When printing photographs HP6970 prints in Red

[Northumbrian66]

My HP6970 All In One printer has recently started printing photographs which are totally in Red. Printer cartridges are all full, print heads are clean and alignment & quality tests are all fine.

Normal documenst (in Black text) are fine. Would really appreciate any assistance please.

[Max3Aj]

Hi @Northumbrian66, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 
Since your HP OfficeJet Pro 6970 prints black text fine but photos are coming out completely red, it suggests an issue with the color ink system. Here are some troubleshooting steps to fix the issue:

Check Ink Levels & Cartridges

• Even though the cartridges show full, try removing and reinserting them.
• Ensure you are using genuine HP cartridges, as third-party ink can cause issues.
• Check if any cartridge (especially cyan and yellow) is blocked or dried out.

Print a Test Page

• On the printer control panel, go to:
  • Setup > Reports > Print Quality Report
• Check if all colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) appear correctly.
• If cyan and yellow are missing, the red tint issue occurs because the printer is mixing only magenta with black.

Perform a Printhead Cleaning

• On the printer control panel, go to:
  • Setup > Tools > Clean Printhead
• Run the cleaning process twice if needed.

Try a Different Paper Type & Print Mode

• Some paper types require specific ink settings. Try changing:
  • HP Smart app → Print → Preferences → Paper Type
  • Select Photo Paper if printing photos.
• If using plain paper, try a different brand.

Update Printer Firmware & Drivers

• Visit HP Support to check for firmware updates.
• On your PC, update the printer driver:
  • Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners > HP OfficeJet Pro 6970 > Manage > Printer Properties
  • Look for an option to update drivers.

Try Printing from a Different App

• If printing from Photos or Windows Photo Viewer, try:
  • HP Smart App
  • Adobe Acrobat (for PDFs)
  • MS Word or Paint
• If the issue is app-specific, reinstall the problematic app.

Reset Printer to Factory Defaults

• On the printer display, go to:
  • Setup > Printer Maintenance > Restore Defaults
• This will reset all settings but won't delete firmware updates.

Test with a Different Device

• Try printing from another PC or phone.
• If the issue persists across devices, it is a hardware or ink issue.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[Northumbrian66]

Hi Max3Aj, thank you for your reply. Its not just photographs that are Red, it's any document that has an image or perhaps "shading".

I have already carried out all the procedures that you list but the result is tha same.

All the ink cartridges are (a) Full and (b) 100% genuine HP as I am an Instant Ink customer.

The matter is now really urgent and I would appreciate yours/or a collegues assistance please. Thank you.

[Max3Aj]

Thank you for your response, @Northumbrian66. 

We appreciate your efforts in addressing the issue. 

I would need to know a few details regarding your Instant ink account to help you further. Since the instant ink account details are confidential, please send me the required information via private message.   

To locate your account, please provide 

Your registered email address 

Your Instant Ink account ID 

Serial number of your printer enrolled in instant ink 

Confirm your address, 

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 

Take care and have a great day ahead! 
 

Regards, 
Max3Aj