Horizontal blank lines on prints even after cleaning

[Shigua68]

Is it necessary to always have a color ink cartridge placed in the printer if I am only going to need to print with black ink?

I saw another person asking the other way around, if the balck ink cartridge was needed to print in color, and the answer was yes. I have been getting several blank lines across the pages where text does not print, I have cleaned print head, ran several cleaning cycles, cleaned paper rollers and the problem does not get resolved.

Since I don't need to print in color, I don't buy color ink cartridge and only use the black ink one. Could this be the issue (that the color cartridge is absent)? I really don't know what else to do to eliminate those lines. I have an officejet 5740 printer.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Shigua68,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

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

Yes, for the HP OfficeJet 5740, both the black and color ink cartridges must be installed and have sufficient ink, even if you're only printing in black. This is because:

• The printer periodically uses color ink for maintenance and to prevent clogging.
• Some print modes use composite black (a mix of colors) for better quality or specific paper types.
• If the color cartridge is missing, the printer may not function properly or at all.

The missing color cartridge or an empty/expired one could cause printing issues, including:

• Incomplete text (blank horizontal lines)
• The printer is failing to maintain proper printhead pressure or alignment
• Failing cleaning cycles (because not all cartridges aren’t available)

Recommended Next Steps:

1. Install a color ink cartridge, even a low-use or standard one.
2. Run a printhead cleaning cycle again.
3. Try printing a diagnostic page or test page.

🔍 You can do this from the printer's display:
Settings > Printer Maintenance > Print Quality Report

1. If the issue persists, try aligning the printer:
   Settings > Printer Maintenance > Align Printer

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

[Shigua68 · Accepted solution]

Thank you for your quick response. I was in a hurry and went ahead and bought a new black ink cartrigde and the horizontal blank lines are gone (for now) without placing anything on the color ink, prior to receiving your response. When I print, the printer shows the display "printing in single mode". This is why I thought there was no need to have another cartridge in place.

Your explanation on why I need to have a color ink cartridge was very interesting, it answered a question I had in the past of why my color ink level would go down when I was not printing in color. I don't like having to buy the extra color ink cartridge because even if it's the lower output one, it adds to the current cost of the ink. I don't use my printer very often and if I have to buy cartridges more often it will just add to the cost, especially since I had to discard the old black ink cartridge (which was still 1/8 full) to replace with a new one... I hardly ever use the printer so I think officejet 5740 is not a good option for me, and will have to buy another one with different  settings.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Shigua68,

Thank you for your message, and I completely understand your concern.
 

Even if you only print in black and white, your HP OfficeJet 5740 printer needs all four cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow) installed to work properly. When a color cartridge is missing, the printer switches to “single-cartridge mode,” which is only a temporary function and can affect print quality and performance.
 

Also, the printer sometimes uses small amounts of color ink even for black-and-white printing, for maintenance and to keep the printheads clean. That’s why you may see the color ink levels go down, even if you're not printing in color.
 

Since you don’t use your printer often, I recommend looking into HP Instant Ink. It can save you money. You only pay based on the number of pages you print, not how much ink you use. If you print mostly in black, it still covers your needs, and HP automatically sends new cartridges before you run out. There are even low-cost plans for light users like you.
 

Let me know if you'd like help checking if your printer is eligible or choosing a plan that fits your usage!

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

[knisar348]

 

[Garp_senchau]

@knisar348, Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're stoked to have you on board! 

To help us get started on resolving your issue, could you please share your HP unit's product number with us? 

Need help finding your product number? We've got you covered! Check out this handy guide:  Click here

Now, let's dive into the issue! Could you please elaborate on what's happening with your unit? The more details you provide, the better we'll understand the problem and the faster we can resolve it! 

We're looking forward to helping you get back up and running! 

Regards,