Black ink has stripes, Printhead cleaning does not run

[Merkitten]

Hello! My printer was working fine, but recently the black ink started printing with stripes. Color prints fine. I have done a printhead alignment and manually wiped the black ink cartridge. I have tried multiple times to run printhead cleaning with the app on my PC and also on my phone, but it just freezes. It never gets to the stage where it prints out a page. I have also reinstalled the drivers, but the problem persists. What should I do?

[VikramTheGreat · Accepted solution]

Hi @Merkitten,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

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

Thanks for the detailed summary—it sounds like you’ve already tried a lot of the right steps. Since you're seeing black ink printing in stripes, and the printhead cleaning freezes (on both PC and phone), here’s a focused approach to move forward:

1. Rule Out the Cartridge Itself

Even if you’ve cleaned and aligned it, the black cartridge might still be faulty or clogged.

• Remove the black cartridge and inspect the nozzle area.
• Try a new genuine HP black cartridge if available. (Even a partly used one known to work.)
• Make sure the vent tape is fully removed from the top of the cartridge.

2. Clean Printhead Manually (If Safe)

Since the automated printhead cleaning isn't working, a manual soak method can sometimes help:

🔧 Manual Cleaning – Soak Method:

⚠️ Only attempt this if you're comfortable and the printer is out of warranty.

1. Remove the black ink cartridge.
2. Dab the printhead (the coppery part at the bottom of the cartridge) gently with a lint-free cloth dampened with warm distilled water.
3. Let it sit printhead-down on a damp paper towel for 5–10 minutes.
4. Dab dry and reinstall.
5. Try a print again.

3. Reset the Printer

Sometimes a partial reset can help when functions like cleaning freeze.

🔄 Partial Reset Method (May Vary by Model):

1. With the printer on, unplug the power cord from the wall and the back of the printer.
2. Wait 60 seconds.
3. Plug it back in and power on.

This often clears frozen or stuck processes in the printer's internal software.

4. Try Cleaning via Embedded Web Server (EWS)

If the app freezes, try accessing your printer’s EWS via a web browser:

1. Find the IP address of the printer from the control panel (usually under Wi-Fi > Settings).
2. On a computer, open a browser and type the IP address into the address bar.
3. Go to Tools or Settings > Printer Maintenance and look for Clean Printhead.
4. Run the cleaning from there.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, as it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

VikramTheGreat

HP Support