clogged or bad print heads would be further up on the list of possible problems when printing of one or more inks fails to print. I found how to clean a print head on YouTube. It worked on one head but cleaning the hea was not on HP web site except for the contacts. Again, thanks for you help.

[Jeet_singh]

Hi @Dogstar2,

Great troubleshooting, a brilliant effort, and remarkable troubleshooting skills were displayed by you to try and resolve the issue. Kudos you for a job well done. I'm glad to hear you found the solution you were looking for. I understand you found the steps for cleaning the printhead on youtube instead of our support page, However, your valuable feedback is very much appreciated.

I hope both you and your product works great and remain healthy for a long time 😉 

You've been great to work with and it has been a genuine pleasure interacting with you.

Take care now and do have a fabulous week ahead. 🙂

Regards,