Printer has full ink cartridges but doesn't print even when I request black ink only

[p4h]

My printer has full ink cartridges in both the color and black and it still won't print.  It tries but only prints a little blue on about 3 lines and one little spot of red, no black ink at all.  Any suggestions?  I already cleaned both the print and cartridge contacts with a lint free coffee filter and have turned the computer off and back on.

[ReverseTalk]

Follow these steps:

(See them in context at https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-deskjet-f4400-all-in-one-printer-series/3742084/model/383740...)

Solution six: Print and evaluate an extended self-test report and troubleshoot defects

Follow these steps to print, and then evaluate an extended self-test report.

Step one: Print an extended self-test report

1. Make sure you have plain white, letter-size paper loaded in the input tray.
2. Press and hold the Power button () and the Cancel button () for 10 seconds. The extended self-test report prints.
   Figure : Example extended self-test report

   

Step two: Determine which cartridges printed which areas of the extended self-test report

Different cartridges print different areas of the extended self-test report. Use the following guidelines to determine which cartridge printed which areas.

• The black cartridge prints the black areas of the report, such as the black bars and black text.
• The color cartridge prints the color areas of the report, such as the cyan (blue), magenta, and yellow color bars.

Figure : Which cartridges print which areas of the extended self-test report

Make a note of which cartridges printed which areas of the extended self-test, and then continue to the next step to troubleshoot defects on the report.

Step three: Check the extended self-test report for defects

In general, if the product and its cartridges are working correctly, all the color bars should be present, unstreaked, and uniform in color. The black text on the page should not show ink streaks.

Use the following table for examples of defects that can exist on the extended-self test report. The following examples are not inclusive, but tend to represent the most common issues.

Examples of defects on the extended self-test report
Defect	Example	Description or cause
Broken lines in grid patterns		Problem with the ink nozzles
Faded or non-uniform colors in the color blocks		Depleted cartridges, or ink mixing together
Track marks or ink smears in the text		Fibers or other debris on one or both of the cartridges
The color blocks are streaked or lined		The cartridge might be running out of ink or the nozzles might be clogged
One or more of the colored blocks is missing entirely	All colors printed - no missing colors Yellow missing - the color cartridge is not printing correctly	The cartridge is out of one color of ink or the ink nozzles might be clogged.

• If you see no defects on the extended self-test report, the print mechanism and ink supplies work correctly. If printouts are still unsatisfactory, try these general print-quality guidelines, and then do not continue the troubleshooting steps in the remainder of this document:
  • Make sure the image you are printing has sufficient resolution. Images that have been enlarged too much might appear fuzzy or blurry.
  • If the problem is confined to a band near the edge of a print, use the software you installed with the product, or another software program to rotate the image 180°. The problem might not appear on the other end of the printout.
• If you see one or more of these defects on the extended self-test report, continue to the next steps.

Step four: Clean the cartridges using an automated utility

Follow these steps to run an automated tool to clean the cartridges if you found defects on the extended self-test report.

1. Open HP Solution Center:
   • Windows XP:
     1. Click Start.
     2. Click All Programs.
     3. Click HP.
     4. Click HP Solution Center.
   • Windows Vista or Windows 7:
   HP Solution Center opens in a new window.
2. Click Settings ().
3. In the Print Settings area, click Printer Toolbox. The printer Toolbox opens.
4. On the Device Services tab, click Clean the Print Cartridge(s) ().
5. Click Clean to begin the process.

      NOTE:

   Mechanical noises during the cleaning process are normal. A test page prints when the cleaning process finishes.

Step five: Align the HP product

Follow these steps to align the product.

1. Make sure you have plain paper loaded in the product.
2. Open HP Solution Center:
   • Windows XP
     Click Start, click All Programs, click HP, and then click HP Solution Center.
   • Windows Vista or Windows 7
   HP Solution Center opens in a new window.
3. In HP Solution Center, click Settings ().
4. In the Print Settings section, click Printer Toolbox. The printer Toolbox opens in a new window.
5. Click Align the Print Cartridges ().
6. Click Print Page. The product prints an alignment page.
   Figure : Product prints an alignment page

   
7. Lift the product lid.
   Figure : Lift the product lid

   
8. Place the alignment page on with the printed-side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass for help loading the alignment page.
   Figure : Load the alignment page

   
9. Lower the product lid.
   Figure : Lower the lid

   
10. Press the Scan button () to scan the alignment page.
    Figure : Scan the alignment page

    
11. Wait while the product scans the alignment page and completes the alignment process.

[jabzi]

Hello,

Please click HERE to access the steps that should resolve the issue .

You may also copy / paste the below URL in a browser .

https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-deskjet-f4400-all-in-one-printer-series/3742084/model/383740...

[ReverseTalk]

I'd also like to mention that cartridge cleaning should only be performed if you see streaks or smears on printouts.

[Charlie361]

Printer is HP Office jet pro 8500

[kevin-t]

Hello,

Thank you for posting in this thread. Unfortunately based on when the last response was made, I have closed this thread to help keep comments current and up to date. We recommend starting a new thread for your issue by clicking here.
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