BLACK INK WON'T PRINT

[OLDHPUSER71]

I'VE TRIED ALL OF THE SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS.  NONE WORK FOR ME.  I TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO RUN THE CLEAN CARTRIDGE HEADS.  SAME RESULT (WASTED A LOT OF VERY EXPENSIVE INK IN THE PROCESS).  ANOTHER USER SUGGESTED USING SOLVENT TO CLEAN A CLOGGED INKJET PORT.  I DID NOT SEE WHERE HP REPRESENTATIVE APPROVED THIS.  THE DIAGNOSTIC PAGE THAT PRINTS AFTER PERFORMING THE HEAD CLEANING ROUTINE PRINTS THE TEXT IN BLACK, BUT THE BOX FOR THE BLACK PRINT IS TOTALLY WHITE.  IS THERE ANOTHER SOLUTION TO TRY????  HELP!!!

[8lives]

Did you try soaking the whole printhead?

[Bob_Headrick · Accepted solution]

The printhead on the HP Photosmart 6520 is not designed to be user removable.  While you may find some posts with information on removing the printhead for soaking, it is really not recommended.  If you do decide to do this be sure to read the entire thread, these threads often end with a damaged printer due to damage to the electrical connectors or damage to the encoder system, either of which can render the printer unusable.

You may have already gone through the troubleshooting steps in the document here, if not go through each one in order.  Be sure to check the vents on the black cartridge and that it is seating properly.

If the above does not resolve the issue you might try manually cleaning the printhead as described in the post here for a different but similar printer.

Note, the printer uses a mixture of black and color inks to print the diagnostic page.  This is so the information can be read even if black or one or more colors are not working.  While it may appear from this page that your black is working it unfortunately is not.  You could simulate this by selecting "Photo Paper" as the media type in the driver, this would force the printer to use color ink even to print black text.

[OLDHPUSER71]

THIS WORKED!!!  I HAD PREVIOUSLY TRIED CLEANING PRINT HEAD BY WATCHING A YOU TUBE VIDEO FOR MY EXACT MODEL (HP6520). I USED STRAIGHT RUBBING ALCOHOL (DRIES QUICKLY).  IT DID NOT WORK... THE REASON, THE SECOND VIDEO INCLUDES "DABBING" THE SCREEN ON TOP SIDE OF PRINT HEAD.  THIS, I BELIEVE,  WAS WHAT ULTIMATELY SEEMED TO UNCLOG THE JET.  THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE ADVICE.  MY QUESTION:  WHY DOESN'T HP INCLUDE THIS AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION.  IT SEEMS THAT MANY USERS OF VARIOUS MODELS OF HP INKJET PRINTERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM.  IT IS INFURIATING WHEN ALL YOU DID WAS INSERT A NEW (GENUINE HP APPROVED BRAND) BLACK INK CARTRIDGE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULDN'T PRINT BLACK.  NOT TOO COINCIDENTALLY, WE HAD RETURNED FROM A TWO WEEK VACATION.  THE BLACK WOULDN'T PRINT (PRESUMABLY DUE TO THE CLOGGED PORT).  SO, THE LOGICAL FIX IS TO INSERT A NEW INK CARTRIDGE, ASSUMING THAT THE OLD ONE WAS SIMPLY LOW ON INK.  WRONG!!!

YOU PROVIDE SOME VALUABLE ADVICE.  HP SHOULD COMPENSATE YOU FOR PRESERVING THEIR BRAND (I SEE WHERE OTHERS, OUT OF FRUSTRATION, HAVE PURCHASED ANOTHER BRAND OF PRINTER).   AGAIN, WHY DON'T THEY AVOID DAMAGING THEIR REPUTATION BY INCLUDING THE SIMPLE PRINTHEAD CLEANING PROCEDURE (NOT SMART).  

THANKS AGAIN. YOU SAVED THE DAY!   HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE...

[OLDHPUSER71]

THANKS FOR OFFERING A POSSIBLE SOLUTION.  UNFORTUNATELY, MY PRINTER MODEL HP6520 DOES NOT HAVE A REMOVEABLE PRINT HEAD.   THANKFULLY, OTHER USERS ON THE FORUM HAVE OFFERED AN EQUIVALENT  SOLUTION THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE REMOVING THE PRINT HEAD.  (SEE NEXT POST).

BUT, I DO APPRECIATE YOUR OFFER OF HELP.  IT IS GREAT THAT HP HAS THIS FORUM WHERE USERS CAN HELP EACH OTHER WITH COMMON PROBLEMS.  IT IS JUST TOO BAD THAT THEY (HP) DON'T INCORPORATE THE INGENIOUS AND INNOVTIVE SOLUTIONS CREATED BY THEIR CUSTOMERS INTO THIER TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE.