HP Photosmart C7280 Black Ink won't print

[FionaTreveil]

I have the common problem where the black ink will not work.  A few months ago, this seemed to fix itself after I turned the printer upside down to find the serial number.  Now that the problem has re-occurred, I have run a self-test diagnostic page that has printed black boxes and titles but no information.  The black ink does work, but for somereason the printer will not use it.

[tralrdr]

Having the same issue here with my 2.5 yr old HP C 7280; print test pages, multiple cleanings, and I get a little itty bitty HP sypmbol at the bottom corner of the page IN GREY but won't print any other black, lines, text, nothin.

Had to set the printer aside until now, its been down for about 6 months now, fired it up, and got the little grey box. Colors seem fine, currently authentic HP Black in the stall.

Out of warranty.

Either it gets fixed or drop kicked out the door, and go to another product with less invasive software and fixable issues.

So, yes, I am guilty of buying non OEM product for the printer, but in todays world  you gotta save where you can, and with companies making their printers more sensitive to non OEM than i may as well go back to crayon and pad.  Or a totally electronic/paperless product.

So, any suggestions that work?  Anyone want to go to an HP Shootin? Or blow up? Potential UTUBE video!

I am actually looking forward to it.

[FionaTreveil]

It is just a shame that HP refuse to acknowledge what seems to be a software fault in the printer - it would make a lot of people happy !

[TheCru]

Same thing happened to me with the black.  Get a needle syringe that's small enough to fit into the tube where the black cartridge sits (both of them - upper and lower) and fill with rubbing alcohol and shoot through those tubes about 5 to 10 times each.  Put a cotton ball underneath where you're going to shoot so nothing drips on the sponge area below.  I also did this to my black cartridge in the hole area with the syringe and alcohol.  Let it sit for a couple of hours, then do a printhead cleaning 2 to 3 times and you might have to do a page alignment also and hopefully it will work again.  If not, do the same thing again and wait.  I had to do this twice in a row the first time and only once the second time and so far so good since the last time - about three months ago and still printing black.  Bottom line, HP NO SUPPORT SUCKS!!!!

(You can get the syringes from your pharmacist for $0.25 each and tell them you want the thinnest one.)

[goldenrulers]

Again, I am spending more than half a day trying to get my printer to print in black again after changing the print cartridges.  Have had this problem over and over again - technical support helping me (several hours each time) - even changing out the printer - and over and over and over again I have this problem.  IT IS THE PRINTER MODEL THAT IS THE PROBLEM. 

I will NOT EVER purchase an HP PRINTER EVER - EVER AGAIN!  I purchased this printer to HELP ME MAKE A LIVING - not tie up all of my working time and effort just to get WHAT I PAID FOR (printer ink and printer) TO WORK! 

THAT IS IT - I AM OUT OF HERE - NEVER PURCHASING ANOTHER HP PRODUCT AGAIN!

[goldenrulers]

This is obviously a problem that HP has with this model.  So very much money for the printer ink, etc, that will not work.  Seems to me with so many having this problem and HP not addressing it as a model issue and offering a recall, legal action could be considered.

[juso]

The burping and wiping and tapping of the printhead with a slightly damp coffee filter followed by cleaning the printheads via the software worked for me. In my case I had not used the printer in several months. I also am still having difficulty to get it to print from MAC OS, although at least it now works in XP.

I really cannot beleive that there are so many pages of problems for both issues above with not a single response from HP. Wake-up HP, this site is the opportunity for you to deal directly with your customer problems in an open and transparent way, but instead you have chosen to ignor them... what a waste! Have you forgotten the lessons of Dell?

This site is and should be considered part of your marketing effort, money spent on big ad campaigns is all a loss if you drop the ball here.... just imagine how many more angry customers there were about these troubles that never took the time to make a post (likely hundreds of times what is shown here)

[grahamt]

I have contributed here and read the other contributions by frustrated HP printer owners.  In my case the suggested solutions to this problem have at best only had a temporary effect.  The only permanent solution would be to replace the printhead but I have been unable to find any source of replacement parts to do this, even it it proves practically possible.  In my case this is the second HP printer that developed a fault in a relatively short period of time.

I have now given up on this machine and have recovered a substantial proportion of the money with which it was bought, from PC World.  The printer will be going in the electrics bin at the council tip, to be chewed up, spat out and recycled into a product that, hopefully, works.

I have used the recovered money to buy a Canon MX860.  It is, agreed, slightly dearer but Canon has a far better reputation for reliability and so I anticipate greater success with this printer.  It has, however, all the same features as the C7280.  In addition the MX860 has a separate printhead and so if it should ever develop a fault, could be easily replaced without needing to replace the entire machine. 

As to calling upon HP to respond, don't waste your time.  HP doesn't give a **bleep** about consumer products or retail customers.  That's not where they make their money.  Products like the C7280 are not designed to be durable.  You may think them expensive: to HP they're peanuts.  Cut your loses and buy from a different, more reliable manufacturer, one that cares about it's products, customers and reputation.

[DuncanL]

My Photosmart C7280 is 18 months old and recently stopped printing black despite a brand new HP cartridge.

The solution that worked for me was:

• Swear.
• Remove cartridge, leave to settle for a few hours.
• Shake the cartridge, tap it (both ways up).
• Clean the two tubes where the black ink goes in (paperclip and cotton-wool stick).
• Shake the whole printer.
• Turn the printer upside down and shake it.
• Do a full reboot with #+6 when switching on.
• Use the Tools/Clean Printhead function about 5 times.
• Swear.

My thoughts about HP:

The products initially seem to be excellent but often break soon after the warranty expires.  This ink problem has been incredibly frustrating and an utter waste of my time and money.  For example, each cleaning of the print head takes a few minutes and wastes lots of ink from the colour cartridges.  I agree with the comment that HP should spend less money on advertising and more money on keeping existing customers happy.  One disgruntled customer is likely to tell a dozen people never to buy an HP product.

[scraptre]

My sympathy.  My new HP computer crashed after 3months, and about every 6months thereafter.  Finally took it outside and worked up a smooth rythmn with two hammers and problem was gone.