Posted by HP printers work efficiently most of the time. However, you may encounter problems after extended usage. One of them is the printer not printing in black even when the ink is full. There is no specific cause for this problem. It ranges from a clogged printhead, incorrect print settings, to problem with the cartridges. The quality and type of paper you use also affects the printing process. Don’t worry. Use the troubleshooting mentioned in this post to get your HP printer working again.
Fixes for HP Printer Not Printing Black with Full Ink
There are many ways to troubleshoot this issue. Use the following solutions one by one and get your problem resolved.
1. Check Ink Levels
If the ink level is low, the printer will not print black. So, inspect the ink levels. There are various ways to do so. You can use the HP Smart app, access printer properties through Windows settings, or print a test page from your HP printer’s control panel. After checking the ink levels, replace the cartridge if it is empty.
2. Clean the Printheads
Dried ink accumulated in the printer’s printheads and lead to blank pages. You should clean the printheads thoroughly to address this issue.
- Open the HP printer application on your system.
- Navigate to the printer settings or maintenance tools.
- Select the Clean Printhead option.
- This will initiate the automated cleaning process.
- Print a test page. If it is still blank, repeat the cleaning process.
3. Use Genuine HP Cartridges
HP recommends that you employ genuine HP ink or toner supplies. It does not guarantee the quality of non-HP or refilled cartridges. Go to the HP anti-counterfeit page to check the authenticity of your cartridges. If they are not genuine, purchase the authentic ones from the HP Store.
4. Use the Paper Appropriately
Inappropriate type and quality of paper hinders printer performance. So, even if your HP printer has full ink, it will not print black if the paper type and quality is not correct. Use these steps to fix this paper problem.
- When you load the paper, keep the print side down. The print side is smooth and the non-print side has a logo of the paper manufacturer.
- The paper should not be wrinkled.
- Use HP Advanced Photo Paper for dense printing tasks.
5. Update the Firmware
A firmware update is crucial to enable the HP printer print properly. If the printer has ink but the firmware is not updated, the printing won’t happen. Use these steps to update the firmware.
- Download and Install HP Smart application.
- Sign into your account on the app.
- Select your printer from the home screen.
- Navigate to Advanced Settings or Printer Home Page (EWS) under the printer’s options.
- Go to Tools or Web Services, then click on Printer Updates or Product Update.
- Select Check Now to download and install any available firmware updates.
Concluding Words
Use the fixes above to make your HP printer print black with full ink. Ensure that you take out a print quality diagnostic report from the printer’s control panel. If the issue persists, call HP printer Support service.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I reset my HP black ink cartridge?
Remove the black and colour cartridges from your HP printer. Restart the printer and put the cartridges back inside it.
2. How to fix HP printer black ink?
To fix an HP printer black ink issue, clean the printhead head. Go to Tools and click Print Quality Tools. Select Clean Printhead or Clean. A Cleaning printhead message will show. After that, a test page prints.
3. How do I fix the black line on my HP printer?
Check for low ink/toner and clean the scanner glass and ADF. Remove the fuser, clean it gently, and check for any stuck debris like glue or wax from envelopes. Also, clean the printhead.
4. Why is my HP printer printing faded but has enough ink?
Cleaning the printheads periodically will fix the issue of printer giving faded output even with ink. Also, run a diagnostic print from the printer menu. It will confirm which colours are causing a problem.