HP Photosmart C7280 Black Ink won't print

[grahamt]

Sorry but once again this printer (6500) uses a different ink cartridge, the HP 920.  This is not the same as the C7280, which, just to repeat, uses the HP 363 ink cartridges and their associated ink delivery system.  You may find that recovery techniques listed elsewhere in this issue may work for you but it cannot be guarunteed.

For all others finding this issue and thinking it may apply to them, please remember that if your printer doesn't use the HP 363 ink cartridges then you need to look elsewhere.

[Bob_Headrick]

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@PattonJR wrote:

I have an OfficeJet 6500 that suddenly quit printing black.

I will change the cartridge in the next couple days, but something is not right.

Yesterday I tried to print a picture for my daughter and it came out looking like a negative.  I figured out that it was not printing black, and only printing the colors.  I just wanted to print it quickly, so I didn't tell the printer it was printing a picture.

If I print a text document, I either get nothing, or some faint letters consisting of colored ink.

All that would lead you to believe that I'm having an issue with my black cartridge...

HOWEVER, if I tell the printer that it is printing a picture, everything works fine.  I can get it to print a text document in black if I tell it I am printing a picture.  The text quality is a little low, but it works.

I tried the "reset to factory default" thing, and it printed one page fine, and then it went back to not printing black.

I will try uninstalling and reinstalling drivers.

Any other suggestions?

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The black cartridge is not used when printing on photo paper.  For your issue the post here may help.

[TabTreeJunkie]

That solution is actually simple:

I also have the OfficeJet 6500 and had the same problem. The black text was printing using a mix of colored inks instead of the black ink, resulting in a grey, fuzzy text. I finally found a solution. In each application under Page Setup, there is an option called "Format for". Mine had been set to "Any Printer". I changed that to "Officejet 6500 E709n [830E4A]" and now it prints the black just fine. I have a Mac running 10.4.11. Hope this helps.

Too bad HP doesn't tell you this when you call. I also have my settings on greyscale and 'black cartridge only'

[casamartinez-rp]

After many days of frustration trying to get a letter to print in black ink, I finally have the problem solved.  I read most of the posts here and was ready to trash my HP C6350 and buy something else, but I read that one guy got his to print after uninstalling the software, reinstalling, and then running the clean printhead feature.  I didn't want to go through all the hassle of uninstalling and reinstalling, so cut to the chase of going to the printer menu and running the clean printer head feature: 

Go to Start, click on printers and faxes.  Under Printing Tasks, click on Select Printing Preferences, then click on the Color tab, then at the bottom of that page, click on Printer Services, then click on the icon for Clean the Printheads.  This takes a little while and has two processes.  I am quite positive that I nvever clicked on the second process the first few times I ran this feature...so wait for it.  My printer is functioning great now.  Oh, also before running this feature completely, because I was so frustrated I pulled out the black cartridge and used a tissue to clean the opening, as well as where it fits into the printer.  At the time I figured I couldn't do any more harm than I was currently faced with so I tried it.  But...even then it still did not print in black.  But after running this Clean Printheads feature to the fullest, it is working.  Maybe doing both of these things combined did the trick, I'll never know, but I hope this is helpful to others.

Sincerely, Casamartinez-rpt

[grahamt]

casamartinez-rp, many thanks for this comprehensive feedback but unfortunately it is inappropriate for this particular topic.  Your machine uses the HP 364 ink cartridges, which are completely different from the HP 363 cartridges used by the C7280 series of printers.  Your solution has been already tried by many C7280 owners but does not resolve the problem with that ink delivery system.  I suggest that you re-enter this under the topic for your specific computer.

[billshepherd]

My printer will not print in black, just colors.

[gmilstead]

Had same problem.  HP C6380 approx 18 months old.  Would not print black.  Tried all posted solutions.  Problem appears to be an ink clog at the printhead.  The fix that worked for me:

1.  Remove all ink cartridges.

2.  Remove printhead.

3.  Soak printhead (print side down) in a shallow bowl with approx 1/4" water for approx 2 minutes.  Do NOT submerge the round ink openings on the back of the printhead.

4.  Scrub printhead gently with a soft toothbrush.  Dip printhead and toothbrush in water (replace water as necessary).

5.  Repeat multple times until clean.  (This can get messy).

6.  Dry.

7.  Replace in printer and run clean printhead utility.

8.  That should fix it...if not...try it again.

[grahamt]

Sorry to labour the point but once again this printer (C6380) uses a different ink system than the C7280 which is what this topic is all about.  Just a reminder, the C7280 uses the HP363 ink cartridges whereas the C6380 uses the HP364, which although only one digit different, is completely different.  The C7280 does not have a removeable print head, unlike the C6380, which uses an ink delivery system very similar to Canon.  So, your solution will not, unfortunately, work for C7280 users.

There is a topic specifically for this problem with C6380 printers (http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Other-printing-questions/Photosmart-C6380-AiO-won-t-print-black/m-p/671...).  I suggest you repost this update there.

[cmhpuser_65]

I have an HP Desktop D1660 that when I replaced the black cartridge with a new HP cartridge it would not print. As the cartridge I had taken out still had ink in it, I put it back in to double check to make sure it wasn't a problem with the printer head. The old cartridge printed just fine. So then I cleaned the gold dots on the new cartridge with denatured alcohol and reinstalled it. I then printed a page and the black ink worked but not on all lines. So I kept printing until finally I got a good print copy.  Hope this helps. 

[grahamt]

Sorry, I wish I could say this was a help but unfortunately, once again, this printer uses a completely different cartridge - the HP 300.  Suggest you repost this on a topic for the D1660 printer or those printers that use the HP 300 cartridge.  The C7280 ink system is completely different.