HP PhotoSmart 7520 Print Quality

[elcedar]

My HP PhotoSmart 7520 print quality is failing. I recently replaced the black ink cartridge (HP 564) and the printer worked fine for a several print jobs. Now the print quality (black ink) is very faint but the ink gauge indicates nearly full.  I've run and rerun the clean utility as well as the align utility with no change in quality. Utilizing the HP Print and Scan Doctor v5.1, all tests pass with the exception of print quality. Could the new black cartridge be defective? If the printhead is failing, can it be replaced?

[DavidSMP]

Hi @elcedar,

Thanks for visiting the HP community. A very good day to you! I read the post regarding issues with print quality with black not printing. I will be delighted to assist you here.

You’ve done an excellent job of diagnosing the issue from your end. Superb effort and spectacular research were done as well. Kudos to you on that score. :). I take it as a privilege to share this platform with you.

For better clarity and to assist you better I would require more information regarding this:

• Did you make copies directly from the printer without any communication from the computer?

For now, try these steps:

• Please make copies directly from the printer without any communication from the computer.
• If it fails to copy correctly then perform all the prescribed steps from this link: http://hp.care/2AiMizE  (HP Photosmart 7520 Printers - Fixing Poor Print Quality) if you’ve not done it already.
• Now check for issue resolution.
• If the issue continues, then contact HP phone support to get the cartridge replaced as it could be faulty. This should do the trick for you as long as the printer’s hardware is not faulty. If the printer is faulty, then the printer needs to be replaced.

HP Technical Support can be reached by clicking on the following link: http://hp.care/2r9wSvP

• Once the support page opens please select the country in which you're located. Next, enter your HP model number on the right.
• Next, choose the 'Contact Support' tab at the top and scroll down to the bottom of the 'HP Support- Contact' page to fill out the form provided with your contact information.
• Once completed click the 'Show Options' icon on the bottom right.
• Lastly, scroll down to the bottom of the page and select 'Get phone number.' A case number and phone number will now populate for you.

They will be happy to assist you immediately.

If the unit is under warranty, the manufacturer’s warranty should take care of it for you.

Please perform all these steps patiently as it is critical to resolving the issue. This should do the trick for you. Going by your post, I can perceive that you are technically very competent. So with your profound expertise, you should be able to perform these steps without breaking a sweat.

Let me know how it goes and you have a great day!

To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a superb week ahead. 🙂  

[elcedar · Accepted solution]

Hello and thanks for the respons. I have finally discovered that the new cartridge was indeed defective. I should also note that when I origionally unpacked the suspect cartridge, it didn't feel any heavier than the one that was empty. Being the curious type,  I even compared the weight between the two on a sensitive postage scale, and there was no difference!  So obviously the ink level was nearly empty even though it was a new cartridge! 

I have since replaced the cartridge with yet another "new" one and print quality is back to normal. So the good news is the printer is not failing. 

Regarding contacting HP Support, your steps didn't help, I followed your steps explicitily, and once on the "Contact HP Customer Support" page, there were no options for "Get Phone Number", just a link for the Forum which now has me back where I started.

Again, thanks for the response.

[DavidSMP]

Hi @elcedar,

It is great to have you back. Thanks for the response. You've displayed a rare combination of immense temperament, great attitude and profound technical competence to try and resolve the issue. Kudos to you for that.:) I am glad that the replacement cartridge did the trick for you.

I am happy for you that we worked in tandem to figure out that the cartridge is defective. Anyway, All's well that end's well is an old adage and so apt. I honestly hope the product works great and lasts you a long time with several years of happy printing.

Now trust me I've done all I can to assist you by keeping your best interest in mind. It has been an absolute privilege to share this platform with you and you've been a valued HP customer.

If this helps, then to simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a blessed year ahead. stay healthy and smile big 🙂

Cheers!