HP DeskJet, ENVY 5052 - Black and Color Ink Not Printing

[danasbetterhalf]

HP ENVY 5052 Printer Black and Color Ink is not printing.

I haven't used it for 4 months.

I cleaned the cartridges in the printer tools option and manually with alcohol on a Qtip.

It goes through the motions but still doesn't print.

[Jerry_57 · Accepted solution]

Hi @danasbetterhalf,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

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

If your HP ENVY 5052 printer is not printing black or color ink after sitting unused for about four months, the most likely cause is that the ink has dried and clogged the cartridge nozzles. Running the standard cleaning cycle may not be enough to clear severe clogs.

Try these steps:

1. Soak the cartridge printheads:
   
   
   • Pour about 1 cm of warm (not hot) water into a shallow dish.
      
   • Place the cartridges nozzle-side down for 10–15 minutes. This helps soften dried ink.
      
2. Perform a blot test:
   
   
   • Remove the cartridges and gently press the printhead onto a clean paper towel.
      
   • You should see clear black and color ink streaks. If no ink transfers after repeated soaking, the cartridges may need replacement.
      
3. Dry and reinstall:
   
   
   • Wipe the copper contacts with a clean, lint-free cloth and ensure the cartridges are completely dry before reinstalling.
      
4. Run a deeper cleaning cycle:
   
   
   • Use the HP Smart app or the printer's maintenance tools to perform a Level 2 or Level 3 Printhead Cleaning, if available.

If the printer still goes through the printing process but produces blank pages, the cartridges have likely dried out beyond recovery and will need to be replaced.

I hope this helps. Take care and have a great day!