Smart Tank barely printing color

[mihaaaa]

Hello! So this day i wanted to print some color documents today and I noticed the fact that there was barely any color on them aside from yellow and black... I decided to run multiple print head cleaning jobs using the printer's web server and it did absolutely nothing except make it worse ... 
I tried:
- print head cleaning
- turning it on and off again
- aligning the printheads (all of these did NOTHING)

My only logical thought is to unplug it while it's printing and just take them out and clean them, at least that's what I did on my older printer...

[Garp_senchau · Accepted solution]

@mihaaaa, 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

It seems like you're dealing with print quality issues, especially with missing or faint colors. The fact that yellow and black are still printing but other colors are not could be due to clogged or misaligned printheads. Before you proceed with any drastic steps like physically cleaning the printheads, let's go over some troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue:

Check the Ink Levels

Use the HP App to verify if your ink levels are sufficiently high. Low ink could result in poor color prints.

Check for Ink Cartridge Issues

Remove and inspect the color cartridges for any visible damage.

If you notice any leaking ink or dried-up areas, the cartridge may need replacing.

Ensure that the cartridges are properly seated in the printer.

Perform a Print Head Cleaning from the Printer's Control Panel or HP Smart App

You mentioned you’ve already attempted this, but sometimes repeating the cleaning process can help. If the printer has an Advanced Cleaning option, try that to thoroughly clean the printhead.

Perform Print Head Alignment

Aligning the printheads helps to ensure optimal print quality. Since you’ve already attempted alignment, consider repeating this step after cleaning the printheads again.

Check for Firmware Updates

Ensure your printer’s firmware is up-to-date. An outdated firmware can sometimes cause issues with printing. You can check for firmware updates from the printer’s web interface or HP Smart App.

Manually Clean the Printheads

If you still suspect the printheads are clogged:

Power off the printer.

Open the printer’s cover and gently remove the ink cartridges.

If the printheads appear dirty, use a clean, lint-free cloth or paper towel slightly dampened with warm water to clean the nozzles.

Be gentle and avoid excessive force, as the printheads are delicate.

Test Print

After cleaning, align, and checking the ink cartridges, print a diagnostic or test page. You can use the HP Print and Scan Doctor tool or print the diagnostic page directly from the printer’s menu.

Also, you may refer to this guide for further troubleshooting steps: HP Smart Tank 210 and 500 series printers - Color or black ink not printing, other print quality iss...

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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