HP Deskjet 3051A Poor Print Quality

[Brebrann237]

I have a Deskjeft 3051 J11 All in One Printer that recently ran out of color ink, I got the tank replaced (with an HP 61) but now the print quality is somehow worse? The black ink doesn't seem to be working at all, I can get stuff to go through but it's a very light blue outlined color. The scanner also doesn't work at all now.

I've done the HP Smart Scan on it but it isn't detecting any issues with the printer and turning it off and on doesn't resolve the issue.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Brebrann237,

Welcome to the HP Support Community

I understand you are facing a print quality issue with your HP Deskjet 3051A Poor Print Quality Not to worry I will help you to get a resolution to resolve the issue.

To assist better:

• Are you using genuine HP ink cartridges?
• Does the copy print out the same way? 
• What's the application you are trying to print from? 
• Have you tried printing from a different application or device? 

While you respond to that, let's print a Print Quality Diagnostic page -Post the Print Quality Diagnostic page here so we can help you further.

Let's perform a power drain: 

• With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer and also unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
• Remove the USB cable, if present.
• Wait for 2-3 minutes, press and hold the power button on your printer for about 30 seconds to remove any additional charge.
• Now plug back the power cable straight to a wall outlet without any surge protector or an extension cord (This is important) and then plug back the power cord to the printer.
• Turn on the printer and wait till the warm-up period finishes and the printer is idle

Update the printer firmware 

• Click here to download and install the latest printer firmware from your product
• Click here to know different methods of updating the printer firmware. 

• follow the troubleshooting steps Fixing Print Quality Problems for the HP Deskjet 3050A (J611) All-in-One Printer Series 
• Check Cartridge Installation: Ensure that the color ink cartridge (HP 61) is properly installed. Remove the cartridge and reinsert it firmly to make sure it's seated correctly.
• Clean Print Heads: Sometimes, ink residue or dried ink may block the print heads, affecting print quality. Most printers have a utility to clean the print heads. You can usually find this option in the printer settings or maintenance menu. Run the print head cleaning utility to see if it improves the print quality.
• Align Cartridges: Some printers have an alignment process for cartridges to ensure proper ink distribution. Check your printer's manual or settings to see if there's an option to align the cartridges. Running this alignment process might help improve print quality.
• Check Ink Levels: Verify that the ink levels are showing up correctly in the printer software or on the printer display. Low ink levels can also affect print quality. If the ink levels are low, consider replacing the cartridges.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

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

[Brebrann237]

Hello there!

Thanks so much for all the tips.

I ran through some of the suggestions and believe it is a cartridge alignment error. The machine is having trouble detecting the alignment page when I lay it down on the glass to scan. I did run some color test pages which seem to be fine and I tried to run a black and white copy page and wasn't getting anything.

I just recently replaced the color ink but the black ink is probably 1/3 full so it should still be working. I ran a scan on it and the hp smart app is showing the ink levels are good. I am going to try to replace the black ink and see if that solves my problem.

In the meantime, do you know if there are some other troubleshooting methods I can do to resolve the alignment issue?