HP ENVY Photo 7858 has ink but is not printing

[cbloeb]

Hi there, 

I've been experiencing a reoccurring issue with my wireless HP ENVY Photo 7858 printer. This started about a half a year ago and has been an on-again, off-again problem for us. We first noticed it when we would print documents and parts of the black ink would look streaked and eventually went completely missing. At first we thought it was due to low ink levels, but when we'd check, they'd still be pretty full. In addition, we wouldn't receive notifications that it was time to buy new ink, so we figured that probably wasn't the issue.

We did some research and found that the "Clean Cartridges" and "Align Cartridges" operations listed under the Printer Maintenance settings might help (which it did a little), but then it would get bad again quickly. We decided to buy new ink to see if it would help. At first, the print quality improved, but quickly would go back to normal and the problem persisted. We've done this twice with no success. This problem has made us waste a significant amount of ink through multiple "Clean Cartridges" and "Align Cartridges" sessions, in addition to wasting money printing elsewhere. 

We've unplugged and plugged it back in multiple times, checked to make sure it's updated, ran diagnostics several times, checked ink levels, done the cleanings mentioned above including a physical cleaning of the cartridge using a damp paper towel and nothing seems to work. There's no error messages or issues found, and for all intents and purposes, it should be working fine! But it's not. 

We don't know what to do. And frankly, I'm disappointed that HP does not have customer service rep's available to help with their terrible products. This issue has made us reconsider purchasing HP printers in the future. 

We've reviewed forums, viewed countless YouTube videos, and have chatted with the HP Virtual Agent. We're at a loss at the moment. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you,

Cindy

[Max3Aj]

@cbloeb, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

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

I understand how frustrating it must be to deal with persistent print quality issues, especially after trying so many troubleshooting steps. You've done a thorough job already, and I appreciate the detailed background, it really helps narrow things down.

Based on your description, it sounds like the issue may be related to printhead clogging, air in the ink system, or a hardware-level printhead failure. Let’s walk through a few advanced steps to try and resolve this:

Double-Check Ink Cartridge Venting

Sometimes, the vent on the black cartridge can become clogged, preventing ink flow.

• Remove the black cartridge.
• Check the orange pull tab and ensure it’s fully removed.
• Look at the small vent on top of the cartridge (a tiny slit). If it's clogged, gently clean it with a pin or soft cloth.
• Reinstall the cartridge and try printing again.

Perform a Full Reset

This reset can clear internal memory and resolve firmware glitches.

• With the printer on, disconnect the power cord from the back.
• Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
• Wait 60 seconds.
• Plug the power cord back into the wall, then into the printer.
• Turn the printer on and try printing again.

Print Diagnostic Page

This helps determine if the issue is with the black ink system.

• On the printer control panel, go to Setup > Tools > Print Quality Report.
• Check if the black sections are missing or streaked.

If black is missing entirely, it confirms a black ink delivery issue.

Update Firmware

Make sure your printer has the latest firmware:

• Visit the HP Software and Driver Downloads page.
• Enter your model: HP ENVY Photo 7858.
• Download and install the latest firmware for Windows 10 (64-bit).

If none of the above resolves the issue, the printhead may be failing. We suggest you please visit the nearest HP authorized service center, the service team will check and assist you. 
Kindly follow this link to locate the nearest HP service center: HP® Service Center Locator - United States | HP® Support
(Select the country from the dropdown menu and enter the city name or pincode) 
 

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support