Black Ink Not Dispensing

[LaurenC31]

My black ink cartage was not dispensing ink and/or was empty, I replaced it with the appropriate 910XL HP cartridge. The printer is showing that the cartridge is connected and full, however when I print no ink comes out and the page is completely blank. I looked at other conversations and following items did not solve the problem:

• Check for Ink Cartridge Contacts (complete - printed out page with color perfectly)
• Run a Printhead Cleaning Cycle (complete - no issues)
• Restart the Printer (complete)

Please advise on other options to print with black ink. Is it possible the cartridge is just bad and I need to exchange for a replacement? Thank you for your support. 

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @LaurenC31 

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

I can understand how frustrating it feels to replace the cartridge, see it detected as full, and yet still get blank pages. Thank you for already checking contacts, running cleaning cycles, and restarting—it shows real persistence. 

Let’s go step by step to narrow down why black ink isn’t dispensing.

 

Steps to Resolve Black Ink Not Printing

Check Cartridge Vent

• Remove the black 910XL cartridge.
• Inspect the top vent (small circular hole).
• If the orange pull‑tab or protective tape is still covering it, gently remove it.
• Blocked vents can prevent ink flow even if the cartridge is full.

Run Alignment

• On the printer’s control panel, go to Setup > Printer Maintenance > Align Printhead.
• Follow the prompts.
• Alignment forces the printer to use all nozzles, which can sometimes clear a blocked black channel.

Print Diagnostic Report

• On the printer’s control panel, go to Reports > Print Quality Report.
• Check if the black grid is missing or faint.
• If colors print fine but black is absent, the issue is isolated to the black cartridge or printhead.

Clean Printhead Manually

• Power off the printer and unplug it.
• Remove the printhead assembly if your model allows.
• Gently wipe the underside of the black nozzle area with a lint‑free cloth lightly dampened with distilled water.
• Allow to dry completely before reinserting.
• Reinstall the black cartridge firmly until it clicks.

Update Firmware

• On your Windows 11 PC, open the HP App.
• Select your printer.
• Go to Settings > Advanced Settings > Firmware Update.
• Install any available updates to ensure proper ink management.

If the black grid is still missing after vent check, alignment, and manual cleaning, then the cartridge itself may be defective. In that case, replacing it with another 910XL cartridge is the next logical step.

Would you like me to also share how to run a secondary printhead cleaning cycle from the control panel? It’s stronger than the standard cleaning and sometimes restores black output when the first cycle doesn’t.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye