Printhead still not communicating

[Kaggwa13]

It starts printing  and only   only  half page is printed and  shows printhead errors  00 code with  blinking   orange exclamation  sign

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Kaggwa13 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I understand the concern. Since your HP Smart Tank 581 starts printing, only prints part of the page, and then displays a Printhead Error 00 with the orange Attention light blinking, the printer is detecting an interruption in printhead communication during the print process.

Please try the following troubleshooting steps:

Reset the printer

• Keep the printer powered ON.
• Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
• Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
• Wait for 60 seconds.
• Reconnect the power cord directly to the wall outlet and then to the printer.
• Turn the printer on if it does not power on automatically.

Reseat the printheads

• Open the front door and then the printhead access door.
• Wait until the carriage stops moving.
• Press the blue latch button to open the printhead cover.
• Remove both printheads.
• Check that no protective tape, packing material, or debris is present on the electrical contacts.
• Reinstall the printheads firmly into their respective color slots.
• Close the printhead cover until it clicks into place.
• Close all printer doors.

Inspect the printhead electrical contacts

• With the printheads removed, examine the copper-colored contacts on both the printheads and inside the carriage.
• If ink buildup or debris is visible, gently clean the contacts with a lint-free cloth lightly moistened with distilled water.
• Allow the contacts to dry completely before reinstalling the printheads.

Run the printer's internal maintenance

• After reinstalling the printheads, allow the printer to complete any automatic initialization process.
• Print a Printer Status Report or Diagnostic Page from the printer control panel.
• Observe whether the printer completes the entire page without stopping.

Check the firmware and printer status

• Open the HP App on the Windows 10 computer.
• Verify that the printer is connected and showing Ready.
• Check for any available printer firmware updates and install them if offered.

Isolate the issue

• Try making a standalone color copy directly from the printer control panel without using the computer.
• If the copy also stops halfway and the Printhead Error 00 returns, the issue is occurring within the printer hardware path rather than the Windows print queue.

If the error still appears after reseating and cleaning the printheads, please let us know:

• Is the printer using the original printheads that came with the printer?
• Does the error occur when printing, copying, or both?
• Approximately how old is the printer?

Those details will help us determine the next HP troubleshooting path.

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye