Om the HP smart App I can't find where to clean my printer Heads

[dz66]

I have a full black ink cartridge  - but my Black ink does not work. I want to clean my printer head but can't find where to do it.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @dz66,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your HP printer is not printing black and you’re not able to find the Printhead Cleaning option in the HP Smart app. Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be causing this.

Run the Print Quality Tools from HP Smart
• Open HP Smart → select your printer → choose “Printer Settings.”
• Look for “Advanced Settings” → “Tools.”
• Here you should find “Clean Printhead” or “Print Quality Tools.”
(On some models it appears only after the printer is on the same Wi-Fi network.)

Use the Embedded Web Server (EWS) if the app doesn’t show it
• Print a Network Configuration Page from the printer.
• Enter the printer’s IP address into your browser.
• Go to Settings → Tools or Printer Maintenance → run “Clean Printhead.”

Make sure the cartridge has proper ink flow
• Remove the black cartridge and check the protective tape is fully removed.
• Inspect the vent on top of the cartridge and gently clear it if clogged.

Run multiple cleaning cycles
• After the first clean, print a test page.
• If still faded, run Clean Printhead Level 2 or Level 3 if available.
• Allow the printer to rest for 5–10 minutes between cleans.

Check paper settings and print mode
• Make sure the job is not set to “Grayscale,” “Draft,” or “Print in Black Only.”
• Match the paper type (Plain/Photo) to avoid incorrect ink delivery.

I hope this helps.

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Best regards,