Very pale color, no black. Instant Ink

[molarface]

I began asking for instank ink one year ago as my black was running low. I finally recieved a cartridge and printed almost invisable.  Clean cartidge 1/2 dozen times, cleaned contacts, all to no avail. Could not get help from HP, bought a cartridge from Staples, worked perfect. Last month I finally got through to a human at HP, they sent me a color cartridge. Again tried to get a human, eventually I got one, sent me a black and a color.  I changed both, not neither will print except at maybe 25% density.Drivers indicate current. I did update to Windows 11 sometime in the summer.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @molarface,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd like to help!

To be able to answer you effectively, we need some information.

Let me know if you have tried all the steps mentioned below and keep me posted on the results and images of the print.

Follow the steps to fix streaked or faded prints. prints with incorrect colors, or other print quality problems.

Perform the following tasks in the order given. Use the printer after each task to see if the issue is resolved.

Low ink levels can cause print quality issues. If any cartridges are very low or empty, replace them with new Instant Ink cartridges.

Load plain white paper and run the cleaning tool.

Printers with a touchscreen or menus: On the printer, open the Settings or Setup menu, touch Tools or Printer Maintenance, and then touch Clean Printhead or Clean Cartridges.

Printers without a touchscreen or menus: Go to 123.hp.com or your app store to install the HP Smart app. Click the picture of your printer on the home screen to open Printer management options that include the cleaning tool.

If the page that prints has defects, the printhead might be badly clogged. Run up to two more cleaning cycles.

NOTE:The cleaning page does not count against your pages printed for the month.

If you see blurry edges or jagged lines in your prints, try aligning the printhead.

Printers with a touchscreen or menus: On the printer, open the Settings or Setup menu, touch Tools or Printer 

Maintenance, and then touch Align Printer.

Printers without a touchscreen or menus: Go to 123.hp.com or your app store to install the HP Smart app. Click the picture of your printer on the home screen to open the Printer management options. Select the option to align the printer.

If you did not replace your cartridges before, replace them now with new Instant Ink cartridges.

If you do not have new Instant Ink cartridges on hand, or if replacing cartridges did not help, contact HP Instant Ink support for assistance.

Home / Home Office: HP Instant Ink support

Or 

I would need to know a few details regarding your Instant Ink account 

I am sending you a private message with the information required. Please check the mailbox icon at the top-right corner of this screen.

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Forums profile,

Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it.

I hope this helps resolve this issue completely,

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

Click the “Yes" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping

[molarface]

I think a more careful reading of my post would have reduced the need for most of your replay. I did try and be brief however . My initial problem was contacting "Instant Ink" - it  was a waste of time. Not only was it difficult, but asking the bot for for more ink (the standard suggestion) was fruitless. 

When I finally got some ink, it did not work.

I ran the  cartridge cleaner so many times it would have depleted the ink in it - IF it was using the correct amount of ink.

On the hamster wheel again until I got another cartridge - a color cartridge this time!!! Mine was working fine but I installed it anyway - it also printed out pasted shades only.

More worthless conversations with bots, attempts to speak with a human, and trips to staples (which always produced excellent results)

Finally, after not receiving a reply here I attempted one last time to contact a human - I did this more because I really didn't care for the non-HP printers at Staples more than anything else. But I finally spoke with someone who listed AND thought it through.

He sent me 4 NEW cartridges and a couple of months of free Instant Ink. Lo and behold, the first two worked! So HP did solve my problem. But, as I stated, it took ONE YEAR.

Perhaps you have some insight into on what planet this would qualify as good customer service. I don't.

I am curious why the ink I received on several shipments was "old" and didn't work. I have never purchased a bad cartridge at Staples/Office Depot/ Office Max/Amazon. Not one. And I have been buying them since I got my first HP printer in 1995.

Maybe you could put a "Sell By......" date on them. 

[Nal_NR]

Hi @molarface,

We are sorry that the issue is not resolved when the above troubleshooting steps were performed.

This might require one on one interaction to fix the issue.

I've sent you a private message with further instructions. In order to access your private messages, click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile Name or simply click on this link.

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution button, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!