Problem with magenta

[Angelouve]

My printer is a little more than one year-old. (Smart Tank 7006).  I refilled the colour tanks a couple of months ago. The colour printing were absolutely fine, then GRADUALLY the magenta was less and less visible. Cleaning the prinheads repeatedly showed on the test page that the magenta was less and less printed. Two weeks ago, it was faded but still visible, now just a couple of lines appears. The Cyan and Yellow are fine. The levels in the tanks clearly show that the magenta ink doesn't goes through the printhead.

I would like some sort of explanation of the phenomenon and what to do to solve the problem

[Meghana_10]

Hi @Angelouve

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

If magenta is missing from both your HP Smart Tank 7006 printer despite all standard steps, the issue may stem from ink flow blockage, dried pigment in the printhead, or a shared software setting affecting color output. 

Let’s walk through deeper steps to restore magenta printing.

1. Print a Color Block Test Page

This helps confirm whether magenta is physically missing or software-suppressed:

• Open a blank document in Word or Paint.
• Fill the page with solid blocks of magenta, cyan, yellow, and black.
• Print the page directly from the HP App or your computer.
• Observe whether magenta appears at all or is completely absent.

If magenta is missing while other colors print correctly, it confirms a physical ink delivery issue.

2. Run Advanced Printhead Cleaning

Even if you've cleaned before, a deeper cycle may be needed:

• Open the HP App > select your printer > Settings > Printer Maintenance.
• Choose Clean Printhead.
• If prompted, select Level 2 or Advanced Cleaning.
• Print a test page afterward.

Repeat this process only once more if magenta still doesn’t appear.

3. Check Magenta Ink Level and Flow

Smart Tank printers rely on gravity-fed ink systems:

• Open the ink tank lid and inspect the magenta tank.
• Ensure the ink level is above the minimum line.
• Gently tilt the printer forward and back to encourage flow (do not shake).
• Check for any dried ink or blockage at the magenta outlet.

If the tank is full but ink isn’t flowing, the ink line or printhead may be clogged.

4. Manually Prime the Magenta Ink Line (Smart Tank only)

If magenta ink isn’t reaching the printhead:

• Power off the printer.
• Open the cartridge access area and locate the printhead latch.
• Remove the printhead and gently blot the magenta nozzle with a damp lint-free cloth.
• Reinstall the printhead and close the latch.
• Power on and run another cleaning cycle.

5. Check Software-Level Color Settings

If both printers fail to print magenta, a shared driver or app setting may be suppressing it:

• Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
• Right-click your printer > Printing Preferences.
• Ensure Color is selected (not grayscale or black only).
• Set Print Quality to Normal or Best.
• Avoid “Draft” mode, which can suppress color output.

Let us know how magenta responds after these steps. If it’s still absent, we can help you isolate whether it’s a printhead blockage or a deeper ink system fault.

Have a great day!

[Angelouve]

Hi, and thanks for your reply

I followed the walkthrough and still need help:

1. Print a colour block test page

The magenta appears but only very faintly. It is not completely absent.

2. Advanced printhead cleaning

As prompted by the app, I performed 3 levels of cleaning. (But I did that already when I started noticing an alteration in the colours, then again when the magenta gradually disappeared from the prints). 

The test page shows for the magenta a thin line on the top of the block than the rest of the block is very faint, barely visible. cyan, yellow and black are printed as normal. (see picture)

3. Check magenta ink level and flow

There's a little window on the front of the printer which let us see the ink levels: the magenta tank is 3/4 full.

I tilted the printer back and forth as instructed  but nothing changed on the test print page.

After that, I can't perform the following parts of the procedure:

I am unable to check the magenta outlet: where is that?

For the  part 4: manually prime the magenta ink line

I can't access the printheads: the print carriage is in place on the right side of the ink compartment: I have no way to move it to the center (as it should be for installing/replacing the printheads as mentioned in the youtube video tutorial). Therefore no way to try to clean it...

The point 5 is irrelevant to my problem.

So, how can I access the magenta outlet? How can I access the printhead to try to clean the magenta nozzle?

If there is a blockage or clogging, is it possible to clear it?

Thanks for your help

[Meghana_10]

Thank you so much for the response @Angelouve 

Based on your nozzle test image, the magenta channel is still firing a small number of nozzles (the thin magenta line at the top), which usually indicates either:
 

• A severe partial clog in the magenta nozzles, or
• Air in the magenta ink delivery path.

How to Access the Printheads

1. Turn the printer ON.
2. Open the front door/ink access door.
3. Open the printhead access area.
4. Wait until the carriage moves to the center and becomes idle.

If the carriage does not move:

1. Leave the access door open.
2. With the printer powered on, unplug the power cord from the rear of the printer.
3. The carriage should then be movable by hand.
4. Gently slide it toward the center.

Do not force the carriage if it resists movement.
 

Locate the Magenta Printhead

The Smart Tank 7006 uses:

• One Black printhead
• One Tricolor printhead (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow)

Since cyan and yellow print correctly, the issue is likely within the tricolor printhead's magenta nozzle section.

Manual Cleaning Procedure

1. Remove the tricolor printhead.
2. Using a lint-free cloth slightly moistened with warm distilled water, gently wipe the copper-colored electrical contacts.
3. Blot the nozzle plate on a damp lint-free cloth.
4. Hold the nozzle area against the damp cloth for 2–3 minutes.
5. You should normally see cyan, magenta, and yellow ink marks transfer onto the cloth.

If you see strong cyan and yellow marks but little or no magenta, that strongly suggests a blockage inside the magenta channel.
 

Allow the printhead to dry for a few minutes, reinstall it, and run one printhead cleaning cycle followed by another print quality report.

Have a great day!

[Angelouve]

Hello and thanks again for your help but it's still not OK:

When the printer is ON and the front door/ink access is open, the carriage stays in its place on the right side of the printer. I waited several minutes, tried to gently nudge it but without effect.

While the printer was still ON, I unplugged it from the rear then tried to move the carriage by hand it wouldn't budge and I didn't force it.

I plugged it again while the access door was still open, the carriage moved once along its rail and resumed its normal position.

Is there another alternate way to move it?