Printer printing lines

[sd_vintageprint]

Hello! I'm trying to get my photo printer that is leaving horizontal lines across colors and photo black. I bought new HP ink from Staples yesterday and replaced. I printed a "Print Quality Diagnostic" page and it shows very faint lines through the colors, mostly in the Photo black and Magenta, but also in Cyan. I ran the "Clean Cartridges" and "Align Printer" settings serval times.  I will post photos below of the Print Quality Diagnostic page and two samples of art I printed on Premium Matte paper on the Best print setting. Thank you in advance for your help! 

Edit and Update:  Absolutely appalled by the amount of ink you get in a brand new 564 cartridge. As I've been trying to figure the line issue out, I have only actually printed two photos (the examples I posted below) and 15 Print Quality Diagnostic pages, the single page which just prints the four 3-inch boxes of each color below (I printed every time I ran the clean printhead setting or after I did something different like cleaned the inside of the printer, manually cleaned the printhead with distilled water, etc., etc.), and I am already out of Cyan, Magenta, and Photo black. I just bought these yesterday and paid a total of $120! This is so upsetting! 

Print Quality DiagnosticLines in printed art example 1Lines in printed art example 2

[Garp_senchau]

@sd_vintageprint, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

I truly understand how frustrating this experience has been—especially after investing in genuine HP ink and doing all the right troubleshooting steps. I appreciate the time and care you’ve already put into trying to resolve the issue.

Based on the diagnostic page and the photo samples you've shared, I can confirm that the print quality issues you're experiencing—particularly the horizontal lines in the Photo Black, Magenta, and Cyan areas—are most commonly related to either partial nozzle blockages or degradation in the printhead performance. 

Printhead Cleaning

Please run the Advanced Cleaning routine directly from your printer’s control panel:

On the printer’s home screen, tap the Setup icon.

Select Tools > Clean Printhead.

If prompted, choose Level 2 Cleaning.

Wait for the process to complete and then print a Print Quality Diagnostic Page to compare improvements.

Manual Printhead Cleaning 

If cleaning from the printer control panel does not resolve the issue, a manual printhead soak may help restore nozzle performance:

Power off the printer and remove all cartridges.

Carefully lift and remove the printhead assembly.

Fill a shallow dish with about ½ inch of warm distilled water (not hot).

Place just the nozzle area of the printhead into the water—do not submerge the electronic contacts.

Let it soak for 10–15 minutes, gently swaying the printhead side-to-side to dislodge dried ink.

Blot the bottom of the printhead gently with a lint-free, non-fibrous cloth.

Let it air-dry for about 10 minutes before reinstalling it in the printer.

Reinsert the cartridges and run a standard cleaning cycle again.

Also, you may refer to this guide: HP Photosmart 7520 Printers - Black or Color Ink Not Printing, Other Print Quality Issues | HP® Supp...

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

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Regards,

[sd_vintageprint]

Hello, 

Thank you for the tips, but unfortunately the manual cleaning did not help, same lines after doing all of those manual steps.

I had previously ran the "clean printhead" function MULTIPLE times prior to your reply, so I didn't do it again, especially because it cleaned out over $100 worth of brand new ink in just under 24hrs. 

I did do the manual cleaning like you recommended, and it still has the exact same lines. 

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @sd_vintageprint,

Thank you for your response.

Since the issue remains unresolved, I suggest you reach out to the nearest HP Authorised service center for personalized assistance. They can provide one-on-one help to fix the problem.

Note: There might be a nominal charge for the service they provide.

HP® Service Center Locator - United States | HP® Support

Regards,