Changed ink cartridges and now my HP Officepro 6970 wont print black

[Wontprintblack1]

My printer ran out of ink so I changed out the color and black ink HP cartridges. Now my printer wont print in black. I sent back the black cartridge thinking it was defective but I'm having the same problem with the new one. I've "clean printhead", "align printhead", "clean smear" and uninstalled/reinstalled the drivers. I've cleaned the printhead manually. I've unplugged it and plugged it back in. All the firmware is up-to-date. I can't think of anything else to try. This printer is used regularly and I haven't had this issue before now. I'm using the same paper as always.  (It is out of warranty.)

Any ideas what to try next?

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Wontprintblack1,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand you've already tried a lot of troubleshooting steps, but let's see if we can find a solution. Here are a few additional steps you could try:

• Check ink levels: Ensure that the black ink cartridge is properly installed and has ink. Sometimes, even new cartridges can be faulty or improperly installed.
• Run a cleaning cycle: If the ink has dried in the printhead nozzles, running multiple cleaning cycles might help. You've mentioned that you've already done this, but sometimes it takes several cycles to see results.
• Manually clean the printhead: Sometimes the automated cleaning isn't sufficient. You can try manually cleaning the printhead with a lint-free cloth lightly moistened with water. Be gentle and avoid touching the electrical contacts.
• Check for clogs: Look for any clogs in the printhead that might be blocking the flow of ink. You can use a magnifying glass to inspect it closely.
• Try a different black ink cartridge: Even though you've tried a new cartridge, it's possible that you received another faulty one. If you have access to another black ink cartridge, try using that to see if the issue persists.
• Reset the printer: Sometimes a reset can resolve various issues. You can typically find instructions for resetting your specific printer model in the user manual or online.

Refer to this document: HP OfficeJet Pro 6970 All-in-One Printer User manual

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

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