Wont print black

[scudman]

I have 3 HP printers including the C4795 above - none of them print black anymore. THis is just plain screwy. I have tried alignment, cleaning heads and everything recommended. 

On the C4795 it at least prints gray, the others print nothing.

HP Officejet 4500 G510n-z, C4280, C4795 printers and NONE of them print black anymore. Is this a family defect with HP printers? 

I try printing from different Windows 7 64-bit PCs and an Apple MAC - it does not matter - black does not print an ANY of these printers.  

[Drakster]

Hi @scudman,

Welcome to the HP Support Forums!

I understand that you're unable to print black on your HP Officejet 4500 G510, C4280 and the C4795 Printers. I will certainly do my best to help you.

There are many reasons why this could be happening. For example; the cartridges might have air inside it them, they might be dirty, damaged or clogged.

Are you using Genuine HP Cartridges? How to identify genuine HP cartridges.

What are the ink levels?

Note: HP recommends that you use genuine HP cartridges. HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP cartridges or refilled HP cartridges. If you do not use genuine HP cartridges, the following solutions might not resolve the issue.

If you have a defective ink cartridge, it might be under warranty. To check the warranty on your ink supplies, go to hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies, select your country/region, then review the limited warranty information for your supplies.

I would try the steps within these guides:

• HP Officejet 4500 Printers - Fixing Poor Print Quality
• HP Photosmart C4200 All-in-One series - Missing, Faded, or Dull Colors
• Fixing Print Quality Problems for the HP Photosmart C4600 and C4700 All-in-One Printer Series

Note: If the self test report prints black, the print settings on the computers need to be adjusted.

Video: 7 Ways to Clean Blocked Clogged Ink Cartridges.

If you completed all the preceding steps and your product still has an issue, service the product.

Contacting HP for service in all countries/regions except Asia Pacific.
First, go to Check your product warranty to check your printer warranty status, and then go to Contact HP Support to find an authorized service dealer or to schedule a repair.
Repair fees might apply for out-of-warranty printers.
What you can do, is use the following link to create yourself a case number, then call and it may help speed up the call process:
Step 1. Open link: www.hp.com/contacthp/
Step 2. Enter Product number or select to auto detect
Step 3. Scroll down to "Still need help? Complete the form to select your contact options"
Step 4. Scroll down and click on: HP contact options - click on Get phone number
Case number and phone number appear.

 
Please respond to this post with the result of your troubleshooting. I look forward to hearing from you. Good Luck! 🙂

[scudman]

I use genuine HP cartridges. They are new too. I should not have to clean or blow air into the heads or cartridges. As I mentioned I tried all the recommended troubleshooting tips . I have not tried any of the 7 actions in the video yet. Seems to be symptomatic of HP printers as a whole.

[scudman]

Maybe HP just has bad print cartridges?

[Drakster]

Hi @scudman,

Thanks for getting back to me.

At the end of the troubleshooting document it suggests that you check the warranty status,  as you may have a defective ink cartridge. If the cartridge is in warranty contact HP for a in-warranty replacement.  

If the cartridge is not in warranty, I would try the steps within the video or try a new ink cartridge.

If a new ink cartridge does not resolve this issue, then the ink delivery system is likely damaged, which is not repairable.

I hope this helps. Good Luck! 

[scudman]

I have not done the troubleshooting video steps as yet - seems like a lot of unncessary work to me though.

I would find it hard to believe that the print delivery system on all 3 printers would be bad.  HP must have better wuality than that - yes I know these are not the newest printers.

[Drakster]

Hi @scudman,

Please keep in mind that these printers are old and will need to be replaced eventually. There are other reason you may been having these issues. Such as, the way you maintained the ink levels and environmental factors.

For example, if you wait until the cartridge is completely depleted and stops printing, this can cause issues with the printers ink delivery system. To keep your printer healthy and extend longevity, always replace the cartridges before the ink runs dry so that air does not get trapped inside. 

HP Hardware Limited Warranty -Exclusions

HP DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE OPERATION OF THIS HP HARDWARE PRODUCT WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE. HP IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE THAT OCCURS AS A RESULT OF YOUR FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS INTENDED FOR THE HP HARDWARE PRODUCT.

• by improper site preparation, maintenance or environmental conditions that do not conform to HP's site specifications; 
  

Customer Responsibilities 

• Provide an environment that meets HP requirements, including protecting products from corrosion, contamination, and spills. For example, to meet HP's corrosion requirements, the environment must not cause more than 300 angstroms of corrosion per month on silver and copper.1

I recommended these steps because it may resolve the issue, as the printheads are on each of the cartridges, which could be clogged and the contacts could be dirty. If cleaning the cartridges do not help, there isn't much more you can do.

I hope this helps. Good Luck!

[scudman · Accepted solution]

using the video provided, soaking the cartridge in warm water for about 15-20 minutes did the trick.  Printers are now printing black again, and very nicely. Thanks for the video.

[Bfz49]

How do I get the video showing how to siak the cartridge in warm water for 15 to 29 minutes. I have hp cartridges but now won't print black. Sounds likethis could be the solution. Thanks

[scudman]

The video reference is in the reply stream in this forum. Just scroll up / down within replies, you will see a print cartridge picture with the video there. Just click on the play arrow there.