Is my printer broken or is it the ink?

[sfelton]

My printer was in storage for about 1 year. I bought new ink cartridges because I assumed the old ones would be dried out. I installed the new cartridges and did a test print, but nothing came out. I went through Print Head Alignment, Cleaning, and all of them, and I got some sort of printout, but not perfect. It's now just printing out a light black/gray color and there are skips in the lines where nothing prints or it's streaky, The color won't print at all. I completed another round of all the cleaning functions and alignments and reset the device, but it is still not working. 

Is it my printer? Did it just break in storage somehow?

[Irfan_06 · Accepted solution]

Hi @sfelton,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

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

It sounds like your HP Tango X printhead might be clogged due to being in storage for a year. Even though you've installed new cartridges and performed cleaning cycles, dried ink could still be blocking the nozzles. Here are some steps to try:

1. Perform Additional Printhead Cleaning (Deep Cleaning)

• Since you've already tried standard cleaning, try running the deep cleaning function multiple times (if available in HP Utility on macOS).
• Wait 5–10 minutes between cleaning cycles to allow the ink to flow.

2. Try Manual Printhead Cleaning

If the automatic cleaning doesn’t resolve the issue, manually clean the printhead:

Remove the Ink Cartridges

• Turn off the printer and remove both cartridges.

Check for Dried Ink

• Inspect the bottom of the cartridges where the ink comes out. If you see dried ink, gently clean it.

Use a Damp Lint-Free Cloth

• Dampen a lint-free cloth (or paper towel) with distilled water (do not use tap water).
• Gently wipe the cartridge's nozzle area to remove any dried ink.
• Repeat until no more ink residue comes off.

Perform the "Paper Towel" Method

• Place a damp paper towel on a flat surface.
• Press the ink cartridge nozzle-side down onto the towel for 10–20 seconds.
• If ink doesn’t appear on the towel, try lightly shaking the cartridge.

Reinstall the Cartridges and Run Another Cleaning Cycle

3. Check for Air Bubbles in the Ink Supply

• If the printer was stored for a long time, air bubbles could have formed in the ink channels.
• Remove and reinsert the cartridges to help clear any trapped air.

4. Use HP Diagnostic Tools

• HP Smart App: Check for any maintenance tools under printer settings.
• Print Quality Report: Print a diagnostic page to see if any colors are printing at all.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day. <br />Irfan_06 – Moderator.

HP Support

[sfelton]

Thank you!
These methods weren't tried, but it seems like they would have helped. We are using another printer but will reply if we try these. 

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @sfelton,

Thanks for updating us. Please perform the above steps shared at your convenience and let me know if that resolves the issue.

I will be archiving this case for now. However, you can respond to the same thread to continue the conversation.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Take care and have a good day.

HP Support

Regards

Vince_0406