failed pen alignment on my diagnostic report

[Gayle12]

I had a paper jam which I did clear.  Now I get what looks like a smear on the printed page. I did do a printer "clean printhead as well as clean ink smear". still not printing correctly

[Raj1788]

@Gayle12

Welcome to the HP Community

I suggest you do a Hard Reset on the printer

(1) Turn the printer on, if it is not already on.

(2) Wait until the printer is idle and silent before you continue.

(3) With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.

(4) Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.

(5) Wait at least 60 seconds.

(6) Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet.

NOTE: HP recommends connecting the printer power cord directly to the wall outlet.

(7) Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer.

(8) Turn on the printer, if it does not automatically turn on.

The printer might go through a warm-up period. The printer lights might flash, and the carriage might move.

Wait until the warm-up period finishes and your printer is idle and silent before you proceed.

Manually clean the area around the ink nozzles

1. Gather the following materials:

   • Dry foam-rubber swabs, lint-free cloth, or any soft material that does not come apart or leave fibers (coffee filters work well)

   • Distilled, filtered, or bottled water (tap water might contain contaminants that can damage the ink cartridges)

        CAUTION: 

     Do not use platen cleaners or alcohol to clean the area. These can damage the ink cartridge or the printer.

2. Make sure the printer is on.

3. Open the scanner lid.

4. Open the ink cartridge access door.

   The carriage moves to the ink cartridge access area.

   Figure : Open the ink cartridge access door

   

5. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before continuing.

6. To release the ink cartridge, lift the lid on the ink cartridge slot, and then gently push the lid back until it stops.

7. Pull up on the ink cartridge to remove it from the slot.

   Figure : Remove the ink cartridge
   

   1. Lift the lid

   2. Gently push the lid back

   3. Pull up on the ink cartridge

      CAUTION: 

   Do not remove both ink cartridges at the same time. Remove and clean each ink cartridge one at a time. Do not leave an ink cartridge outside the printer for more than 30 minutes.

8. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides.

   Figure : Hold the ink cartridge by its sides

   

9. Inspect the ink cartridge contacts for ink and debris buildup.

      CAUTION: 

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   Figure : Do not touch the contacts or nozzles

   

10. Lightly moisten a clean, foam-rubber swab with distilled water, and then squeeze any excess water from it.

11. Clean the face and edges around the ink nozzle with the swab.

       CAUTION: 

    Do not clean the ink nozzle plate.

    Figure : Clean the area around the ink nozzle
    

    1. Nozzle plate - Do not clean

    2. Area surrounding ink nozzle - Do clean

    3. Ink cartridge contacts - Do not clean

12. Either let the ink cartridge sit for 10 minutes to allow the cleaned area to dry, or use a new swab to dry it.

13. Hold the ink cartridge at a slight upward angle with the ink cartridge contacts facing the rear of the printer, and then slide the ink cartridge into the empty slot.

    Figure : Reinstall the ink cartridge

    

14. Close the lid on the ink cartridge slot to secure the ink cartridge into place.

    Figure : Close the ink cartridge lid

    

15. Repeat these steps to clean the area surrounding the ink nozzle on the other ink cartridge.

16. Close the ink cartridge access door.

    Figure : Close the ink cartridge access door

    

17. Close the scanner lid.

18. Try printing again.

Refer to this document: https://support.hp.com/in-en/product/hp-envy-4500-e-all-in-one-printer-series/5304875/document/c0376... for Black Ink Not Printing and other Print Quality Issues.

Keep me posted, how it goes!

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution and Kudos buttons, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Have a great day!

Cheers:)