Black Ink Not Printing

[Scottie7475]

Had full black ink cartridge in printer.  Returned to winter home and black won't print.  Color prints fine.  Have run all cleaning and alignment tools.  

Need new cartridge?  Would it dry out in the heat of the summer months?

[VikramTheGreat · Accepted solution]

Hi @Scottie7475,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

I can imagine how disappointing it must be to return to your winter home, ready to print, only to find that your HP printer has gone silent on black ink. Let’s get to the bottom of this together.

What You Can Try Before Replacing the Cartridge

1. Run a Deep Printhead Cleaning

You mentioned running cleaning tools, but try this again using the HP app or printer control panel:

• Run “Deep Cleaning” or “Second Level Cleaning” if available.
• Wait 10–15 minutes after cleaning, then print a diagnostic page.

2. Try the Paper Towel Method (Manual Cleaning)

This can sometimes revive dried nozzles:

1. Dampen a lint-free paper towel with warm water.
2. Gently blot the printhead area (bottom of the cartridge). You should see black ink marks.
3. Hold the cartridge nozzle-side down on the damp towel for 30 seconds.
4. Reinsert and try printing again.

This method can sometimes “wake up” a stubborn cartridge that’s dried at the tip.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

VikramTheGreat

[Scottie7475]

Thank you Vikram!

I went through the steps you suggested.  The paper towel method increased the ink flow but it still wasn't printing well - but gave me confidence the cartridge was still viable.  So then I used a qtip and just a touch of rubbing alcohol and that worked great.  So problem solved.

Thanks so much!

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Scottie7475,

That’s great to hear, I’m really glad you were able to get the ink flowing again!

The paper-towel check confirming the cartridge was still alive was a good sign, and using a tiny amount of rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip is a classic last-step method to clear dried ink from the printhead. Nice work doing it carefully, that’s the key.
 

If anything else comes up with print quality, alignment, or ink flow, feel free to reach out anytime. Happy printing!

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

VikramTheGreat