MY 6968 PRINTER IS NOT PRINTING BLACK, IT IS COMING OUT VERY LIGHT BLUE. I HAVE CLEANED THE HEAD.

[donnadeamici]

MY PRINTER IS NOT PRINTING BLACK INK.  THE PAGES COME OUT WITH VERY LIGHT BLUE INK.  I HAVE CLEANED THE HEAD, SECONDARY LEVEL, AND IT HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM.  I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO.

[Max3Aj]

@donnadeamici, Welcome to the HP Support Community – it’s great to have you here!

I appreciate you taking the time to share your question. I'm more than happy to assist with this and provide a solution that works for you.

If your HP OfficeJet Pro 6968 is not printing black and instead produces very light blue output, even after performing a printhead cleaning, this typically points to one of the following issues:

Check Ink Levels

Make sure the black ink cartridge is not empty or low.

• On the printer's control panel, go to Ink Levels or use the HP Smart app to check cartridge status.
• If the black cartridge is low or empty, replace it with a genuine HP 902 or 902XL black cartridge. Which cartridges work with my HP printer? | HP® Support

Use Genuine HP Cartridges

Counterfeit or refilled cartridges can cause print quality issues.

• Verify that you're using genuine HP ink: HP anti-counterfeit | HP® Official Site

Perform a Print Quality Diagnostic Report

This helps identify which colors are printing correctly.

• On the printer, go to:
  • Setup > Reports > Print Quality Report
• Check if the black section is missing or faded.

Clean Printhead Thoroughly

You mentioned cleaning the head already, but try this sequence:

• Go to Settings > Printer Maintenance > Clean Printhead
• Run Level 1, then Level 2 if needed.
• If black still doesn’t print, try Level 3 cleaning (if available).

Remove and Reinstall Cartridges

Sometimes reseating the cartridges helps:

• Power off the printer.
• Remove all cartridges.
• Clean the electrical contacts gently with a lint-free cloth.
• Reinstall cartridges and power on.

Update Printer Firmware

Outdated firmware can cause ink system issues.

• Visit: Official HP® Support
• Download and install the latest firmware for your model.

Try a Printhead Recovery

If the issue persists, try this:

• Remove all cartridges.
• Unplug the printer while powered on.
• Wait 60 seconds.
• Plug it back in and reinstall cartridges.

I hope your issue is now resolved. If not, feel free to reply and we’ll continue helping until everything’s sorted!

If the post helped, please click “Accepted Solution” to help other users easily find it. And if you’d like to say thanks, just tap the “Yes” button!

Cheers,

Max3Aj

HP Support