HP 6958 NOT PRINTING BLACK INK

[deal2020]

Help, please. Suddenly my OfficeJet 6958 won't print in black. It was running low on black ink (and all of the other colors). I replaced all of the cartridges, and now it will print all the colors except black. I looked through the forum and saw this question has been asked many times. 

I've tried unplugging and plugging in again. I've tried cleaning the print heads... multiple times. Still no black ink.

I've tried making a copy only in black. When that happens, only a blank page comes out.

I've tried checking the vent on top of the cartridge. The vent is clear.

I don't see what other option it could be. The black cartridge is 9 months expired, but brand new and sealed out of the box. Looking online I read that new HP cartridges are still good 18 months past their expiration date. Could it be a ink issue? 

[Evan04 · Accepted solution]

Dear Deal2020,

If the printer is recognizing the black ink cartridge, then that has a low likelihood of being the problem. For your type of printer, the expiration date is just to note the end of the warranty for the cartridge. I would recommend running a cleaning cycle, which can usually be found in the setup or maintenance menu of your printer. This may solve your issue. At this point, if your printer is still in warranty, then I would suggest calling HP for additional solutions. If your printer is out of warranty, then you could consider trying to clean the printhead manually. This video shows that process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcyxSjwo5ZE. If you follow the video, you can simply use Windex as the cleaner. With your type of printer, the printhead is not consumer replaceable, so it can definitely become a problem if it fails. Also, it is very important to make sure that the printer has ink in it at all times. If a cartridge is running low, then I would highly suggest replacing it when your printer tells you. With some types of printers, printing after replacement is recommended is fine, but in your case, can be very bad for the printhead. With the thermal printhead used in your printer, the ink's presence is important to prevent the printhead from overheating, which can be irreversible damage. 

Have a great rest of your day,

Evan 

[deal2020]

Thank you so much for your thorough response! I purchased a printhead cleaner and cleaned the black printhead. It took many times, but the cleaner finally did the trick! The video you linked was extremely helpful

Thanks again!